Intervention Options for Two and Three Year Olds.

In my last post we talked about getting your two year old to talk. We talked about the language milestones that two year olds should be exhibiting and some things parents could do to increase language skills. If after you have tried the suggestions given in our last post and you continue to have concerns about your child’s language there are a few options for therapy/intervention:

1. Private Therapy

This is a great option (of course it’s my personal favorite). A child of ANY age can receive private therapy. You will have to take your child to the office/clinic of the speech therapist but many speech therapists go into the home. You may need a referral from your physician. The easiest way to get started is to google “speech therapists” in your city; and then contact them directly to see if they take your insurance plan. The pros about private therapy is that it does not take long to get the process started. Some parents find that one of the cons is taking their child to a therapy clinic once or twice a week, especially if they work full time.

2. Early Intervention
This program has many names depending on your state. In Florida it is called ‘Early Steps.” In Georgia it is called “Baby Can’t Wait.” One of the pros of this program is that it targets children ages birth to three in the home environment (or at daycare in some cases). One of cons is that the process to get therapy started can be slow, depending on the county.

3. School Intervention
When a child is age three-five he/she can be evaluated by your local school district. If he/she qualifies they can go to preschool at your local district and or get speech services there. This is a great option because your child can go to school and get used to the routine of school. One of the cons of this option is that there may be a waiting list to get an appointment with an evaluation in order to get the process started.

Check out the differences between private therapy and educational therapy in our resources tab!

Best Regards,

Adrienne Fuller M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Builders, LLC
speechbuilders.org
(407) 703-2711

About the Author: Adrienne Fuller

Adrienne Fuller M.S., CCC-SLP is the clinical director and Owner of SpeechBuilders Speech/Language and OccupationalTherapy in Apopka, Florida. She earned her Master’s Degree at the University of New Hampshire. She is passionate about making all children from all backgrounds ready for kindergarten. She is also the co-writer of the book "Putting Your Dreams To Work-Keys to Setting Up Your Therapy Practice" and " Start Your Engines: A Roadmap for Your Clinical Fellowship." Her most recent book titled, "30 Days to Get Your Toddler Talking" is a step by step guide for parents and caregivers of toddlers who are not yet talking or talking very little.