Speech-Language Therapy for Children
Communication is The Heart of Connection
Speech-language therapy supports children in developing the communication skills they need to connect, learn, play, and participate more confidently in daily life. At Plum Tree Psychology, speech therapy services are provided by Megan McKenna, M.A., CCC-SLP/L, CAS, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and Certified Autism Specialist with over a decade of experience supporting children with communication differences.
Speech therapy at Plum Tree is individualized, relationship-based, and focused on helping children build meaningful communication skills within the context of real life. Sessions are designed to be engaging, supportive, and developmentally appropriate while honoring each child’s unique strengths, learning style, and neurodevelopmental profile.
Megan specializes in working with children with communication challenges related to:
- Understanding language (receptive language)
- Using language to communicate (expressive language)
- Speech sound development (articulation/phonology)
- Early social communication
- Neurodevelopmental differences, including autism and ADHD
- Developmental language delays
What is Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy helps improve communication, speech, language, voice, and social skills. Whether someone is struggling to express themselves, understand language, or speak clearly, our licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) provides expert, personalized care.
What ages do you work with?
Speech therapy services are primarily focused on children ages 6 and under. Families seeking services for older children are welcome to contact the office to discuss current needs and availability.
How long are sessions?
Session length and frequency depend on the child’s individual needs, age, attention span, and therapy goals. Many children attend sessions ranging from 30–45 minutes.
The overall duration of speech therapy (how many weeks or months) depends on several factors:
- The nature and severity of the speech or language issue
- The client’s age and engagement in therapy
- Consistency with therapy and home practice
- Presence of co-occurring conditions (e.g., autism, ADHD)
For some children with mild articulation issues, therapy might last a few months. For others with more complex needs, it could be a year or more.
Who does Speech Therapy help?
Speech Therapy services will support children with delayed speech or language development, teens navigating social communication challenges, individuals with speech or cognitive-communication difficulties after trauma, stroke, or neurological conditions, and anyone looking to improve voice, fluency (e.g., stuttering), or pronunciation.
Are parents involved in Speech Therapy?
Parent involvement is strongly encouraged, especially for younger children. Therapy is most effective when strategies can be carried over into everyday routines at home. Parents may remain in the therapy room for the child’s entire session if desired. Megan also offers educational support sessions that are specific to the child without the child in attendance.
What can be addressed in Speech Therapy?
Language Comprehension
Language comprehension refers to how children understand spoken language and process information they hear. Children may benefit from support in this area if they:
- Have difficulty following directions
- Need repetition or extra processing time
- Seem to understand less than expected for their age
- Have trouble answering questions
- Struggle to understand stories, conversations, or classroom language
Expressive Language
Expressive language refers to how children communicate their thoughts, ideas, wants, and feelings using words, gestures, and sentences. Children may benefit from support in this area if they:
- Use fewer words than expected for their age
- Have difficulty combining words into sentences
- Struggle to explain ideas or sequence events clearly
- Become frustrated when trying to communicate
- Have difficulty participating in conversations or asking questions
Social Communication
Social communication refers to how children use communication skills to interact with others, build relationships, and participate in social situations. This includes understanding social cues, sharing attention and interests, engaging in back-and-forth interaction, and adapting communication to different people or settings. Children may benefit from support in this area if they:
- Have difficulty participating in back-and-forth conversations or play
- Struggle to interpret social cues such as facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language
- Seem unsure how to join group activities or respond during social situations
- Have difficulty understanding another person’s perspective, thoughts, or feelings
- Use language in ways that seem scripted or less socially coordinated for their age
Speech Sound Development (Articulation & Phonology)
“Speech” therapy helps children develop clearer speech so they can be understood more easily by familiar and unfamiliar listeners.
Some children have difficulty producing individual sounds correctly (articulation), while others use broader speech sound patterns that make speech harder to understand (phonology). Children may benefit from therapy if they:
- Are difficult for others to understand
- Substitute or leave out sounds
- Become frustrated when communicating
- Continue using speech patterns expected in younger children
What is your Speech Therapy approach?
Our Approach
Speech therapy at Plum Tree Psychology emphasizes collaboration with families and a whole-child understanding of development. Communication does not happen in isolation — attention, emotional regulation, sensory processing, learning differences, and neurodevelopmental profiles all influence how children communicate and participate in daily life.
Therapy sessions are individualized and may include:
- Play-based learning
- Parent coaching and carryover strategies
- Visual supports and multimodal communication
- Child-led interaction balanced with structured skill-building
- Collaboration with psychologists, schools, and other providers when appropriate
The goal is never perfection. Instead, the focus is on helping children communicate more successfully, confidently, and comfortably in their everyday lives in a way that honors who they are.
How do I know what my child needs to work on?
Your child will participate in a speech-language evaluation to determine their current communication profile and needs.
Children who have participated in a speech-language evaluation elsewhere within the past 12 months are not required to obtain another evaluation. The child can begin speech therapy at Plum Tree Psychology following an intake appointment only.
How do I know if my child may benefit from speech therapy?
Parents may consider an evaluation if their child:
- Is difficult to understand
- Is not meeting communication milestones
- Has trouble understanding directions
- Becomes frustrated communicating
- Has difficulty interacting with peers
- Uses fewer words or shorter sentences than expected for their age
If you are unsure whether speech therapy may be appropriate, our office would be happy to discuss your concerns.
