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Maureen Niklaus, MS Ccc-Slp Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist

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Maureen Niklaus, MS Ccc-Slp Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist

A Private Practice for Children with Speech and Language Impairments Maureen Niklaus, M.S.

CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist in private practice in Williamsport, PA. Maureen specializes in pediatrics and is dedicated to providing thorough diagnostic evaluations and personalized therapy for children in the Williamsport area. In addition to private practice, previous work experience at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and at UPMC Susquehanna Health. Areas of specialty include: preschool language disorders, Autism spectrum disorder, articulation and phonological disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, and stuttering. Licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

04/08/2026

"Should My Child's Speech Be More Clearly Understood?"

The Key?
People Who Are "Unfamiliar" To Your Child.

Since parents and immediate family members can often understand a child's speech (as they are accustomed to any patterns the child uses), the question is how difficult is it for someone who is NOT around your child regularly to understand his or her message?

WITHOUT you "interpreting" at all for your child, the following is a good guideline.

If you have any concerns or questions about your child, please feel free to reach out anytime!

04/04/2026

Bringing work "home?"
In this case, it has made me smile all Saturday!

My sweet boy, who struggles with emotions, melted my heart at the end of a long Friday for both of us.

He was excited to play with my train set, complete with elaborate bridges that raise and lower, and tunnels that make pretty cool noises if I do say so myself.

But we had some things to do first.

But he got frustrated, and very quickly turned angry. He promptly tore up the paper with 3 dots that I made to help him say his favorite 3-syllable words (and chewed up a piece for good measure.)

When I grabbed my photo and told him he could have just told me he was "frustrated," he swatted the picture and said "no frustrated." When I told him I was sad not to play trains, and that we would need to make a new paper with dots, a loud "No" and a head down on the table was his reply.

I'd seen this before. Usually it meant game over for the remainder of the session, and my heart sank.

But, as I do, I went in my back room to get the bucket of cool train stuff, just to remind him what he was missing and see if it helped bring him "back."

And as I got back there, I heard him loud and clear say, "FRUSTRATED" (a 3-syllable word in and of itself.)

When I re-entered with the trains, there on the table was a new paper, complete with 3 dots... and a big checkmark copying those that I make when goals are achieved in sessions!

We got to build the coolest train track ever! Needless to say, I was (and am) astonished, and continue to smile about it today!

04/02/2026

“Meltdowns” are not unfamiliar to parents of toddlers. But when they become more frequent, more intense and more difficult to manage, it might be time to ask, "Does my child have trouble communicating with me?"

First and foremost, PLEASE don't be embarrassed or ashamed. Children who struggle with communication often cry, scream, hit and/or become completely inconsolable (and as someone who works with such little people, I have intimate knowledge of tantrums at their very best!)

As frustrated as YOU are in such instances, know that your child is even more so. Difficult behaviors are not at all unusual if a child has a communication impairment.

So if tantrums and outbursts are on your mind, please be sure to ask the question… and seek answers for yourself and your child.

As always, feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions about your little one!

03/30/2026

She Is ON it!

She is 7 years old and arrived last Monday already having diagnosed herself.

"Well Mo, you see I have a lisp. It's not a real big one, but I do lisp on "s."

"Oh," I said, abandoning my formal articulation test after realizing she was completely correct. "Did you know you also lisp on "sh" and "ch" a little bit too?" I asked.

"Oh, really? No, Mo, I didn't realize that!" she said.

And of course she showed up today, a week later, having practiced her little heart out and no longer lisping on "s." She moved through all my levels of therapy and by the end of today's session, she was 97% accurate on "s" in ALL word positions while we played picnic loaded with "s" words. Just wow.

I don't think this smart little lady will need very much of me. But boy will I enjoy every single minute with her! 😍

03/19/2026

The Conversational World That MATTERS.

When I work on any speech or language goal, I don't consider it "accomplished" until I am eliciting it about 85% of the time in a child's spontaneously generated language, at an age-appropriate conversational level. But young children don't really engage in conversation, do they? (Answer? Yes they do.)

This sweetheart has the subject pronouns "I," "you," "he" and "she" in my structured activities (think describing what piece she or I have in a game, or naming he/she actions in pictures or with toys.)

But today? She loved talking to all our friends, and ROCKED it when she had to talk about who at our picnic she was serving each colored dish or food to! (And trust me, pronouns are NOT easy.)

She took her time and self-corrected if she said/handed something to the "wrong" person, making sure she fixed it and got her intentions across. It was fabulous!

So, yes, conversation happens in my office with young children! Such imaginative play is their conversational world and THAT is where I measure ultimate success.

