From 10 to 200 Words in Just 10 Weeks! Our Speech Therapists Get Toddlers to Talk

That’s how long it takes our speech therapists to get most toddlers to talk. Ten Weeks!

Not 4 months, which is the time we need to get school-aged kids back on track. Because, at the toddler age, the gaps are smaller.

So we can quickly close toddlers’ gaps, teach them the precursors to reading and written language, and prevent learning problems and social difficulties down the road.

Case in point…a 2 ½ year old toddler named Megan.

Megan was 28 months old and smart as a whip. She could follow directions better than many 3 year olds and play cooperatively with her family and friends.

“Less than 10 words”, was her mother’s response to our first question, “How may words does your child have?” The only problem was…she barely spoke.

Children start to communicate on their very first day of life. Mothers learn to differentiate their baby’s different cries for their needs.

Babies smile at their parents, coo at them and gaze into their eyes. This is their communication during these first 3 months.

Between 4 and 6 months, they begin to babble. You may hear “mama”, “dada”.

By 13 to 18 months, the first true words appear. One-year olds use 5-10 words to label important people and objects.

A huge language spurt occurs between 12 and 24 months of age. They learn new words every single day. Toddlers gradually speak words, though they understand hundreds more.

By 2 ½ or 3, we expect combinations like “Daddy up please” and “No want to go home.” By 2 years of age, children begin combining words. This is when we hear “Mommy come,” or “Car go!”

At age 2 ½, Megan had less than 10 words, and they were all used for labeling.

She had a moderate communication delay, and she was at risk for social challenges and school failure.

Her parents weren’t going to let that happen. They enrolled her for therapy one time a week and worked with her at home every single day.

As therapy began, goals were developed to increase Megan’s vocabulary and expand her language including 2- and 3-word combinations.

Progress quickly took place. After just one session, Megan had two new words, “key” and “doggy”.

In just 10 weeks, Megan had about 200 words in her vocabulary. After 4 months she had met her 6-month goals!

This is what can happen when teams work together to help toddlers with speech/language delays and pediatricians support early intervention.

Then Megan’s family did their research and found the best therapist for their daughter. They chose us to do the therapy, and then they did the homework.

We dismissed Megan in 4 short months. She was ready to socialize with her family and friends, participate in preschool and start learning the precursors to reading and writing.

Prevention is more effective and less expensive than remediation. So, give us a toddler, and we’ll close the gaps in 4 months. Give us a preschooler or kindergartener, and it may take 4 – 8 months.

We have the expertise to address communication, social and academic difficulties at any age. But the younger, the better. So, if you know a child who is struggling developmentally, socially or academically, call us or visit our website TODAY!

2002 Jimmy Durante Drive Suite 304 Del Mar, CA Phone: Fax: