What can pediatric speech therapy treat?

Children may benefit from speech therapy if they experience difficulty with communicating effectively. When you come to us for pediatric speech therapy in Kansas City, our team can address a variety of challenges: Articulation and speech sound difficulties Auditory processing and phonemic awareness Apraxia of speech or motor planning challenges impacting speech production Speech difficulties related to autism Social and pragmatic communication Delayed developmental milestones (expressive and receptive communication, social and emotional skills) Fluency Stuttering Transitioning to table foods Picky eating Standard oral motor difficulties

How can I help my child with their social language skills?

You can help your child by introducing structured conversations. When doing so, make sure to provide them with support. This can be a verbal cue or prompt, visual cue, or a direct verbal model. Examples of support during conversations are: Verbal cue: This involves telling your child that you are also interested in the topic, implying that they can respond. If talking about their favorite color you can say, “I have a favorite color, too,” after they have answered. Wait for them to ask you what yours is. This is a technique we use during your child’s sessions for pediatric speech therapy in Kansas City—you can use it, too! Verbal prompt: Point out something your child seems interested in and prompt them to talk about it. For instance: “I see you looking at your friend’s toy, maybe you can find out where he got it.” Or: “Oh do you see your friend is eating mac and cheese? Let’s go tell them that you like that, too!” Visual cue: Point from your child to yourself. This gives them a nonverbal hint that they should ask you a question. For example: “So I know what you think,” then point to yourself and say, “maybe you can find out what I think.”

Why is early intervention important?

By intervening early in your child’s linguistic development, you can help set them up for success. Many children have unique ways of learning to speak and understand language. Children may require therapy and intentional strategies at home to cultivate their individual relationships to verbal communication. Visit us for pediatric speech therapy in Kansas City to start exploring your child’s needs.

Speech Therapy in Kansas City

Listening, Speaking, Growing

Learning to speak is a process with a lot of moving parts. If your child is having difficulty with verbal communication, speech therapy can help! Our therapists work with your child to understand and nurture their unique way of processing language. Our speech therapists can help with:

Articulation and speech sound difficulties
Auditory processing
Phonemic awareness
Apraxia of speech
Social and pragmatic communication
Fluency/stuttering
Oral motor skills

The Playabilities Experience

Early Intervention

Starting young with speech therapy helps your child successfully communicate as they grow. From developing fluency to navigating verbal interactions, early intervention can help your child express themself and communicate with others.

Enhancing Strengths

We acknowledge the challenges that your child faces while also building on their strengths. We help your child cultivate their natural abilities and develop strategies for managing difficult moments.

Relationship Building

Participating in pediatric speech therapy in Kansas City means becoming part of a rich network of supportive relationships. From their team of therapists to their playmates, your child will learn and grow through meaningful interactions.

Your Child Deserves
the Best Care

We understand your child’s unique needs and we’re dedicated to providing them with individualized therapy. Request an evaluation to get started at Playabilities!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Get to Know Us!

We love what we do. Meet the team that’s dedicated to providing the best possible treatment and care for our clients every step of the way.

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We Play to Your Child’s Strengths

Expert Team

Every member of our team has at least a master’s or doctoral degree. These expert occupational, speech, and physical therapists work together to help your child.

Personalized Therapy

Our therapists craft the just-right fit for treatment. By designing each session to engage your child, we nurture their unique disposition, interests, and needs.

Family-First Philosophy

With our family-first approach, we develop a partnership with you to foster your child’s growth. We honor your role as your child’s first teacher by providing you with helpful strategies.

Playabilities in Action

What Families Are Saying…

My son has been seeing his OT for almost a year now and has made incredible improvement. She connected us with a Speech Therapist as well and could not be happier with…

Tiffany

My son has been seeing his OT for almost a year now and has made incredible improvement. She connected us with a Speech Therapist as well and could not be happier with both of them. He goes 5 days a week and I feel they love him just like he is family. He is always excited to see them and happy (and tired) when he has finished his sessions. In just a year my son has gone from ZERO words (age 2) to repeating everything and answering questions on his own! He has learned to jump, use a straw, is MUCH better at self regulating and relaying his needs, and so much more! Everyone in this clinic has been wonderful and they truly focus on a positive and fun experience while getting the children the sensory input they need and expanding their horizons!

Tiffany
This place and the amazing staff has made miracles happen for us. Our son, L*, is making unbelievable progress and I accredit the therapy he receives at Playabilities and the caring, loving…

Nicole & Tyler

This place and the amazing staff has made miracles happen for us. Our son, L*, is making unbelievable progress and I accredit the therapy he receives at Playabilities and the caring, loving attitude of the staff. I can’t say enough about them!

Nicole & Tyler
I found playabilities on google while looking for services for my son. I had my concerns, however it wasn’t until his school told me that I needed to find additional help for…

Miranda

I found playabilities on google while looking for services for my son. I had my concerns, however it wasn’t until his school told me that I needed to find additional help for him that I started looking for services. I tried contacting multiple larger organizations and was told that I would be put on a waiting list or could schedule an evaluation months out. Playabilities called me back on the same day that I contacted them and got us scheduled within a week. They explained to us how my son’s sensory processing differences can attribute to his bizarre behaviors, meltdowns, and feeding issues. They taught us strategies to use to help calm his system and made his therapy time seem like play. He loves coming to therapy, even though he is challenged with things that are difficult for him. He is accepting more foods and more willing to try things after our therapist taught us the “food scientist” approach. His fear of everyday things has become less and less noticeable and we are so grateful that we found Playabilities.

Miranda
Upon my son’s diagnosis of Autism I was referred to Playabilities by a good friend. It’s been over a year and I’ve seen so much growth in my son! Jet came to…

Katie

Upon my son’s diagnosis of Autism I was referred to Playabilities by a good friend. It’s been over a year and I’ve seen so much growth in my son! Jet came to Playabilities with a lack of environment awareness and with no means to communicate his needs. Kelly listened to my goals for Jet, observed and through trial and error and the wonderful staff Jet has seen, Jessica and Carrie, he has made such progress through OT and Speech Therapy! My son now acknowledges people, makes eye contact, smiles, plays with other kids and waves and can communicate in his own special way! His listening skills have improved tremendously and I no longer fear taking my son out of his familiar surroundings as it relates to his safely. Thank for helping Jet reach where he is today. I’m so excited to see where he’ll be in another year! Thank you to all of the Playabilities staff for your patience and immense dedication to my Jet and all the other children you see.

Katie
Playabilities is a very engaging atmosphere. The therapists are extraordinary. They are compassionate and make me feel like my child is their number one priority while he is receiving individual therapy’s. They…

Kayci

Playabilities is a very engaging atmosphere. The therapists are extraordinary. They are compassionate and make me feel like my child is their number one priority while he is receiving individual therapy’s. They are patient and go to great lengths to understand my son and his needs. Our communication is great. I am able to email or contact individual therapists about any concerns I have and get response immediately. I love and appreciate all the work, care and progress they did in this past year for my son.

Kayci

Playabilities Resources

Your go-to spot for tips, tools, and strategies.

We’ve done a lot of research, read a lot of books, and discovered helpful organizations over the years. These resources can make a difference in your journey—which is why we’ve gathered them in one place.

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