Speech and Language Services

Speech and language therapy is for children experiencing delays in: speech, communication, language, social pragmatics, forming sounds, words, sentences, poor speech patterns, stuttering, poor oral motor skills (difficulty feeding, swallowing, sipping through straw or eating food textures), difficulty with social speech patterns, difficulty with social communication, or any of the red flags listed on the sub-catagory to the right.

• Most insurances & TN CARE insurances cover pediatric speech therapy to help with communication, speech, and social pragmatic needs!  
• Many insurance companies including TN CARE cover Augmentative Communication Devices- even IPAD's with communication software!          

Call our office and we will be happy to check your insurance benefits!

 All of our therapies are one to one child to a therapist. Family members are encouraged to be a large part of the therapy process, and we are here to help you learn to include therapeutic techniques into everyday routines, while making it fun and engaging!

Once in weekly therapies, we often offer group based social pragmatic therapy! 

We also have an Autism Clinic that includes speech therapy and OT with their ABA therapies!  

Speech Expectations by years:

By 12 Months

• Says one or two words, g. “mama”, “dada”, “bye-bye”
• Imitates speech sounds
• Produces jargon: strings of speech-like babbling
• Understands up to 50 words
• Responds to simple directions, g. “come here”
• Joint attention: follows your gaze and points

By 15 Months

• May use 4-6 different words
• Imitates simple familiar words and sounds
• Combines sounds and gestures
• Consistently follows simple directions
• Maintains attention to pictures
• Can identify 1-2 body parts when named

BY 18 Months

• Uses 20 words (mostly nouns)
• Responds to questions
• Continues to produce jargon
• Points at familiar objects and people in pictures
• Understands early direction words (in, on)
• Responds to yes/no questions with head shake/nod

• By 21 Months

• Uses words more than gestures
• Consistently imitates new words
• Vocabulary of 20-50 single words
• Understands some emotion words (happy, sad)
• Understands some pronouns (me, you, my)
• Identifies 3-5 body parts when named

• By 24 Months

• Uses at least 50 words
• Beginning to use 2-word phrases
• Uses early pronouns (me, you, my)
• Follows 2-step directions, e.g. “pick up your coat and bring it to me”
• Consistently understands basic nouns, verbs, pronouns
• Understands mine and yours

By 30 Months

• Consistently uses 2-3 word phrases
• Produces direction words (in, on)
• At least 50% of speech is understood by caregiver
• Follows 2-step directions, e.g. “pick up your coat and bring it to me”
• Consistently understands basic nouns, verbs, pronouns
• Understands mine and yours

By 36 Months

• Produces 4-5 word sentences
• Uses plurals, e.g. “dogs”
• Most speech is understood by caregiver
• Understands opposites
• (big/small, hot/cold)
• Simple understanding of concepts like color, space, time
• Recognizes how objects are used

If your precious one is not reaching these very important developmental milestones within a few months of the time given, then a medical based speech and language evaluation is needed.  Ask your doctor for a referral or call 931-372-2567 for a therapy packet to get started!

RED FLAGS- Signs of Autism or Communication Problems

Feeding Therapy- SOS based oral sensory therapy

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