Connecting Speech

my child might need speech therapy ... what now?

Step 1: Book a complimentary consultation

Whether you feel confident that your children need speech therapy or you wonder if their sound errors are typical for their age, scheduling a free consultation is your first step to getting your questions answered.

Book a Consultation

Step 2: Choose your setting

We can meet online if you live anywhere in Idaho, Utah, or California.

We can meet in person in Meridian, Idaho.

A Zoom link will be provided for online consultations.

Step 3: Attend your consultation

A consultation typically lasts 30 to 40 minutes. I will listen to your child's speech, answer any questions you have, share speech sound development research data, and potentially recommend further evaluation or other appropriate follow up.

Step 4: Follow up with recommendations of your choice

Further evaluation of speech sounds may or may not be recommended based on the nature and severity of errors noted and the age of your child. Consultations are pressure free with honest information presented to allow you to make an informed decision.

speech sound development

speech sound acquisition chart
speech development
ages when sounds develop in speech

Speech Sound Development

Speech development is an individual process for young children, so variability should always be expected across kids of the same age. That said, there are research-based patterns of speech sound acquisition that can help eliminate some of the ambiguity.

Click below to learn more about speech sound development and get your own copy of the Connecting Speech Sound Acquisition Chart.

Learn More about speech sound acquisition

Should I Be Concerned?

The short answer is ... we don't know unless we listen.

Teachers, pediatricians, family, and friends might have advice about the speech development of your children, but if you want answers from a professional you can trust, seek an experienced, qualified speech-language pathologist.

And if the answers you get from one don't feel quite right ... get a second opinion.

Book a consultation with a speech therapist who knows her stuff!

My Child can't say the R sound--when should I consider speech therapy?

The R is a very common articulation error, and one that often gets addressed in speech therapy. There has been mixed information about the age at which the sound should or should not be address in speech therapy.

Luckily, we have research to bury some of the myths surrounding treatment of the R.

Click below to read more about how to know if the R will likely develop on its own or if it's time to have it evaluated.

When should my child be able to say the R?

Meet the Speech-language Pathologist

RACHEL TROUGHTON, M.ED CCC-SLP

Rachel is a Boise, Idaho native and has worked in the field of speech-language pathology since 2002. She began her career as a graduate student clinician at Utah State University and worked as a certified speech-language pathologist for Logan School District and Weber School District in Utah.

Since 2008 she has worked closely with the Utah State Board of Education's professional development teams to facilitate and present at an annual training institute for educationally licensed speech-language technicians (SLTs). SLTs have a bachelors degree in communication disorders and are trained to provide therapy under the direction and supervision of a speech-language pathologist in the state of Utah. She has been supervising and coaching SLTs, graduate students, and SLP clinical fellows since 2007.

From 2012 to 2018 she worked as Weber School District's SLP district coordinator, overseeing about 40 full time and part time therapists, creating and managing caseload assignments, and providing professional development.

From 2017 to 2019 she worked as a clinical instructor for Utah State University. In this position she was able to coach and supervise graduate students providing therapy in primarily rural school districts in Utah.

In 2019, having moved back to the Boise area, she founded Connecting Speech, LLC. Connecting Speech's mission is to help create meaningful communication by connecting children and adults to collaborative, functional, and efficient speech therapy.

To achieve her mission, with over 20 years of experience, she has created her own therapy approach and materials based on principles of motor learning. Her On R Way™ approach systematically integrates the concepts of increasing the context, consistency, and complexity of speech sounds from isolation to integration.

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Schedule your Free Consultation

Have speech questions or concerns? Contact us!

For Children

Does your child have errors in his/her speech?
Do you have questions or concerns about sounds your child should be able to say?
Is your child feeling frustrated when friends and family can't understand him/her?

For Adults

Do you have a speech impairment you have considered trying to remediate?
Are you wondering if you are a candidate for speech therapy as an adult?
Would you like to see how speech therapy can fit into your busy schedule?

Schedule a free, noncommittal consultation.

Tools to guide you

At Connecting Speech, LLC our mission is to give you the tools you need to facilitate change. Our therapy treatment plans are 100% individualized based on your needs, your schedule, and your desired intensity. We partner with you, provide training and resources, and allow you the flexibility to have as much or as little direct therapy time as you need.

Have questions about our efficient treatment model? Wondering if private speech therapy is a right fit for you? Get in touch!

Get in touch!

Welcome to Connecting Speech!

speech therapy services

Speech Sound Treatment