Early Intervention Speech Therapy for Children

Early intervention speech therapy is for children ages birth to 3 and their families. Families and professionals, including audiologists and speech-language pathologists, are part of an early intervention team. Early intervention speech therapy programs help children develop skills such as:

• Cognitive skills (thinking, learning, problem-solving)
• Communication skills (gesturing, talking, listening, understanding)
• Physical and sensory skills (crawling, walking, climbing, seeing, hearing)
• Social-emotional skills (playing, understanding feelings, making friends)
• Adaptive or self-help skills (eating, bathing, dressing).

Early intervention speech therapy is different for each child and family depending on the child’s needs and the family’s priorities. The most important step is to start early.

How Can I Get Early Intervention Speech Therapy Services for My Child?

If you are concerned about your child’s development, you should contact your local early intervention program directly to ask for an evaluation. Families do not have to wait for a referral from professionals.

You can find your community’s early intervention office by:

• Asking your child’s pediatrician, child care provider, or teacher for a referral;
• Calling your state department of health or education;
• Check our resource page for links to the early intervention department in your county

We’d love to be a resource to you and your family! Leave a comment below or send me a message!

About the author: Nicole Calderin, CCC-SLP is the Early Intervention Program Director at SLP Communication Foundations, a division of Language Fundamentals. SLP Communication Foundations employs over 20 SLPs providing Early Intervention Speech Therapy Services across the State of New York.