Speech First, LLC

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Philadelphia, PA
Speech First, LLC

📍 Wayne, PA: Private in-home and in-school speech therapy. Providing services to children and families throughout the Main Line and beyond for over 16 years.

Speech First, LLC is owned and operated by Lindsay Petersen, a Pennsylvania State licensed and nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist who provides private, in-home speech therapy to the greater Philadelphia region. Lindsay has extensive experience assessing and treating clients with receptive/expressive language impairments, articulation and phonological disorders, fluency disorders, feeding delays and disorders, and communication delays and disorders associated with developmental delays, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, hearing loss, and neurological impairments. She is trained in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), American Sign Language, and Auditory Verbal Therapy strategies and techniques. Lindsay believes in a multidisciplinary team approach to therapy and thus encourages collaboration with parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals to provide the most optimal and successful treatment plan for her clients. Her practice is based on providing the highest quality of service to her clients and their families while working to achieve their speech and language goals.

03/19/2026

Why do SLPs love the Little Blue Truck series? 💙🚛

These books are packed with opportunities for language development in a really natural, engaging way.

✨ Repetition builds language
“Beep! Beep! Beep!” — predictable phrases help children anticipate language and imitate/join in.

✨ Sound effects = early speech practice and language decoding
Animal and environmental sounds are perfect for early communicators (and much easier than true words at first!).

✨ Simple, clear vocabulary
Farm animals, vehicles, actions… all great for building early word knowledge.

✨ Social-emotional learning
Themes like helping others, teamwork, and kindness create meaningful conversations.

✨ Engagement = learning
Kids love these books — and when they’re engaged, language learning happens naturally.

03/10/2026

Any trend to show off those bangs and bowl cut (MOM!!!! 😳).

I always say I wish I had a crystal ball being in this field — to tell parents exactly when and how we will meet our goals. I realize how often I wished this for myself too.

I started college with a clear career path in mind. After several twists and turns to the story (one involving a crazy biology class and a cockroach — seriously), I realized that path wasn’t the right fit for me. At the time, it felt disheartening, unsettling, and frustrating.

Looking back now, it ended up being the best redirection. I just so happened to be at a university with an incredible program and I knew immediately this was the career for me. Finding speech-language pathology led me to work that feels meaningful every single day and I couldn’t be more grateful for the ups and downs that led me here!

02/26/2026

One of the very first things I ask during an initial intake is about your child’s hearing.

And here’s why:

Even mild or intermittent hearing differences (like frequent ear infections or fluid in the ears) can impact how a child hears speech sounds and develops language. Sometimes what looks like a speech delay is actually rooted in access — not ability.

Clear hearing = clear input.
Clear input = stronger speech and language development.

Before we build a therapy plan, I always want to ensure we’re seeing the full picture. It’s never about assuming something is wrong — it’s about ruling things out so we can move forward confidently and effectively!

02/24/2026

Forever fortunate for the opportunity to work with the BEST families. Speech therapy is a team effort — and I’m so grateful to be on yours. 🤝

02/20/2026

In addition to the many ways a baby turns your life upside down, becoming a mom also completely changed the way I see the parents I work with.

Before — I understood it professionally.
Now — I feel it personally.

The mom guilt, the second guessing, the WORRY. Relentless worrying.

I understand how heavy it feels to carry yet one more thing while trying to be present, enjoy your child, and not fall victim to the comparison culture.

When we work together, my goals are to support you, collaborate with you, and remind you:

You’re not behind.
You didn’t miss your window.
It’s not too late.
We WILL get there.
And you don’t have to do this perfectly. There is no such thing! 🤍

02/15/2026

Who else is growing tired of this winter “wonderland” and the frigid temps? Good news: We are officially under 100 days until Memorial Day weekend! ☀️😎☀️

While there are seemingly no breaks from planning kids’ schedules and activities (i.e. white knuckling our keyboards waiting in queues for summer camp sign ups!), one thing we don’t have to white knuckle is scheduling speech!

You don’t have to solve this one alone — we just need consistency over time — and we’ll create that together!

Now, let countdown to warmer days begin 🙌🏻…

02/10/2026

One of the most common - and hardest - questions parents ask is “how long will speech therapy take?” The answer: timelines depend on a few key indicators that shape progress. What are the top three?

1.) The diagnosis and/or underlying cause of the speech or language difficulty and the degree of the child’s needs.

2.) The consistency of sessions and carryover at home. Remaining consistent with our weekly sessions and incorporating strategies/practice at home in between will make a BIG difference.

3.) The RATE of progress. Once we get started in therapy, a child’s rate of progress aka how quickly we are closing the gaps can give us a better idea of the length of speech needed.

Speech therapy is certainly a commitment and progress isn’t always linear. However, if we stay the course, SO much is possible. Every child’s path is different and my goal to see steady, meaningful progress that lasts!

02/06/2026

While you may see me playing, smiling, and laughing with your child — and I am genuinely present and joyful in those moments — there is also pressure that comes with the privilege of doing this work I love.

Pressure to see meaningful gains in therapy, pressure to meet our goals, and pressure to do my absolute best for your child and your family.

Because when you’re the clinician, the owner, the planner, the communicator, and the one families are trusting… you always want to get it right.

If you’re a clinician feeling this too — you’re not alone! I still feel this even after 17 years of practicing. And if you’re a parent working with one of us, know that your child’s therapist likely cares more than you know. 💚

01/30/2026

Around 20 weeks, a baby’s auditory system is developed enough to start detecting sounds from inside the womb—especially mom’s voice. I joke that my son had hundreds of hours of speech therapy before he was even born! 😂

While sounds are muffled, babies are already tuning into rhythm, pitch, and intonation which are the building blocks of speech and language!

So yes—singing, reading, and/or just talking throughout your day is great early exposure for your baby! 👂👂

01/28/2026

A frontal lisp occurs when a child’s tongue is positioned too far forward and between the teeth for “S” and “Z” sounds. These sounds come out more as a “TH” subsequently (e.g. “thun” for “sun”).

Frontal lisps are common (especially for kids under 4) and they CAN correct on their own.

When do I recommend speech therapy? I typically start looking for frontal lisps to resolve naturally around 4.5 years old. If one is still present at 5+ years old, it may be time to start addressing it! Otherwise, the tongue-forward positioning becomes motor-learned and automatic which can take longer to correct.

Questions about your child’s speech or language development? DM me and we can set up a free consultations!

01/23/2026

In addition to a million “crib kisses” 🥹, something that became integral to my son’s bedtime routine at a very young age was narrating his day back to him. It consisted of us (the adult) listing 4-6 things that happened during his day (many times, routine and/or mundane things… by the way!).

We started doing this BEFORE my son had the language skills to do it himself which took the pressure off and allowed for a great opportunity to model rich language and connect with him.

This is another seemingly simple task that has huge benefits to a child’s development, including: strengthening working memory, sequencing, and storytelling skills; building language (past tense, vocabulary); supporting emotional regulation; and aiding with sleep transitions.

It’s especially helpful for later talkers because it incorporates REAL events and doesn’t require a response. Eventually, your child will be able to contribute… and/or correct you when you get something wrong! ☺️

01/15/2026

Finishing speech therapy is a huge milestone — and while sessions may end, our connection doesn’t have to. This is what it is all about: supporting a child and their family over time, even long after therapy wraps up.

Sometimes families reach out months (or even years!) later with:
• A quick question about a sound or skill
• A new concern that popped up with age or school expectations
• Or just an update to say, “They’re doing great!”

No matter the reason, I genuinely love hearing from you! 🩷

Address

Philadelphia, PA

Website

http://www.speech-first.com/

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