My 18-month-old isn’t walking... My 2-year-old only says a few words... My gut tells me something’s wrong, but my pediatrician says we can wait and see. My Mom told me, “your cousin didn’t talk until 3 and she’s fine.” My friend says, “he’ll talk when he’s ready.” 

Who do I listen to and where do I go for help?? If any of this sounds familiar, this episode is for you!

In this episode, Anne Powers, a speech-language pathologist and Director of Early Childhood at The Parish School discusses the importance of early intervention. During our chat, Anne touches on the importance of receiving services early, what age range is considered early intervention, and how parents can get an evaluation and find services. Additionally, she gives parents and educators a few simple methods for supporting their child’s early language development. We also asked our listeners on social media to submit their questions for Anne and received several fantastic responses that added to the conversation.

Anne Powers, MA, CCC-SLP, Director of Early Childhood at The Parish School, is passionate about helping children find their voices and believes that all children have the right to learn to communicate. Anne is a Hanen-certified trainer for Learning Language and Loving It™, a program designed to provide early childhood educators with practical strategies for helping children in the classroom to build language, literacy and social skills. She also has experience partnering with public and private schools, daycares and community centers in Pennsylvania and Texas to detect early signs of communication disorders and provide treatment for young children who have language delays.

Resources

• How to Spot a Language/Learning Disorder Early
  
  
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:
  • Identifying Signs of Communication Disorder
  • Find a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist
• Early Intervention Services in Texas:
  • Texas Early Childhood Intervention Birth to 3 Services
  • Houston Independent School District Child Find (3-21 years)

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