School-Based vs Private Telehealth Speech Therapy in California
Many California parents are surprised to learn how limited school-based speech therapy services can be. While schools provide valuable support, private telehealth speech therapy in California can offer additional benefits.
School-Based Speech Therapy
Typically provided in a group setting
Goals focus on educational impact
Private Telehealth Speech Therapy
Individualized 1:1 sessions
Flexible scheduling
Goals tailored to your child’s communication needs
Goals address medical needs and functional communication skills used in everyday life
Parent coaching and home strategies
Telehealth allows families across California to access private speech therapy from wherever they are!
👉 Contact The Speech Cottage Co. to explore private telehealth speech therapy options in California.
Is Telehealth Speech Therapy Effective in California?
Parents often ask whether telehealth speech therapy in California is as effective as in-person services. The short answer is YES. For many children, online speech therapy is highly effective and supported by research.
In California, licensed speech-language pathologists are permitted to provide telehealth services statewide, allowing families to access quality care without long waitlists or travel.
Why Telehealth Speech Therapy Works
Sessions are individualized and goal-driven
Children learn in their natural home environment
Parents are actively involved in therapy
Digital tools keep sessions engaging and interactive
Many families report improved attendance, consistency, and carryover compared to traditional in-person models.
Who Is a Good Fit?
Telehealth speech therapy works well for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children with speech sound disorders, language delays and difficulties, gestalt language processing profiles, fluency disorders (commonly stuttering), and more.
👉 Contact The Speech Cottage Co. to learn if telehealth speech therapy in California is right for your child.
When Should My Child Be Saying Certain Speech Sounds?
One of the most common questions speech-language pathologists hear from parents is: “Is my child’s speech developing on track?” Knowing when different sounds typically develop can help caregivers better understand what’s age-appropriate and when it may be time to consider an evaluation.
What Speech Sounds Develop First?
Children learn speech sounds gradually. Some sounds emerge earlier (like p, b, m, w), while others take more motor coordination and typically come later (like r or th).
Age 2–3 years: p, b, m, n, t, d, k, g, “ng,” w, h, y, f
Age 4 years: l, j, ch, s, v, sh, z
Age 5 years: r, “zh,” voiced “th” (as in this)
Age 6 years: voiceless “th” (as in thumb)
What About Overall Understandability (Intelligibility)?
Speech development isn’t just about which sounds a child can make—it’s also about how much of their speech others can understand.
18–24 months: 25–60% intelligible
2–3 years: 60–75% intelligible
4–5 years: 75–90% intelligible
5+ years: 90–100% intelligible
By kindergarten age, most familiar and unfamiliar listeners should understand the majority of what a child says.
Common Speech Patterns (Phonological Processes)
As children learn to talk, they often simplify adult speech patterns. These are called phonological processes, and many are typical — as long as they fade out by a certain age.
Fronting: Back sounds replaced with front sounds (Example: car → tar) — typically resolves by age 4
Stopping: Long sounds replaced with short sounds (Example: fan → pan) — ages 3–5
Deaffrication: Affricates become fricatives (Example: chilli → silly) — typically resolves by age 4
Gliding: Liquids become glides (Example: red → wed) — ages 6–7
Final Consonant Deletion: Last sound dropped (Example: cat → ca) — typically resolves by age 3
Initial Consonant Deletion: First sound dropped (Example: bit → it) — ages 2–3
Weak Syllable Deletion: Weak syllable omitted (Example: banana → nana) — typically resolves by age 4
Cluster Reduction: Two sounds become one (Example: spoon → poon) — ages 4–5
How The Speech Cottage Co. Can Help
At The Speech Cottage Co., we provide child-led, play-based speech therapy that meets children where they are and supports their growth through meaningful connection and joyful learning. We partner with families to support speech sound development in a natural, engaging way — helping little voices become confident, clear, and understood.