CloudSpeech

05/04/2026

Excited to share that CloudSpeech is now part of The SPOT Collaborative — a directory built by SLPs, for families looking for trusted pediatric therapists. 💙

So grateful to be in a space where parents can easily find quality care, and clinicians can connect with one another.



Texas families — my listing is linked in the comments 👇

05/02/2026

One of the most powerful things we can do in speech therapy for childhood apraxia of speech is work on complex multisyllabic words (when the child is ready). Target selection is a critical part of effective CAS therapy.

In this clip I’m working with an 11-year-old boy who has childhood apraxia of speech. We used DTTC to target the full word “matemáticas” in Spanish.

Research supports this approach: practicing longer, more complex words helps strengthen the brain’s speech motor planning system and often generalizes to other words and functional speech (Strand, 2020; Maas et al., 2014).

At first it felt really hard, but after some focused practice he was able to say it clearly — and he retained it in the next sessions.

These moments of success are so meaningful. They build both skill and confidence.

Watch the full moment below 👇



https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX2gpacz55W/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

05/01/2026

One of the most important (and often overlooked) parts of pediatric speech therapy is counseling the child.

In this short video, I share the story of a 6½-year-old with severe apraxia and phonological disorders. She loves to talk but was feeling really discouraged because things felt so hard.

She looked right at me and asked: “Why is it so hard?”

So I explained — in simple, kid-friendly language — why her brain sometimes can’t hear her own error patterns.

The shift when it clicked was everything.

Kids deserve to understand their own speech journey. A little honesty and hope can make a big difference.

Listen to the full story below 👇



https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXz1MmFz2gR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

05/01/2026

Kindergarten is just around the corner. If you're a parent of a 4 or 5 year old, you may be quietly wondering whether your child's speech is on track.

The research on speech development has shifted significantly in recent years. Crowe & McLeod (2020), analyzing data from nearly 19,000 English-speaking children, found that most speech sounds — including /R/ — should be in place by age 5.

I put together a free one-page Kindergarten Readiness Guide for parents that covers:

→ What sounds should be in place at age 5
→ Patterns worth paying attention to
→ When "wait and see" works — and when a closer look is more helpful

📥 Download the free guide here: https://bit.ly/cloudspeech-kinder-screening-flyer
If you'd like to talk about your child specifically, I offer free 15-minute screenings for Texas families: https://scheduler.zoom.us/cloudspeech/consultation

— Christina Burnham, MS, CCC-SLP
Founder, CloudSpeech | Virtual speech therapy for Texas kids ages 5+

04/29/2026

New blog post from CloudSpeech 💙

“My Child Is Still Struggling With Speech at Age 5 — Should I Be Worried?”

If your 5-year-old is still working on /R/, /S/, or other sounds, this one’s for you. I break down the most current research and when it’s time to move beyond “wait and see.”

Parents — you’re not overreacting.

Link below 👇



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CQVgeQzey/

Most speech sounds should be in place by age 5. Updated research challenges "wait and see." A pediatric SLP explains the updated norms.

04/22/2026

New 2026 research shows that children as young
as 3 and 4 are already forming social perceptions
of peers with unclear speech.

The social consequences of speech sound disorders
start earlier than most families realize —
before kindergarten, not after.

If your child is heading into kindergarten this fall,
summer is the best window to act.
No school schedules. Flexible teletherapy.
Real progress before September.

New blog is live — link below

New research shows speech sound disorders affect peer relationships as early as preschool. A Texas SLP explains what this means for kindergarten readiness and why the summer before K is the ideal time to start therapy.

04/21/2026

Thanks for reminding us about tongue jaw dissociation Keys to Communicate!

Tongue-jaw dissociation —
have you heard of it?

It's the ability to move the tongue
independently from the jaw.

In typical development children learn
to stabilize the jaw and let the tongue
do its own job. But for kids with CAS,
the jaw and tongue often move together
as one unit — making precise, consistent
sound production much harder.

In therapy we can target this by:
→ Using light finger pressure under the chin
for jaw awareness
→ Practicing tongue tip sounds with
the jaw held stable
→ Coaching parents to support jaw stability
during home practice

It's one of those behind-the-scenes
skills that makes a big difference
for speech clarity.

