After years of working in healthcare, schools, clinics, preschool programs, and private homes, as well as having children of my own, I've learned that one of my career passions is early language.

 Early communication lays the foundation for so much of our lives - relationships, connection, academics, reading and confidence in everyday life.

And yet, we often are not given the information we need to best support our child's language growth. I've heard all too many parents tell me that their pediatrician recommended for them to "wait and see" when it came to concerns about their child's speech and language. As a pediatric SLP, I believe strongly that there's no reason to wait and see.... There are simple, practical and accessible tools and strategies every parent can use in order to ensure the best opportunity for thier child's language growth.  

I realized this throughout several interactions with my wonderful, educated, and dedicated husband, Walt, who stays home with our young children during the week while I work. Our third child, Quincy, has been a late talker, still not yet using complete sentences and nearing 3 years of age. Although I have not been incredibly concerned, I have felt very thankful that I am knowledgeable on specific language milestones and know a number of strategies, to ensure we as a family are encouraging Quincy's continued oral language development. 

As Walt and I have continually talked about Quincy's communication development, I've learned that these strategies don't necessarily come naturally, to even the most dedicated and deeply invested parent. 

This is why I've created Growing Toddler Talk, a program of my original private practice, Sunflower Speech & Reading, LLC.