Not Just Words, Mobile SLP

10/31/2025

Something I hear from parents all the time is,
"When my child walks away from therapy or shuts down, I feel like we’re taking a step backward."

But here’s the truth I share every week, walking away isn’t giving up. It’s communication.

When a child steps back, their body is telling us, “It’s too much right now.” And that’s okay.
Pushing through in those moments doesn’t help them grow, it often makes it harder for them to come back and try again.

We take a regulation before expectation approach. That means we slow down, follow the child’s lead, and create space for their nervous system to catch up.

Sometimes that looks like turning down the lights. Sometimes it’s switching gears to a favorite toy or just sitting quietly together. Those pauses aren’t wasted time, they’re connections in motion.

Because when kids feel safe and understood, that’s when the real progress happens. 💛

If you’ve ever wondered what therapy looks like when it’s truly child-led, this is it.
Gentle, responsive, and built on trust.

If this sounds like the kind of approach your child would benefit from, send me a message. I’d love to share how we can support your family. 🌿

10/28/2025

Have you ever noticed your child’s behavior change when the lights are bright or there’s a lot of background noise?

As a speech therapist, I see it all the time, and it’s one of the most important (and often overlooked) parts of a successful session. The environment matters more than most people realize. 🌿

For many kids, especially those with sensory sensitivities- lighting, sounds, smells, or even how a room is arranged can make all the difference between feeling calm and being overwhelmed.

💡 Fluorescent lighting can flicker or buzz, which some kids find distracting or even painful.
🔊 Echoes and background sounds can make it harder to process words or follow directions.
🪑 Too many visual distractions can pull their focus away from the task at hand.

That’s why we pay close attention to the sensory environment during therapy. Sometimes that means dimming the lights, using soft lamps, turning on calming music, or even doing sessions outside when possible.

We bring therapy into your child’s natural environment, meeting them where they’re most comfortable, at home, in familiar spaces, or even during everyday routines.

Because when a child feels at ease, their true voice has space to come through.

Have you noticed certain environments that help your child focus or communicate more easily?

10/27/2025

Ever notice how some kids seem to have one volume setting, LOUD? 🔊

It’s not defiance or “just being silly.” For many kids, regulating vocal volume is actually a sensory and motor skill that develops with time, practice, and support.

Think of it like this: just like a child might need help learning how to control the strength of their pencil grip, some kids need help learning how to control the strength of their voice.

Here’s why it happens:
🧠 Sensory processing differences: Kids who seek input may love the feeling of vibration when they yell, while those who are under-responsive may not realize how loud they sound.
💬 Motor planning challenges: Adjusting voice levels requires fine control of breathing and vocal muscles, skills that take coordination.
🎯 Awareness and feedback: Some kids can’t tell when they’re being too loud or too quiet because their internal “volume gauge” isn’t giving clear feedback yet.

In therapy, we help kids tune in to their voices using fun visuals, games, and self-monitoring cues (like “inside voice vs. outside voice” or color-coded scales). Over time, this builds both control and confidence in how they communicate.

And here’s something many families don’t realize: speech therapy like this can be completely free for homeschoolers under the Jon Peterson or Autism Scholarships through the Ohio Department of Education.

We love helping homeschool families access the support their kids need right from their natural learning environment, because every child deserves to feel heard (in more ways than one!). 💛

Do you have a child who seems to shout everything they say or whisper so softly you can barely hear them?

10/26/2025

Alright Not Just Words family!! - I NEED YOUR HELP! ❤️We did this last year, and God showd up BIG.

Crossroads Church does a Thanksgiving Day Food Drive where we fill Thanksgiving day meal boxes to feed local families a Thanksgiving Day meal. Last year we made approximately 16 boxes with help from friends and family. This year my goal is 18, and I need your help!

You can help in the following ways:
1. Volunteer to fill a whole box and bring me the items by November 6. (See list) (each box is approximately $50-$60 of food)
2. Shop for items off the list (see pic) and bring them to me by November 6.
3. Contribute a monetary value to this cause by sending me your gift via Venmo (amanda-smith-07) or pay pal (amandaLSmith7) and I'll shop to fill the boxes on November 7.

I will take pictures of shopping, receipts, and box filling to show you the impact you're making.

👇If you feel inclined to help our mission, please let me know which option is best for you to participate.

🤞🫶🏼I thank you for considering a contribution and can't wait to see how many families we can feed this year.

Crossroads Mason

10/25/2025

👍Today’s CEU: “A Strengths-Based Approach for Helping Autistic Toddlers and Preschoolers Connect and Communicate.”

🫶🏼We are DEDICATED to continue improving our practice to do better for families we serve. This class is very helpful for facilitation of a strengths-based approach to therapy for ALL of our children. We can’t wait to implement newly learned techniques this week!!

10/25/2025

Please “like” and share this post to help us win free tuition for “best trunk.” 🫶🏼🩷 Thank you for considering!

10/24/2025

When we talk about motor planning in speech, we’re really talking about coordination, how the brain sends instructions to the muscles that form words.

For some kids, it’s not that they can’t say a word; it’s that the sequence of movements needed to say it changes every time. That’s why one day they might say a word clearly, and the next day it sounds completely different.

This inconsistency can feel frustrating, for both the child and the parent, but it’s also a clue that the brain is still figuring out how to make speech automatic.

