Early Intervention Speech Therapy at About Play
During the early stages of a child’s life, they grow and develop so much. You’ll never forget the first time you see them crawl or hear them speak their first words. If you’re like any other parent or caregiver, you’re keeping track of every milestone to ensure that they progress as they should.
Every child develops at their own pace, but there are certain achievements that they should reach by a specific age. If you’re concerned about your child missing the mark regarding speech and language, early intervention might be the best solution.
Speech Therapy for Children at About Play
About Play offers comprehensive early intervention services to support children in all areas as they learn and grow. We’re proud to provide early intervention that coordinates speech therapy services as one of our areas of expertise.
We have multiple speech therapists that we contract with through the BabyNet program. Our knowledgeable team will work with you and the speech therapist to determine their eligibility for speech and language services and develop a plan to best support your child's specific needs. Early intervention is centered around play, keeping children engaged, and having fun.
What Is Early Intervention Speech Therapy?
Communicating effectively is a fundamental skill of human development and plays a critical role in the early years of a child's life. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use early intervention speech therapy for children to address these problems at the source and provide therapeutic techniques to improve the child's quality of life.
Early speech intervention focuses on diagnosing and treating speech disorders and delays in young children – specifically from infancy to age three. Studies confirm that early detection of speech and language difficulties, paired with treatment, can make a significant difference and provide positive outcomes in the patient's life.
If your child is struggling in these areas, they could benefit from speech intervention:
- Your child isn’t babbling
- Your child is stuttering
- Your child doesn't engage in group play
- Your child has inconsistent speech
- Your child isn’t pointing or gesturing
- Your child is making phonological errors
- Your child has a cleft palate
- Your toddler can’t follow simple instructions
- Your toddler isn’t speaking at school
- Your toddler has a lisp
- Your toddler has a limited vocabulary
Benefits of Early Intervention Speech Therapy
Early diagnosis and treatment for speech delays significantly increase the chances of improvement rather than waiting it out and treating problems later in life. Treating speech and language difficulties early in a child’s life can prevent potential issues in the future with behavior, learning, reading, and social interaction.
There are many reasons why early intervention is best if your child is experiencing a speech delay. Some of the main areas of your child's life that will positively be affected include:
- Brain development - since young children develop the majority of their speech and language skills in the first three years of life, this learning influences how the brain develops.
- Elimination - speech sound disorders can be quickly eliminated with early intervention.
- Remediation - involves improving communication skills during play and daily routines.
Compensatory strategies - used to create a functional means of communication for a child who is not using any verbal language.
When Is a Child a Candidate for Pediatric Speech Therapy?
Our Services
Contact Us for Service
Is your child having trouble mastering the communication skills that will allow them to develop and flourish? Are they unable to communicate effectively? Are they unable to follow directions? Are they becoming frustrated when they try to speak? If so, speech therapy could make a big difference in their life.
In the state of South Carolina, early intervention services are free. Anyone can refer a child to BabyNet, to receive early intervention services if the child qualifies, and they will benefit from support. If you're worried your child may be missing some developmental milestones, the time to seek help is now.
Early intervention is free and available to your family. For more information about early intervention speech therapy for children, or any other early intervention services, don't hesitate to get in touch with the About Play team.
Please Note: The team at About Play is here to help coordinate services for you and your family. We will match you with licensed professionals who specialize in the area your child needs support in, but we do not provide these services in-house.
Types of Early Intervention Services
We provide the following types of Early Intervention Services:
Special Instruction/Family Training
Example: teaching developmental skills such as sign language or teaching how to hold a child to support feedings. Learn more about Special Instruction for Families >>
Service Coordination (case management)
Example: developing a plan (IFSP) to pull services together for the family. Learn more about Service Coordination services >>
Early Intervention Evaluations
Example: checking for behavior problems, or specific therapies. Learn more about Early Intervention Evaluation services >>
Speech Services
Example: finding out why a child does not talk. Learn more about Speech Therapy services >>
Infant Massage
Example: Reduce stress for both the parent and child through infant massage. Learn more about Infant Massage >>
Physical Therapy
Example: working to improve a child’s movement to explore their environment independently. Learn more about Physical Therapy Services >>
Occupational Therapy
Example: teaching a child to use a spoon. Learn more about Occupational Therapy >>
Support Groups
Example: helping find support through community resources such as Family Connections.
Hearing Services
Example: fitting a hearing device. Learn more about Hearing Services >>
Vision Services
Example: prescribing glasses. Learn more about Vision Services >>
Nursing Services
Example: tube feeding or bandage changing. Learn more about Nursing Services >>
Nutrition Services
Example: special diets or referral to a nutritionist. Learn more about Nutrition Services >>