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Frequently asked questions
o What is speech therapy?
Speech therapy helps children learn to communicate more clearly, confidently, and effectively. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) supports children in building the skills they need to understand language, express their thoughts, and connect with others.
Therapy may focus on areas such as:
- Speech sounds (articulation): Helping a child learn to pronounce sounds clearly and correctly.
- Expressive and Receptive Language: Building and understanding vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure for stronger understanding and expression.
- Fluency: Supporting smoother, more confident speech for children who stutter or have trouble with rate or rhythm.
- Social communication skills: Helping children learn how to start conversations, take turns, and understand social cues in a natural way.
Pediatric therapy is play-based, individualized, and designed to meet each child where they are. The goal is to make learning communication skills fun and meaningful — so progress feels natural and motivating.
School-age speech therapy supports children in improving the skills they use every day in the classroom and with peers. This may be speaking clearly, organizing thoughts, using language effectively, and building social confidence. Sessions take place in a private, individualized setting where goals are connected to real-life experiences, helping children carry progress into learning, friendships, and beyond.
*Private services are also provided within private school settings. Please inquire for more information.*
o How do I know if my child's language skills are age appropriate?
Although there are standardized developmental milestones, every child will acquire skills at a different pace. Look at our Communication Norms Page. If you are concerned about your child's language development, schedule a free phone or Zoom consultation with MidCoast SLP.
o Is a formal evaluation required to begin therapy?
Yes. MidCoast SLP strongly prefers to conduct in-house evaluations for all first-time clients. If the client comes with a recently-conducted evaluation (within the past 6 months), this may be considered in place of the initial evaluation.
o What does treatment look like?
If your child is not yet or in their early years of school, the clinician will interact and ‘play’ with your child while targeting goals. Although it may look like simple games, we are actively observing and making assessments to treat specific language and/or speech targets identified in their individualized plan of care.
If your child is school aged, therapy is often more structured to target goals in motivating ways that lead to progress (e.g., think activities at a table/desk in place of the floor).
All therapy is individualized and adjusted to meet your child where they are each session.
o My child struggles to say certain sounds—should I be concerned?
There are many reasons why speech sounds can be challenging to produce correctly. Although it's developmentally appropriate for some speech sounds to develop later, if your child is hard to understand or frustrated when speaking, a speech evaluation can help determine whether support is needed.
o Why does my child have trouble telling stories or explaining things clearly?
Narrative and expressive language skills are still developing for elementary school aged children. If your child leaves out key details, sounds "unorganized" or "jumps around", speech therapy can work on organizing ideas and using complete sentences to improve clarity of messages.
o My child is very quiet in class—could this be a communication issue?
It could be! Sometimes children who are quiet are unsure how to join conversations or advocate for themselves. A speech-language evaluation can assess social communication, problem solving, and confidence with peer interactions.
o What if my child speaks well but struggles to understand directions or classroom instructions?
That could point to receptive language challenges, meaning the language that they are understanding. Speech therapy can support your child in understanding and processing spoken language, especially when there are multiple steps or new vocabulary involved.
o My child gets frustrated trying to find the right words—what can help?
Word finding challenges can impact a child’s ability to express their thoughts. Speech therapy can teach strategies like using description, category clues, and visuals to support smoother communication.
o Is it too late to fix speech or language issues by elementary school?
Absolutely not! It's never too late to address communication challenges! Elementary school is a great time to address speech and language concerns. The brain is still highly adaptable, and support now can build strong communication foundations for academics and friendships.
o Can I join in on the therapy session with my child?
Yes! We always encourage caregiver participation. That said, some children show stronger participation when they attend alone. This is individualized and will be a choice that is made between you, your child, and the therapist as a team.
o Where are you located?
Services are provided in a private office located at 18 Pleasant Street, Suite 307, Brunswick, Maine, 04011. There is parking next to and behind the building.
Services are also provided in local private schools during school hours. Afterschool therapy slots are limited amongst most service providers and this option allows for support during the school day. Please inquire about specifics if interested.