Language issues impact how children understand and express spoken language. They may have difficulty processing what others say (receptive), sharing thoughts clearly (expressive), or both. Signs include limited vocabulary, trouble following directions, and difficulty forming sentences.

Receptive Language Issues

• Difficulty understanding or processing language.
• May struggle to follow directions, understand questions, or comprehend stories.
• Example: A child hears the word “dog” but doesn’t know what it means.

Expressive Language Issues

• Difficulty expressing thoughts, needs, or ideas.
• May have limited vocabulary, use incorrect grammar, or speak in short, incomplete sentences.
• Example: A child wants to ask for a toy but can’t find the right words.

Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Issues

• Trouble both understanding and using language.
• This can significantly impact communication and learning.

Late Talkers

A “late talker” is a toddler (18–30 months) who understands language and interacts like peers but uses fewer words than expected.

Signs to watch for:

• Limited vocabulary or fewer word combinations
• Relies on gestures to communicate
• Understands more than they can express
• Frustration when trying to communicate

We support late talkers by building vocabulary, encouraging word combinations, coaching parents and using play-based strategies to make learning engaging. Early intervention helps these “littles” gain confidence and builds a strong foundation for school and social success.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

We provide therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Every child with autism is unique, and our approach focuses on building their strengths while supporting communication, social interaction, and daily life skills.

Gestalt Language Therapy

An approach to speech and language therapy that focuses on how some children naturally develop language.  Instead of starting with single words (like “ball” or “milk”) and building up, some children learn in “chunks” or “gestalts”—phrases they’ve heard in whole form, often from caregivers, TV shows, songs, or routines. For example, a child might say “Let’s go!” or “Time for bed!” without breaking those phrases down into smaller parts.

In Gestalt Language Therapy, our certified speech-language pathologists help children:

• Recognize their gestalts (the memorized chunks of language they’re using).
• Break them down into smaller parts (e.g., turning “Let’s go outside” into “go” + “outside”).
• Recombine words flexibly to create original, spontaneous sentences.
• Move toward self-generated, functional language that supports everyday communication.

This approach is especially used with children who are gestalt language processors—a style often seen in autistic children, but not limited to them.

Common Signs and Symptoms

• Limited vocabulary for age
• Trouble putting words together into sentences
• Difficulty following directions or understanding questions
• Problems with reading or writing (in school-age children)
• Frustration when trying to communicate

Myofunctional therapy, also known as orofacial myology, is a targeted exercise-based treatment that strengthens and retrains the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw. These muscles are essential for correct breathing, swallowing, chewing, and speech production.

At our speech therapy clinic, we provide customized myofunctional therapy programs for children, teens, and adults. We address the root causes of oral muscle dysfunction to help:

• Identify potential barriers to treatment, which may include airway patency issues,  structural anomalies, or lingual/labial restrictions (aka tongue or lip ties)
• Oral rest posture (what the oral structures such as the tongue and lips are doing at rest/during non-speech activities)
• Low forward tongue resting posture
• Interdental lisping on “s” and “z” sounds
• Persistent articulation errors on other lingual-palatal sounds, like “l”, “sh,”ch,” “j,” or even “r” in which traditional articulation therapy has not been able to remediate or correct
• Mouth breathing
• Oral habits like thumb-sucking or prolonged pacifier use
• Eating (improving mastication and bolus control of various textures) and swallowing (dysphagia)
• Support for sleep-disordered breathing and mild obstructive sleep apnea

How Myofunctional Therapy Works

We use gentle, proven exercises to retrain the oral and facial muscles, encouraging correct tongue placement, nasal breathing, and proper swallowing patterns.  This non-invasive approach can significantly improve speech clarity, breathing efficiency, and overall oral, mental, and physical  health.

Benefits of Myofunctional Therapy

• Enhanced speech articulation and pronunciation
• Reduced mouth breathing and improved nasal breathing
• Better swallowing patterns and digestion support
• Healthier jaw development in children
• Long-term improvement in oral muscle coordination