Here’s what therapy looks like for kids with these challenges:
✨ We slow down the process and build consistency through small, structured steps.
🎨 We use visual and tactile cues (like gestures or picture prompts) to help connect movement with sound.
🧩 We practice patterns through play, not pressure, because confidence builds clarity.

When we give the brain time to “map” these sound patterns, words start to come together more smoothly and reliably. 💛

If your child’s speech sounds inconsistent, clear one day, jumbled the next- it might be a sign their brain just needs a little extra guidance.

Have you noticed your child working hard to get words out but not quite landing them the same way every time?

10/21/2025

I hear this all the time:
“You can’t really tell if a toddler has a speech delay until they’re older, right?”

Actually… you can.

There are clear signs of a speech or language delay as early as 12–18 months, and catching them early makes a huge difference. Early intervention isn’t about labeling; it’s about giving your child the tools they need to connect and be understood. 💛

Here are a few things I often look for during those early months:
👂 Limited babbling or quietness compared to peers
🧠 Not using gestures like waving, pointing, or reaching toward objects
💬 Few or no words by 18 months
🫶 Difficulty understanding simple directions (“Come here,” “Give me the ball”)
😔 Frustration when trying to communicate

These aren’t things to panic about, but they are things to pay attention to. When we step in early, we can turn small signs into big steps forward.

Speech therapy for toddlers is playful, gentle, and often looks like connection-based coaching and child-led interaction. It’s about building communication, confidence, and connection one tiny moment at a time.

Have you ever wondered if your child’s speech milestones are on track?

10/20/2025

“How are you?”
“Good.”
…And that’s usually where it ends.

If your child struggles to go beyond one-word answers, you’re not alone. Teaching kids to expand on conversations takes time, practice, and the right kind of support.

What might look like “shyness” or “disinterest” is often about language organization and social awareness, two things we can absolutely work on through play and conversation modeling.

Here’s what I often focus on in sessions:
💬 Modeling real answers. Instead of “Good,” try “I’m good because I played outside today!” Kids learn by hearing examples that give more detail.
🧠 Prepping social scripts. Practicing simple conversation starters (“I’m good, how about you?” or “I’m tired today.”) gives kids tools to use when they need them.
🎯 Visual supports. Using pictures or color-coded cards for “feelings,” “activities,” and “reasons” helps kids organize their thoughts before responding.

When we teach conversation as a skill, kids start to feel more confident connecting with others, not just answering questions. That’s when “How are you?” turns into real back-and-forth communication. 💛

If your child is homeschooled, you might be surprised to learn that speech therapy like this can be completely free through the Jon Peterson and Autism Scholarships under the Ohio Department of Education.

We’d love to help you explore these options so your child can access the support they deserve, at no cost to your family.

Do you notice your child sticking to short or repetitive responses in conversation?

10/17/2025

Sometimes the best opportunities for building language happen in the most ordinary places… like the car 🚗

Car rides give you something really valuable for language growth: time together without all the usual distractions. No toys, no screens, just you and your child in a space where talking (or singing, or playing with sounds) can happen naturally.

Here are some simple ways to use car time to support language:
👀 Name what you see: “I see a big red truck!” or “Look, a dog is walking on the sidewalk.”
🎶 Play with sounds: Sing songs, repeat silly rhymes, or even play “I Spy” with sounds instead of objects (“I hear something that starts with ‘b’... bus!”).
💬 Model back-and-forth conversation: Even if your child doesn’t respond with words yet, pause and give them space to “answer” with a sound, gesture, or smile.
📚 Tell short stories: Talk through where you’re going or what will happen next (“First we’ll drop off groceries, then we’ll go home and have lunch”).

These little moments add up, because language doesn’t just grow at the table or in therapy. It grows in the rhythm of everyday life.

Do you ever find that your child talks more in the car than anywhere else?

10/14/2025

October is AAC Awareness Month 💬
And it’s the perfect time to talk about something I see often in early intervention, recognizing the early signs of speech delays and knowing when to seek support.

AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) isn’t “just for later” or “only for kids who don’t talk.” It’s actually an important early support tool that can help children find their voice while they’re still developing speech and language skills.

Here are a few early signs that a child may need extra help:
👂 Limited babbling or very quiet as an infant
🗣️ Not using gestures (like pointing or waving) by 12 months
🧩 Few or no words by 18 months
💭 Frustration when trying to communicate wants or needs
👐 Reliance on parents to “read their mind” instead of using words or sounds

When we catch these things early, we can build a foundation for communication, sometimes using tools like pictures, signs, or AAC devices alongside speech. These supports don’t replace speech; they often encourage it.

So this month, as we celebrate AAC awareness, remember that communication doesn’t have to start with words; it starts with connection. 🧡

Have you ever wondered if your child’s communication milestones are on track?

10/14/2025

Connection first 🫶🏼

A calm corner isn’t enough...

True calm isn’t created by cushions - it’s created by connection.

You can fill a room with beanbags, soft lighting, fidget toys and posters that say breathe.

But if a child doesn’t feel understood, those things become decoration - not regulation.

Because safety isn’t a space.
It’s a relationship.
It’s the tone of voice that says, I see you.
It’s the adult who doesn’t take fear personally.

A calm corner means nothing if the rest of the environment still demands compliance over comfort.

🩵 Putting in the right support for PDA learners is what helps them truly thrive in any educational setting.

I’ve created free guides to help you get started - drop the word RESOURCE below
and you’ll get access to the full free library. If you want to learn about this in more detail you can watch my pre-recorded webinar for just £10 - just drop the word WEBINAR instead.