The Speech Path Buffalo

02/09/2026

MYTH MONDAY: "Technology always hurts language development" 🚫

Many parents feel guilty about any technology use, thinking it's automatically harmful to language!

✔️ THE TRUTH: The type and quality of technology use matters much more than the amount—some technology can actually support language development when used thoughtfully!

TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN HELP LANGUAGE:
• Video calls with grandparents (real social interaction)
• Interactive apps that respond to child's input
• AAC devices and communication apps
• Educational content designed for language learning
• Recording devices to practice speech sounds

TECHNOLOGY THAT DOESN'T HELP:
• Passive screen time with no interaction
• Background TV during meals or play
• Apps that don't require any response from the child
• Content not designed for their developmental level

WHAT MAKES TECHNOLOGY BENEFICIAL:
• Interactive rather than passive consumption
• Co-viewing and discussion with adults
• Content that encourages response and participation
• Technology that supplements, not replaces, human interaction

HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY POSITIVELY:
• Watch together and talk about what you see
• Choose high-quality, educational content
• Use technology as a conversation starter
• Balance screen time with face-to-face interaction
• Follow your child's interests in choosing content

RED FLAGS FOR TECHNOLOGY USE:
• Child prefers screens over human interaction
• Tantrums when technology is removed
• Decreased interest in books, toys, or social play
• Regression in communication skills

REMEMBER: Technology is a tool—how we use it determines whether it helps or hurts!

How does your family use technology to support communication? 👇

Comment "SPEECH TIPS" for more ideas about using technology positively for language development!

02/07/2026

Potty training is communication first. 💙✨

New printable guide: Speech & Language Skills That Support Successful Potty Training, created by a pediatric SLP to help parents and professionals understand the language skills behind toileting success and what to try when training gets stuck. Ready to print or use digitally. https://www.thespeechpathbuffalo.com/product-page/speech-language-skills-that-support-successful-potty-training

02/05/2026

You don't see this part of my job, but it's one of the most important things I do: I spend time analyzing sounds, gestures, and communication attempts your child makes.

While you see me "just playing" with your child for 30 minutes, what you don't see is:
📝 The detailed notes I take about every vocalization, every gesture.
🧠 The analysis afterward - breaking down their communication patterns, identifying emerging skills, spotting what's ready to develop next
📚 The research I do between sessions, looking up new strategies for their specific communication style, reading about their particular needs
📋 The session planning - carefully choosing every toy, every activity, every interaction to target their exact developmental level
👥 The team consultations - discussing your child's progress with other professionals, brainstorming new approaches
📊 The progress tracking - documenting tiny changes that might seem insignificant but are actually huge developmental leaps

That "uh-oh" sound they made? I'm noting the consonant clarity, the intentionality, the context.

That pointing gesture? I'm analyzing the joint attention, the communicative intent, the motor planning.

Every moment of play is actually data collection that shapes our next steps.

You see the fun. I see the science behind the breakthrough that's coming.

What else behind-the-scenes do you want to see? 👀

02/02/2026

MYTH MONDAY: "Children who understand everything don't need speech therapy" 🚫

This myth prevents many children from getting the expressive language support they need!

✔️ THE TRUTH: Understanding language (receptive) and using language (expressive) are separate skills that develop independently, a child can excel at one while needing support with the other!

WHY COMPREHENSION AND EXPRESSION ARE DIFFERENT:
• Receptive language involves processing and understanding
• Expressive language requires motor planning and word retrieval
• Different brain areas are responsible for each skill
• Children often understand much more than they can express

WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE:
• Child follows complex directions but says few words
• Understands jokes and stories but can't retell them
• Responds appropriately to questions with gestures but not words
• Shows frustration when trying to express thoughts

WHY THESE CHILDREN NEED SUPPORT:
• Expressive delays can impact social relationships
• Academic success requires both understanding AND expressing ideas
• Frustration can lead to behavioral challenges
• Self-esteem may suffer when thoughts can't be shared

WHAT SPEECH THERAPY CAN HELP WITH:
• Word retrieval strategies
• Sentence formulation techniques
• Building expressive vocabulary
• Reducing communication frustration
• Developing narrative skills

RED FLAGS FOR EXPRESSIVE DELAYS:
• Large gap between what they understand vs. what they say
• Relying heavily on gestures past age 2
• Difficulty with word-finding or sentence formation
• Frustration during communication attempts

REMEMBER: Smart children can still need help expressing their brilliant thoughts!

Have you noticed a gap between your child's understanding and expression? 👇

Comment "SPEECH TIPS" for more information about supporting expressive language development!

01/29/2026

Just because I CAN doesn't mean I SHOULD (and you don't want me to).

After almost 14 years as an SLP, here's what I wish people understood about our field.

We go to grad school and get licensed to work across the ENTIRE lifespan - birth through geriatrics. Our scope of practice is MASSIVE:

🧠 Cognitive-communication disorders
🗣️ Articulation & phonology
👶 Early language development
🍼 Feeding & swallowing (birth to elderly)
🧠 Aphasia & stroke recovery
🏥 Traumatic brain injury
🎵 Voice disorders
👂 Auditory processing
📚 Literacy & reading
🌍 Social communication & pragmatics
💭 Fluency & stuttering
🔤 AAC (alternative and augmentative communication)

But here's the truth: You DON'T want me doing all these things.

Just because I'm licensed and "could" work with all these areas doesn't mean I should. You want a specialist.

Pediatrics IS a specialty. Working with children requires expertise in very specific areas:
• Early language development (not adult rehabilitation)
• Articulation development in growing brains
• Phonological processes in childhood
• Early literacy foundations
• Gestalt language processors developing language differently

This requires YEARS of experience, ongoing professional development, continuing education, and mentorship in these specific areas to become really good at it.

