Speech Delay

At Expressable, we’ve helped thousands of toddlers and children with speech delays improve their communication and gain confidence in their speech. Our unique speech delay program teaches you evidence-based strategies for improving a speech delay, with fun exercises to practice at home for faster progress.

A speech delay is present when a child does not meet their communication milestones on time. Speech delays are typically identified early in a child’s development, often during the toddler years.

Children with a speech delay may speak using only a few words, or they may not speak at all. Common signs of a speech delay include:

• Trouble with using words or gestures to communicate

• Frustration when trying to express wants and needs

• Trouble with imitating sounds or words

• Speaking less or using fewer words than children of the same age

• Problems with understanding directions spoken to them

This article explains Expressable’s clinical approach to evaluating and treating a speech delay. You can also view our complete guide to speech delays to get answers to common questions, including the causes and signs of a speech delay, the difference between speech delay and autism, and tips for supporting your child at home.

1Why is speech therapy important for speech delays? 2How Expressable treats speech delay in children 3Practice speech therapy strategies at home with the Expressable portal 4The benefits of online speech therapy for speech delay 5See what people are saying about our speech therapy for speech delay 6Get matched with a speech therapist today

Why is speech therapy important for speech delays?

Toddlers and young children are continuously learning speech and language from the environment around them. Their brains grow quickly as they learn and develop communication skills. These skills often build on one another. For example, most children will learn to babble before they begin saying true words.

If a child doesn’t master a certain communication milestone, they may have problems meeting the milestone that comes next. That could cause them to fall behind in their development.

Not having the words or ability to communicate clearly can be very upsetting, especially for young children. Problems with communication can cause frustration, loneliness, and sometimes tantrums or other “big” behaviors.

Speech therapy is an effective treatment for speech delay. The earlier speech therapy begins, the more quickly a child can progress toward “catching up.” While each child’s treatment plan is tailored to their goals, the Expressable speech delay program focuses on:

• Evidence-based techniques for helping a child make progress and reach communication milestones

• Education and empowerment for parents and caregivers, so they can support their child’s growth at home

• Helping improve negative behaviors caused by difficulty communicating

Speech and Language Issues

The Complete Guide to Speech Delays in Toddlers and Young Children

The expert guide to speech delays in toddlers and children. Learn the signs and causes of a speech delay and how you can help your child at home.

Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP

How Expressable treats speech delay in children

Expressable matches families and adults with a licensed speech therapist trained to evaluate and treat speech delay. All therapy is delivered online via face-to-face video conferencing on Zoom. Research has shown that online speech therapy works just as well as in-person therapy for speech delay, even in toddlers. Online speech therapy is convenient, offers wider access to speech therapists, and makes it easier for parents and caregivers to be involved with their child’s care. At Expressable, parent coaching is a key part of our speech delay program. Your child’s age will influence how your speech therapist interacts with them and you during sessions. Sessions for younger children work best when a caregiver attends alongside their child. That way, you can learn cues and at-home strategies directly from the therapist, and confidently practice with your child throughout the week.

Expressable’s clinical approach to evaluating a speech delay 

Speech therapy for a speech delay begins with an evaluation. Your speech therapist will choose from a variety of standardized or norm-referenced tests for the evaluation. They may conduct assessments such as the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Preschool-3 (CELF® Preschool-3), and the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Test, 3rd Edition (REEL-3).

Your speech therapist will likely do the following during the evaluation:

• Review your child’s medical history

• Examine the anatomy of their mouth and mouth movements

• Observe your child’s use of words or gestures and their overall communication when interacting with you, their toys, items on the screen, and the speech therapist

• Determine whether your child’s communication growth is on track or behind

• Provide a professional opinion on whether speech therapy is needed

If speech therapy is recommended, the evaluation results will be used to develop a personalized care plan. Treatment for a speech delay typically includes two speech therapy sessions per week.

Evidence-based strategies to treat a speech delay

Your speech therapist will help your child learn to communicate one step at a time, working through a variety of short-term goals. 

Some toddlers and children with a speech delay may start by learning to participate in a back-and-forth interaction with their speech therapist. These types of interactions are the basis for communication. Other kids may jump right into imitating words or phrases from their speech therapist. Every child’s needs are different, but the goal is always the same: To help them communicate as effectively as possible, no matter what their current abilities are.

At Expressable, speech therapy for speech delay is child-led and play-based. Building a positive, playful relationship with your child is the foundation for their learning. We meet your child where they are, using their interests and motivations to help them grow their communication skills and confidence. 

At Expressable, speech therapy for speech delay is child-led and play-based.

Children learn best through play, so your speech therapist will incorporate play into every session. They might use toys or books your child has at home, or fun activities presented on screen. 