03/16/2026

15 Months & Words?
YES!

I am always shocked when I hear parents (and pediatricians) not concerned when little ones this age aren't beginning to TRY to talk.

Yes, at this tender age, they should be attempting words!

By 15 months, you should be hearing a good amount of word "imitation," or your child saying words after you. Not just when you "ask" them to imitate you, but without your prompting, meaning simply because they want to!

For example, you say "Look at that heavy snow!" and they spontaneously say after you, "snow!"

Little people this age should be regularly using at least 1 or 2 words spontaneously, all on their own, in addition to the words "Mommy" and "Daddy."

Concerned? Need some suggestions to move your little one along? Feel free to message me anytime!

03/13/2026

Want To Hear More Words?
Tip!

He didn't want to verbally request body parts while building Potato Head this morning, but talking to "Tigger?" Well he had a blast telling HIM what to do!

Telling Tigger to eat his "hand" and eat his "shoe" elicited not only excitement and giggles when Tigger devoured him, but he kept trying to say other body parts!

So if you are trying to increase the words your toddler uses, try having him/her talk to toys! It is often a huge hit in my office! (I mean who knew that toddlers like to be in charge?? 🤣)

03/10/2026

Beware.

The Resourceful Late Talker...
And CHAIRS!

All children try it at sometime or other, but children who are not yet speaking can become VERY resourceful when it comes to using chairs to obtain what they want.

Independent? You bet. But, there is no need to COMMUNICATE with you if your little one can move furniture to get their own needs met!

So, my tip? Teach your child that moving furniture and climbing on chairs is strictly off limits. Not only will this increase his/her need to communicate with you, but it will keep them safe!

02/17/2026

A MUST Have Word, Right?

I asked her this afternoon if there were any words she was struggling with... any words SHE wanted to say more clearly.

"Yes!" She said, and she stated the word.

I had no idea even after she repeated it a couple of times.

"Mo, it's like ketchup but white."

"Oh," I said, "mayonnaise?"

"No the other white stuff."

"Oh Ranch!"

We aren't working on the "R" sound yet, but given how much I love Ranch, I understood her desperation.

So I showed her how to try it, and gave her some prompts for the "ch" at the end, and low and behold, out comes what sounds like "Ranch!"

No human being should have to go through life not being able to clearly request the best condiment in the entire world! 😍

02/12/2026

I truly NEVER would've imagined it.
But you just can't predict where a child will go!

When I first met him nearly 10 years ago, he was one of about 25 children in the WORLD with a rare genetic disorder, a hallmark symptom of which was very severe Apraxia of Speech (a rare neurological disorder that impairs the brain’s ability to plan and execute the motor skills needed for speech.)

Most children with this genetic mutation are considered functionally “nonverbal,” relying on alternative means of communication. And that holds true for his peers with this genetic mutation today.

But this young man? Not only does he communicate in short phrases/sentences, but his speech intelligibility has improved MARKEDLY in recent years.

How overjoyed was I to receive an early morning text today to let me know that he had just successfully “argued” with Alexa over breakfast and made the voice recognition software CHANGE her warning message of “Two minutes left” to “Two MORE minutes!” He had spoken his command so CLEARLY that the software understood him!

Wow! Such technology is challenging. How far he has come. Not only is he verbal, but I never would have imagined he'd be able to say words so CLEARLY!

What a hard working and amazing young man he is and I feel blessed to be a witness to his growth as a successful communicator. I won't pretend to know where his road leads, but let's go!

01/31/2026

Watch Out World.
Here She Comes!

Sweet Avery is the absolute poster child for treating EARLY. When she came to me at a bit under 2 1/2 years old, she wasn't saying ANY words- not even "mamma" or "dadda."

Despite being smart as a whip, she tried to communicate with what I can only call "nasal snorts," using her voice and making noises through her nose. (Honestly? I'd never seen anything like it.)

Fast forward to today. This sweetheart is now a little over three. Just 31 sessions after we started, her expressive language skills test WELL above average for her age, and I was able to quickly treat some sound error patterns that appeared when she started to speak in words.

I will deeply miss you Avery. You have been a challenge and an absolute joy to me!

Now go take on the world my girl, because I know YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY!

01/29/2026

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a neurological impairment of motor planning. It is relatively rare, thankfully, but intensive treatment is recommended and the earlier the better.

I have treated a number of cases over the course of my career and have found parents often recognize the early signs only AFTER a diagnosis has been made.

So here are a few things to look for.

Questions? Feel free to reach out anytime!

Address

59 East 4th Street
Williamsport, PA
17701

Telephone

+15703603413

Website

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