We were trained to be generalists. But families deserve more than "general."

What we DO work with: Speech sounds, language development (including gestalt language processors), early communication, social communication, and literacy skills for birth through elementary school (age 11).

What we DON'T work with: If you're looking for a feeding/swallowing therapist, that's not me! 😂 But I'm happy to refer you to someone amazing who specializes in that area.

Your child deserves an expert, not just someone with a license. 💙

01/28/2026

It’s almost Super Bowl time!! This fundraiser is helping support the launch of our newly established nonprofit, AbilityWorks of Western New York. AbilityWorks is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through training, job coaching, and community-based employment opportunities. Funds raised will help support early start-up and program development costs as the organization continues to grow. We’ll be going live with our website by next week! Thank you all for your consideration to helping our mission grow! 🏈

01/26/2026

MYTH MONDAY: "Siblings always help each other's language development" 🚫

While siblings can be great language partners, this isn't automatically true for all families!

✔️ THE TRUTH: Sibling relationships can either help or hinder language development, depending on the dynamics and how parents facilitate interactions!

WHEN SIBLINGS HELP LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:
• Older siblings model age-appropriate language
• Natural play creates authentic communication opportunities
• Siblings motivate each other to communicate
• They practice turn-taking and social communication skills

WHEN SIBLINGS MIGHT HINDER DEVELOPMENT:
• Older sibling always speaks for the younger child
• Competitive dynamics reduce communication attempts
• Younger child relies on sibling interpretation instead of developing own skills
• Siblings develop their own "twin language" that excludes others

CONCERNING SIBLING PATTERNS:
• One child consistently answering for another
• Younger child becoming passive in communication
• Siblings communicating only through gestures or made-up language
• Older child becoming frustrated with younger sibling's communication attempts

HOW TO OPTIMIZE SIBLING LANGUAGE LEARNING:
• Give each child individual attention and communication time
• Encourage the communicating child to respond directly
• Teach older siblings how to be good language models
• Create opportunities for parallel play rather than always together

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO:
• Don't let siblings always interpret for each other
• Encourage direct communication between child and adult
• Model how to wait for responses
• Celebrate each child's unique communication style

REMEMBER: Siblings can be wonderful language partners with the right guidance!

How do your children communicate with each other? 👇

Comment "SPEECH TIPS" for more ideas about supporting sibling communication!

01/23/2026

Yes, I’m a pediatric SLP with years of training and experience.

But I’m also a mom.

I know what it feels like to:
• Wonder if you’re doing enough for your child
• Worry about their development at 2am
• Feel guilty when you don’t know how to help
• Want to fix everything but not know where to start
• Love your child so fiercely it physically hurts

When I work with families, I bring both my professional expertise AND my mama heart.

Because sometimes you need an expert. And sometimes you just need a mom who gets it.

I’m both. 💙

01/23/2026

https://www.thespeechpathbuffalo.com/post/parent-consultations-vs-direct-speech-therapy-which-is-right-for-your-family

At The Speech Path, a common question I hear is:“Do we need weekly speech therapy?”And the honest answer is: There is no single right path for every family.Some families are ready for ongoing therapy. Some families need guidance but not weekly sessions. Some families are on waitlists, in gray ar...

01/21/2026

I’ve gotten some version of this question quite a few times over the last few weeks:

“Is it normal that my toddler says ‘boo’ for blue?”
Or “He says woof, but the f isn’t really there.”

If this sounds familiar, take a deep breath 💙
Those are beautiful, meaningful early attempts, not mistakes.

Early on, we care more about intention and communication than perfect sounds. Toddlers naturally start with the easiest sound patterns and build from there. Final sounds and trickier letters (like L and F) take time… and that’s okay.

Right now, celebrate the trying.
That’s where real language growth starts ✨

If you’re a parent wondering whether your child’s speech is on track or you’re living in that “gray area” between wait and worry, The Speech Path is here to help.

📍 Serving families in the Buffalo / WNY area
📩 Message us with questions
💾 Save this post for later
👋 Share with a parent who could use the reassurance

01/19/2026

MYTH MONDAY: "Children who repeat everything have great language skills" 🚫

Echolalia (repeating words or phrases) is often misunderstood as advanced language ability!

✔️ THE TRUTH: While echolalia can be part of normal development, excessive repetition without understanding may indicate the need for different language support strategies!

TYPES OF ECHOLALIA:
• Immediate echolalia: Repeating what was just said
• Delayed echolalia: Repeating phrases heard hours, days, or weeks ago
• Functional echolalia: Using repeated phrases for communication purposes

WHEN ECHOLALIA IS HELPFUL:
• Child is learning language patterns and practicing sounds
• Using repeated phrases to communicate needs (even if not original)
• Shows good auditory memory and processing
• Can be a stepping stone to more flexible language use

WHEN ECHOLALIA NEEDS SUPPORT:
• Child only repeats without generating original language
• No evidence of understanding what they're repeating
• Limited ability to answer questions or engage in conversation

HOW TO SUPPORT CHILDREN WHO ECHO:
• Model functional language during meaningful activities
• Respond to the intent behind their repetition
• Gradually introduce variations to familiar phrases
• Create opportunities for spontaneous communication

WHAT NOT TO DO:
• Don't ignore the communicative attempts within echolalia

REMEMBER: Repetition can be a bridge to original communication with the right support!

Does your child repeat phrases? How do you respond? 👇

Comment "SPEECH TIPS" for more strategies for supporting children who use echolalia!