Articulation therapy is all about accurately making the sounds of speech, like the 's' sound in 'swallow' or the 'ch' sound in 'finch'. In this type of therapy, we use repeated practice of speech sounds by themselves ('sss'), in words ('swallow'), and in longer strings of speech ('I see a swallow') to train and coordinate the parts of the mouth we use to speak. The end goal - clearer speech sounds, meaning speech that's easier to understand and therefore a speaker that is more easily understood when they talk!

Pragmatics focuses on the social, practical side of communication. It involves working on what typical expectations around communication look like, as well as how things like emotions and perspectives change the way we interact with others. Pragmatics can be practiced in real or make-believe scenarios, but it involves connection with another communicator. The goal with social skills therapy is to improve how communication comes across to partners by generally meeting their expectations, taking their perspective,  and considering their feelings as we express our own!

AAC stands for 'Augmentative and Alternative Communication'. Quite a beakful! It refers to the use of other forms of communication outside of verbal speech. This can include signs, gestures, symbols, picture cards, icon boards, and devices that produce audible words. These allow a user to communicate through another 'channel' when communicating with their own physical speech is a challenge. The goal here is to find the best method or combination of methods for a person to consistently get their point across to others.

Language therapy is a bit more abstract, in that it is about a child's understanding and use of words. It's about the rules and meaning behind the words rather than the physical act of speaking them. Language therapy can take a variety of forms, from focusing on expanding vocabulary that a child uses ('expressive'), to increasing their ability to understand and follow directions ('receptive'), to the rules of how words are formed and go together ('syntax'). The goal in this form of therapy is to enhance the child's language toolkit so that they can understand communication and know how to use words more effectively.

Fluency, or the smoothness and flow of speech, becomes important when talking in sentences, conversations, and stories. In this area of therapy, we work on different ways to improve the flow of speech so that the 'bumps' that we all experience don't block us from getting our point across. The goal with fluency is not to become a perfect speaker with no stuttering, but to improve both the flow of speech and the confidence of the speaker so that they have the tools they need to communicate effectively across settings - from home to classrooms to phone calls.

No spoken words yet? That doesn't mean communication isn't happening! The earlier we can spot and help with a communication issue, the better the results. Early intervention focuses on the building blocks of language development, like enjoying activities together, imitating actions, and playing with toys. There are many benefits to this type of therapy, and also many ways that parents can boost improvements by doing at home what is done in therapy. It's never too early to start connecting with your child!