04/19/2026

Is your child still having trouble with the R sound?

Current research shows most children master R by 5 years 11 months.
(McLeod & Crowe, 2018)

If your 6+ year old is still struggling —
summer is the perfect time for extra support.

The CloudSpeech Summer R Boost is an intensive virtual R sound therapy program for kids ages 6 and up across Texas.

3 sessions per week.
One specialist. Every session.
June, July, or both.

Let's get those R sounds clear before school starts this fall.

Free parent consultation to get started.
Schedule at cloudspeech.com

04/17/2026

Will AI replace speech therapists?

It's a question parents are starting to ask —
especially as AI-powered speech apps
multiply and promise results without a therapist.

Here's the honest answer: no.

But the question matters, because
understanding why tells you a lot about
what good speech therapy actually is —
and why access to it is more complicated
than most families realize.

The national SLP shortage is real and growing.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
SLP employment is projected to grow 15%
from 2024 to 2034 — far faster than average —
with 13,300 new openings needed each year.
78.5% of school-based SLPs report
more job openings than available candidates.
Nearly half of funded SLP positions
in healthcare settings remain unfilled.

Into that gap, AI apps have arrived.
And there's an important distinction
that's getting lost in the conversation:

An AI app is automated feedback
from an algorithm with no clinical training,
no diagnostic ability, and no capacity
to adapt to what it sees in front of it.

Teletherapy is a real licensed clinician
delivering evidence-based treatment
through a screen.

These are not the same thing.

Research confirms teletherapy delivers
comparable or better outcomes than in-person
therapy for most speech and language disorders
in school-age children. It also removes
the access barriers keeping families
from specialist care — long drives,
waitlists, limited local options.

The solution to the SLP shortage
isn't an algorithm.
It's qualified clinicians with better tools,
better access models, and the freedom
to do their best work — wherever
that work happens to take place.

New blog is up. Link below:

AI speech apps are not the same as speech therapy. A Texas SLP explains the difference, the growing SLP shortage, and why teletherapy — done right — is part of the real solution.

04/17/2026

I absolutely love this idea for nonverbal, less verbal kids.

Shadow puppets. Simple. Old fashioned. Fun.

Before speech comes attention, connection, and intention.

Try this with a child you know today.








https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWE0MmKje3M/?igsh=MXZkMmxsb3liamJkaQ==

04/16/2026

Simple routines. Consistent targets. Real progress with childhood apraxia of speech.

Every teletherapy session starts the same way: names with hand gestures on the face, slow exaggerated movements, and Bjorem Speech Sound Cues for clear visual support.

For this 6-year-old with CAS, we practice her name “Sally,” her sibling’s name, mom, and dad. She wanted a challenge that matched her high language skills, so we agreed on “Miss Tina” — because “Miss Burnham” and “Miss Christina” were too hard, and “Miss B” felt too easy.

We end every session with “one, two, three… off!” — giving steady practice on the /f/ sound she wasn’t even stimulable for in the beginning.

The payoff? A few weeks later she said her full name clearly in front of her OT group — and everyone understood her. That’s meaningful progress from consistent, functional practice on names, greetings, and counting.

By using the same simple routine every session, you create repeated opportunities for the exact targets your child needs — and you get to watch the growth happen.

Parents & SLPs: These small, steady steps build confidence and skills fast, even on Zoom.

❤️ this if you work with speech sound disorders.

04/16/2026

Tactile Cues & Teletherapy

One of the questions I get about teletherapy is whether you can use tactile cues through a screen.

You can — and here's one of my favorites.

For children working on velar sounds like K and G who are fronting — replacing those back sounds with T and D — I coach the parent or child to gently place a finger on the front of the tongue to block it from coming forward.
This gives the back of the tongue a chance
to do its job.

It works beautifully. But here's the clinical
note that matters:

In my experience, children pick up on gestural and tactile cues fast.

Too fast, sometimes.

Once they feel success
they want to keep using the cue —
and if we let them, it becomes a crutch or habit.

The goal is stimulability first.
Feel it. Get it right. Celebrate it.
Then fade the cue quickly and practice without it.
Bring it back only when needed,
then fade again.

Tactile cues are a tool, not a solution.
Used well — and faded intentionally —
they can be a game changer even across a screen.