Serving Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, Scott, Dakota & Carver Counties
Our Services / Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy: building your child’s voice, however that looks
Communication takes many forms. Our speech-language pathologists work with children on spoken language, articulation, and — where appropriate — augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools.
What does speech therapy address?
Speech-language pathology covers far more than pronunciation. At Elite Services Center Inc, our speech therapists work on expressive language (getting thoughts and needs across to others), receptive language (understanding what’s being communicated), articulation, and the social side of communication — reading tone, taking turns in conversation, and understanding nonliteral language.
Who benefits from speech therapy
Children referred for speech therapy present in very different ways: some have limited spoken vocabulary, some speak in full sentences but struggle with back-and-forth conversation, and others communicate more effectively with picture systems or AAC devices than with speech alone. Our evaluation identifies which combination of goals fits your child, rather than assuming one approach works for everyone.
Areas our speech program covers
How speech therapy connects with ABA
For children also receiving ABA therapy, our speech-language pathologist coordinates directly with the ABA team so communication goals reinforce one another across services, rather than working in separate directions. A child learning to request items during ABA sessions, for example, practices those same requesting skills during speech sessions using the same words or AAC system.
What a session looks like
Sessions are play-based and paced to your child’s age and attention span, using toys, books, and everyday objects to create natural opportunities to communicate rather than forcing communication through drills alone. Parents receive regular updates on progress and simple strategies to reinforce communication goals between sessions.
Getting started with speech therapy
If your child’s CMDE identifies communication as a goal area, speech therapy is built directly into their Individual Treatment Program. Families who suspect a communication delay but haven’t yet completed a CMDE can also reach out directly, and our team will explain how a speech-focused evaluation fits into the broader assessment process.
Common questions about speech therapy
My child talks in full sentences — could they still need speech therapy? Yes. Many children with strong vocabularies still struggle with the social side of communication, like conversation flow, tone, or understanding non-literal language, all of which fall under speech-language pathology.
What if my child isn’t speaking at all yet? Our speech therapists work with children across the full range of communication ability, including introducing AAC tools for children who communicate more effectively through pictures or devices than spoken words.
Communication goals families can see and hear
Because language progress can be subtle from week to week, our speech-language pathologists document specific examples during each session — a new word attempted, a longer sentence, a first spontaneous greeting to a peer — and share those concrete moments with families rather than vague summaries like “doing well.”
Ready to talk about speech therapy for your child?
Reach out today and our team will walk you through how this service fits into your child’s overall plan of care.