However, no matter how fun sessions are, we’d never expect a toddler to sit still and look at a screen for 30 minutes! That’s why caregiver involvement during sessions is so important. You can help your child play with the speech therapist, or play with your child while the therapist offers tips and guidance for eliciting speech. That way, you’ll learn how to keep practicing with your little one at home. After all, while your speech therapist sees your child a few times a week, you’re with them every day. Even the most basic daily routines, like bathtime or riding in the car, are opportunities to practice speech and language.

Practice speech therapy strategies at home with the Expressable portal

At Expressable, speech therapy doesn’t stop when your session ends. You’ll have ongoing text messaging support so you can ask questions or get tips from your speech therapist between sessions. You’ll also have access to our client portal, which makes it easier to practice speech and language with your child throughout the week. The more often you practice, the faster your child will make progress!

In the portal, you’ll find Learning Paths that explain and reinforce therapy strategies for speech delay, such as “wait time” and offering choices:

You can watch videos that show real speech delay techniques in action:

Your speech therapist will assign personalized home practice activities you can do during your everyday routines, such as modeling language and supporting age-appropriate play:

The benefits of online speech therapy for speech delay

Multiple studies over several years have shown the effectiveness of online speech therapy for children. Not only does it work as well as in-person speech therapy, there are lots of reasons people tend to prefer it:

1 Wider access to qualified speech therapists

With online speech therapy, it’s not hard to find a speech therapist who’s experienced in working with toddlers or treating speech delays. You have access to an entire network of speech therapists who are licensed to treat in your state. This is especially beneficial for people who live in more rural areas, or in areas with long waitlists for speech therapy.

2 Convenience and flexibility

Between school, work, errands, and everyday life, it can be hard to regularly attend in-person therapy sessions. Not only is there the commute time, but most speech therapy clinics are only open during normal business hours. With work schedules and after-school activities, for many people, that just doesn’t work.

Online speech therapy removes this problem. At Expressable, you can schedule sessions on the days that work best, at the times that are most convenient, including evenings and weekends. 

3 The comfort of home

If your child feels shy or uncomfortable when it comes to speech therapy, they’re not alone. Many children feel unsure in new situations, especially when they’re face-to-face with someone new, like a speech therapist. With online speech therapy, doing sessions from the comfort of your own home can put your child at ease. You can be right beside them the whole time. And when your child feels comfortable, their therapy sessions will be more effective.

One benefit of online therapy for speech delay is that the speech therapist gets to see the child in their home environment and observe how they interact with family members. The therapist can even incorporate toys and books that the child enjoys during their sessions.

4 Affordability

In-person speech therapy clinics have many expenses that aren’t directly related to your care, such as rent, utilities, and other operational costs. As with any business, these costs are often passed down to the consumer. The cost of speech therapy will vary by provider, but generally, the cost of online speech therapy will be less than an in-person practice—even though you receive the same quality of treatment. At Expressable, we also partner with major health insurance plans around the country, making it easier than ever to access speech therapy treatment.

See what people are saying about our speech therapy for speech delay

We’ve treated thousands of toddlers and children with speech delay around the country. Our speech therapists consistently earn ratings of 4.9 out of 5 stars from their clients. Here’s just a sampling:

“Expressable is a life changer!!” "Ms. Tiffany is super patient and so eloquently articulated. My son has shown so much growth in speaking and carrying conversations within 5-6 months of weekly therapy sessions. Expressable is a life changer!!"

“Every week she says a little more” "My daughter’s therapist Loren has helped my daughter immensely!!! She has been such a support to our family. Her advice has helped us make better decisions for our daughter and her future. Her sessions help me understand how I can help my daughter outside of therapy. We practice our homework all week every week, and we constantly see improvement. My daughter went from only saying words to saying sentences, wants, and needs, and every week she says a little more. I’m so grateful to have Loren as my daughter’s therapist."

Success Stories

4-Year-Old Found “Right Fit” with Expressable—And Grew Speech to 500 Words

Learn how online speech therapy helped this 4-year-old gain hundreds of new words and begin talking more.

Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP

“The ease of it being virtual and in our home made the process smooth” "Ciara has been beyond amazing. Just within the time we have been working with her, we have seen massive speech development with my son. The ease of it being virtual and in our home has also made the process smooth, and we even look forward to our scheduled appointments."

“My son gained so many skills” "Aleisha is incredible! She was kind and intuitive, always recognizing and celebrating my son’s communication. My son gained so many skills thanks to her work with him and we are so grateful."

Get matched with a speech therapist today

We’re here to support your child so they can become the communicator they were made to be. Find the right speech therapist for your needs here.