Speechie Auntie

03/26/2026

When children lead, they get the language they need.

03/17/2026

Many parents who reach out to me about speech therapy ask the same question first:

“Do you take insurance?”

It’s a completely reasonable question. Most healthcare services are billed through insurance, so it makes sense that families expect speech therapy to work the same way.

However, many pediatric speech therapists, especially those working with toddlers and preschoolers, operate as private pay practices. There are actually several reasons for this, and in many cases it allows therapists to provide more individualized care and spend more time supporting families.

I wrote a short blog post explaining:
• why some speech therapists don’t accept insurance
• how private pay therapy works
• and what this means for families looking for support

If you’re navigating speech therapy options for your child, this may help clarify things.

You can read the post here:

Wondering why some speech therapists don’t take insurance? Learn how private pay pediatric speech therapy works and why many therapists choose this model in Leander, TX.

03/15/2026

Gestalt Language Processing Fact

Some children learn language in chunks or scripts, not single words.

For example, instead of first saying words like “go” or “eat,” a child might say whole phrases they’ve heard before such as:

• “Let’s go!”
• “Ready, set, go!”
• “It’s time to clean up!”
• “We did it!”
• “Try again!”
• “Uh-oh, it fell down!”

These are called gestalts, pieces of language children store and later break down into smaller, flexible phrases.

This type of language development is called Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) and it’s common in many autistic children and some late talkers.

The goal isn’t to stop the scripts. It’s to help children turn those scripts into flexible, meaningful language over time.

Language development doesn’t look the same for every child and that’s okay.

03/11/2026

Many parents think speech therapy is only about helping children pronounce sounds correctly.

In reality, pediatric speech therapists support much more, including language development, social interaction, play skills, and functional communication.

As a speech-language pathologist and the owner of Speechie Auntie, I often meet families who aren’t quite sure what speech therapy actually involves or how it might help their child.

I wrote a new blog post explaining what pediatric speech therapists do and how therapy supports toddlers and preschoolers during everyday play and routines.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens during speech therapy, this post is for you.

Read it here:

Learn what pediatric speech therapists do and how speech therapy helps toddlers and preschoolers develop communication, language, play skills, and social interaction

03/09/2026

Happy International Women’s Day!

I’m so grateful to run Speechie Auntie and support families in our community here in Leander and Cedar Park. Most days you’ll find me on the floor playing with toddlers, celebrating first words, and coaching amazing moms and dads along the way.

To all the moms, grandmothers, caregivers, and educators supporting little ones every day, you are doing incredible work.

To the little girls growing up finding their voices… we’re cheering you on.

03/07/2026

Autism Intervention Is Not One-Size-Fits-All

Many families are told that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) should be the primary intervention after an autism diagnosis. While ABA can support some areas of development, it’s important to understand that communication development requires specialized expertise.

Speech-language pathologists are specifically trained to evaluate and treat speech, language, and social communication differences in autistic children. Communication is a complex developmental system that includes language comprehension, expressive language, social interaction, motor planning for speech, and more.

When communication delays are present, speech therapy should play a central role in a child’s support plan.

I wrote a new article explaining why autism intervention should never be one-size-fits-all and why families deserve complete information about communication therapy.

If you're a parent in Leander or Cedar Park with questions about your child’s speech, language, or communication development, this article may be helpful.

Read the full article here:

Learn why communication development in autism requires a speech-language pathologist and how speech therapy supports autistic children in Leander and Cedar Park.

03/06/2026

This trunk?

It’s not groceries.
It’s not luggage.

It’s speech therapy on wheels.

Books. Games. Sensory toys. Language learning activities.

Speechie Auntie brings therapy straight to your living room so kids can learn through play in the place they feel safest — home.

03/04/2026

Something I’ve been thinking about as a speech-language pathologist…

The phrase “neurodiversity-affirming” gets used a lot right now, which I think reflects an important shift in how we view and support autistic children.

But being truly neurodiversity-affirming has to show up in how we evaluate children, not just in the language we use.

A single standardized test score can never capture a child’s full communication system. Understanding how a child communicates means looking at so much more — their play, their engagement, their interests, how they interact with others, and how they communicate in everyday life.

Families deserve evaluations that help them truly understand their child, not just a number on a page.

Just some thoughts I’ve been reflecting on as I continue doing this work with families in our community.

02/27/2026

New bag for oral peripheral exams and I’m kind of obsessed.

“It’s a good day to help tiny humans communicate.”

Even oral peripheral exams, checking tongue mobility, lip strength, jaw stability, and oral structures, can feel warm and supportive when you lead with connection first.

The tools matter.
The preparation matters.
How a child feels during the process matters most.

Speechie Auntie always comes prepared… and now she comes cute too.

Do we love it?!

02/26/2026

Evaluation prep days are never “just paperwork” at Speechie Auntie.

I carefully select every toy, book, and sensory support ahead of time to meet each child right where they are developmentally. This preparation allows me to complete comprehensive speech and language evaluations that look beyond standardized testing.

I’m assessing communication, social connection, play skills, and how a child functions in everyday routines so families are left with clear, meaningful recommendations.

Prepared with purpose.
Led with love.
Comprehensive by design.

02/25/2026

When parents first hear about AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication), one of the biggest fears is:

“Will this stop my toddler from talking?”

I hear this question all the time and it’s such a valid concern. As parents, you want to support communication… but never replace speech if it can develop.

In this week’s blog, I’m breaking down:

✨ The truth about AAC and speech development
✨ Why AAC does not prevent talking
✨ How AAC can actually support verbal language growth
✨ Signs your child may benefit from early communication supports

If you’ve ever felt unsure, overwhelmed, or even hesitant about AAC — this is for you.

🔗 Read here:
https://www.speechieauntie.com/blog/will-aac-stop-my-toddler-from-talking

Supporting communication in any form is how we give children a voice, while speech continues to grow alongside it.

Does AAC stop toddlers from talking? Discover how communication devices support speech and language development.

02/23/2026

Turning 3 shouldn’t feel confusing.

If your child is aging out of Early Intervention (ECI), you might be wondering:

• What happens next?
• Will services look the same?
• Is school-based therapy enough?
• Do I have other options?

The transition at age 3 can feel BIG, especially for families used to in-home support.

I broke it all down in this new blog, including:

✔️ The difference between ECI and school-based services
✔️ What changes after age 3
✔️ When private in-home therapy may make sense

If you're in Leander, Cedar Park, or Williamson County and navigating this transition, this is for you.

🔗 Read here:

What happens after Early Intervention ends at age 3? Learn transition steps, Child Find, and therapy options for families in Williamson & Travis County.