Speech and Language Services Deena Offet, M.Sc., SLP

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

May 14th is Apraxia Awareness Day!! The following slides were developed by SAC! My kiddos with Childhood Apraxia of Speech are some of the most determined and hard working kids you will ever meet ❤️. Please share this post to help promote awareness!!

05/01/2026

✨ Early Intervention Matters ✨

Speech and language development in the early years lays the foundation for everything that follows—learning, relationships, and confidence 💬

🧠 The brain develops most rapidly in the first few years of life
🗣️ Early support helps children communicate their needs and ideas
💛 It reduces frustration and builds confidence
📚 It sets the stage for success in school and beyond

⏳ Waiting to “see if they grow out of it” can sometimes mean missing a critical window of opportunity.

👀 If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language, or communication—trust your instincts and give me a call or send me a message. You don’t have to wait.

🌱 Early support = stronger outcomes 🌱

08/22/2025

✨ Before words come… the building blocks of communication! ✨

Did you know that babies and toddlers develop pre-linguistic skills long before they start talking? 👶🗣️

Skills like:
👉 Eye contact
👉 Taking turns in interactions
👉 Imitating sounds, actions, and facial expressions
👉 Using gestures and pointing
👉 Joint attention (sharing focus on the same thing as someone else)

These early milestones lay the foundation for later speech, language, and social development. 💡 When children practice these skills, they’re building strong communication pathways that make words and sentences come more naturally later on.

🌱 The earlier we support these skills, the stronger the foundation for lifelong communication and learning.

If you have questions or want to know how to encourage your child’s pre-linguistic development, reach out—I’d love to help! 💬💙

08/15/2025

💡 “Some kids catch up on their own… but what if yours needs a little help?” 💡

🌟 Back-to-School = The Perfect Time for Speech & Language Check-Ins! 🌟

As summer winds down and routines start to settle back in, it’s the perfect opportunity to think about your child’s communication skills. Early intervention is key — the sooner we identify and support speech or language needs, the greater the impact on your child’s success in school and confidence in everyday life.

If you’ve noticed your child struggling with:
🗣️ Pronouncing certain sounds
📚 Following directions or telling stories
🤝 Social skills or play with peers
🍼 Still being a “late talker” compared to peers
💬 Stuttering or getting “stuck” on words
🔡 Early reading skills — rhyming, sound awareness, or recognizing letters/sounds

… don’t “wait and see.” Small concerns now can make a big difference later.

💬 Have questions? Wondering if your child’s skills are on track?
Reach out — I’m happy to chat, share resources, or help point you in the right direction. Let’s set our kids up for their best school year yet! 🍎✨

07/26/2025

I strongly agree! What looks like play and fun - which it is!!! - is loaded with goals and objectives!!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/192BCwKiMz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/29/2025

May marks Speech & Language Month! Join in the celebration by sharing and tagging 2 friends for a chance to win an Indigo gift card! This contest is open to everyone, with no requirement for client status. Communication is a fundamental aspect of human connection!

05/18/2025

Before children begin talking, they need to build their preverbal communication skills... the building blocks of language!

If your child isn't using many (or any) words yet, don’t worry! I am happy to help and will look at early developmental milestones that they may have missed and will support their growth in a meaningful way. These foundational skills help children learn how to communicate, connect, and eventually use words with purpose.

There are 10 important skills we work on before focusing on spoken words:
1️⃣ Reacting to people & events
2️⃣ Taking turns during interactions
3️⃣ Focusing on activities longer
4️⃣ Engaging in joint attention
5️⃣ Playing appropriately with toys
6️⃣ Understanding early words
7️⃣ Making purposeful sounds
8️⃣ Imitating actions, gestures, & sounds
9️⃣ Using early gestures (like waving , pointing )
🔟 Initiating interactions

Working together on these skills will help to create the foundation for strong language development, social communication, and future speech progress.

04/02/2025

April is Autism Awareness:

- go out and do the research about autism
-do the work to learn about stimming, autistic communication styles, the double empathy problem, autistic masking , and autistic burnout.
-learn about sensory differences and how it impacts more than the basic 5 ones.
-know that for some autistics autism is not a disorder, for some it is, and for still yet others it is an identity and a disability
-remember that children don't grow out of autism at 18 it is a life long neurological difference.
-know that the spectrum is not linear: no one is a little bit autistic and every one has different support needs in various areas of life and throughout the life span that those needs for support may change.

Autism Acceptance:
-create autistic safe and inclusive spaces in the community - schools, churches/mosques/synagogues, concerts, and sporting arenas
-learn about and accept as a difference autistic communication, empathy, and love languages.
-remember that autistic people exist every month not just April and should be included in the communities they live in every month.

To know autism is to love autism ❤️❤️

01/23/2025

Some quick check points!

01/22/2025

Please check this out!!