Questions families ask us

No. Speech therapy can help people of all ages. Children may receive therapy for developmental language, speech sounds, fluency, social communication, feeding, or AAC. Adults may receive therapy following a stroke, brain injury, neurological condition, head and neck cancer, or for other communication, cognitive, voice, and swallowing needs.

The terms are commonly used interchangeably. “Speech-language pathologist” is the professional title, while “speech therapist” is a familiar term used by patients and families. SLPs evaluate and treat more than speech sounds; they may also address language, voice, fluency, cognitive communication, feeding, and swallowing.

Not always. Many parents and adults begin with a concern rather than an established diagnosis. The intake team can explain what information is needed and whether a speech-language evaluation or another professional assessment is the appropriate next step.

There is no single timeline. Therapy duration depends on the type and severity of the concern, underlying conditions, individual goals, attendance, practice opportunities, and response to treatment. Recommendations should be based on an evaluation and reviewed as progress is measured.

Yes. Speak Live Play provides in-home therapy across its Greater Los Angeles service area, along with in-office services in West Los Angeles and virtual options when appropriate. Availability may depend on the requested service, location, clinical needs, and scheduling.

Even intermittent use at night after age 18 months is not always a bad thing, but daily use for extended durations heightens the risks of speech and oral problems. Weaning is supportive of healthy oral growth.

Small cups with straws and open cups are best. These encourage stronger oral motor skills for eating as well as for speaking clearly.

Continued use of sippy cups with a hard spout can lead to delayed oral motor skills that are crucial for clear speech development.

Eating therapy directly targets the physical skills for safe swallowing and chewing, whereas speech therapy targets communication skills such as language development and articulation. Both can coincide based on the needs of your child.

Treatment with food can start as soon as 6-9 months if there are concerns about feeding. The outcomes are optimal with early intervention.

Yes. Solid food avoidance may signal oral motor delay or sensory sensitivities. A feeding evaluation will uncover the underlying problems and direct appropriate food therapy approaches.

Commonly discussed features include inconsistent consonant and vowel errors, disrupted transitions between sounds and syllables, and unusual stress or rhythm. Difficulty may increase with word length and complexity. These signs overlap with other disorders, so no single feature confirms CAS.

Children under 3 can be evaluated when there are concerns, but a definitive diagnosis may be difficult because speech samples are limited and development changes rapidly. An SLP may use a provisional classification such as “suspected CAS” and refine it through dynamic assessment and treatment response.

Not usually. CAS primarily involves planning and programming speech movements rather than muscle weakness. Dysarthria is more directly associated with motor execution, tone, strength, or coordination.

AAC can reduce frustration, protect language development, and provide immediate access to communication while speech skills grow. It can be modeled alongside speech and does not need to replace speech therapy.

CAS is not considered a delay that children simply outgrow. Children can make significant communication and speech gains with appropriate treatment, but progress and long-term needs vary.

Many children attempt a first meaningful word around the end of the first year, but development occurs across a range. Before words, look for responses to sound, social turns, babbling, gestures, shared attention, and understanding. By the later part of the second year, many children combine two or more words or symbols. If your child has few intentional ways to communicate, is not gaining skills, or you are concerned, ask for an evaluation rather than waiting for an exact deadline.

Word counts vary, and counting alone can miss important strengths or concerns. Consider total vocabulary across all languages and communication systems, plus understanding, gesture use, word combinations, communicative purposes, and rate of new learning. A speech-language pathologist can interpret the overall profile rather than relying on one number.

No. Children can learn multiple languages successfully. Skills and vocabulary may be distributed across languages, and language mixing is normal. Families should use the languages they know best. When a disorder is suspected, evaluation should consider all languages and distinguish a difference related to multilingual development from a difficulty that affects language learning more broadly.

Speech clarity develops over time, and family members often understand more than unfamiliar listeners. Consider an evaluation if the child is frequently misunderstood by familiar people, appears much less clear than peers, has a limited variety of sounds, avoids speaking, or becomes frustrated. Intelligibility should be interpreted with age, context, language, hearing, and the specific error patterns in mind.

Yes. Caregiver concerns are meaningful, and an evaluation does not commit a family to therapy. It can confirm that development is on track, recommend monitoring, or identify useful support. Families may also contact their local early-intervention program for children under 3 or their public-school system for eligible older children while pursuing private clinical guidance.