My Speech Pals, PLLC

08/13/2025

🎉 Did you know all of these count as words?

It’s true! These fun words are sure to grab your child’s attention during play.

Children love these words for several reasons:

🤩 We often use them during a fun and motivating activity
🤩 Many of these words contain early-developing speech sounds, making them fairly easy to imitate
🤩 We often use loud voices with varied intonation, which captures your little one’s attention
🤩 They are fun!

✨ Be sure to save this post for the next time you play!

01/24/2025

⭐️ INTRODUCTION TIME ⭐️

Hello! I'm Danielle Steele, the proud owner of My Speech Pals, PLLC.

🌵 I'm a certified speech-language pathologist with the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).

🌵 I completed my Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders at Arizona State University.

🌵 I worked in an elementary school for several years, gaining a ton of experience with various communication needs.

🌵 I started my own practice 2.5 years ago to provide more individualized therapy and help children gain the confidence to communicate!

🌵 I enjoy going to coffee shops, playing board games with my family, and reading a good book in my free time!

If you're looking for a speech therapist, I'd love to connect! 🙂

https://www.myspeechpals.com/

05/06/2024

05/05/2024

Looking for speech therapy this summer?? 🏜

*Screenings, Full Evaluations, and Intervention
*Online and In-Person Options
*Save $$ with package deals
*ESA Approved

Contact Me Today! 😊
danielle@myspeechpals.com
www.myspeechpals.com

09/30/2023

It's finally fall! 🥳

Reading is a fantastic way to support your child's language development. Here are some fun books to read to celebrate the new season! 🙂

09/27/2023

SPEECH TIP TIME!

Limit those questions!

As our kids begin to speak, we can begin to ask a lot of questions to try and see what they know. Asking questions are not bad but it can cause kids to feel frustrated that they are being quizzed all the time. As our kids are beginning to learn what words mean, it's more beneficial for them to HEAR the words modeled by us. 😊

Check out some examples below! 👇

Do you have any questions about language development? If so, leave a comment!

09/06/2023

SPEECH TIP TUESDAY IS BACK...on a Wednesday! 🤓

Life got busy and I haven't shared any tips in a few weeks but hey, that's life!

This month I'm talking all about language delays in young children learning to talk. What is normal language development? What are the signs of a delay? And what do I do to support my child's language development? All these questions and more will be discussed so stay tuned!

First up! What is normal language development in children? There are many milestones listed out there and it can be a bit overwhelming. I do think it's important to have a general idea of what's considered typical for a child's age but you don't need to hold fast to them or stress yourself out if your child isn't meeting EVERY single one listed for his/her age because each child is SO different.

But if you asked me what my top 5 would be for young kids check them out below!

If you do have concerns, it never hurts to reach out to a speech therapist for a second opinion!

& if you'd like more detailed information on milestones for birth to age 5 check out this link: https://identifythesigns.org/communicating-with-baby-toolkit/

08/01/2023

SPEECH TIP TUESDAY 🤓

What is speech intelligibility?

This is just a fancy word for the overall ability to understand what someone is saying. It is often described using percentages.

Below are some of the findings of a recent study done in 2021 on the development of speech intelligibility in kids. The study shows how intelligible the average child was when speaking in short sentences to an unfamiliar person.

These percentages can be a guide as you think about your own child's speech and how much you or other people understand him/her when talking. If you have concerns about your child's speech development reach out to me or a speech therapist near you!



Reference Study:
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00142

07/25/2023

SOUND ERROR TIPS 🤓

Not sure how to help your child at home if they struggle saying words correctly? Check out some of these do & don't tips below!

Modeling the correct way to say a word is one of the best ways to help your child. You can also gently draw their attention to how they said the word by giving feedback and expressing some confusion, "Did you say dod or dog? That's a dog". It's also important to remember not to correct your child ALL the time when they say a word wrong. That can be very discouraging for your child. Be sure to give praise when they do say a word right that they tend to say wrong, especially if you've given them a model and they are able to correct themselves. 🙂

07/18/2023

SPEECH TIP TUESDAY! 🤓

Below are some of the most common speech sound error patterns in children. It is typical for all children to use some of these error patterns as their speech is developing. It becomes a concern when the errors last longer than the typical developmental ages listed. These ages are NOT set in stone, but are only a guide. Every child is different in their development.

BUT if you observe any of these errors beyond the ages listed and you or others around you have a hard time understanding what your child is saying it is a good idea to reach out to a speech therapist to see how they could help your child be better understood.