Pediatric Speech Therapy Clinic serving familes
in Washington DC and Maryland
Give Your Child A Voice!
Welcome to Milestone Therapeutic Services, your trusted provider of pediatric speech therapy in Washington DC and Maryland. Our dedicated team of licensed speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is committed to helping your child develop clear communication, strong language skills, and confident self-expression.
Whether your child is experiencing speech delays, difficulty understanding or using language, or challenges with social communication, our licensed speech-language pathologists provide personalized therapy to support their growth. We are committed to helping each child find their voice!
What is Speech Therapy / Speech Language Pathology?
Speech-language therapy, also known as speech-language pathology, is a specialized field focused on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating communication and swallowing disorders. These disorders can affect speech, language, voice, fluency, and cognitive-communication abilities.
A Speech-language therapist, or pathologist (SLP), work with infants and children, addressing issues such as speech delays, stuttering, articulation problems, and language comprehension difficulties. Their goal is to improve communication skills, thereby enhancing the individual’s ability to interact effectively in daily life. They also assist those with swallowing difficulties, ensuring safe and efficient eating and drinking practices.
Does My Child Need Speech Therapy?
Possible Reasons for Speech Therapy
Speech and language development plays a vital role in how children communicate, learn, and connect with others. If your child is having difficulty expressing themselves, understanding language, or producing sounds clearly, they may benefit from speech-language pathology (SLP) services. Below are some common reasons a child might be referred for pediatric speech therapy.
Common Speech-Language Challenges Treated:
Articulation difficulties occur when a child has trouble producing specific speech sounds correctly, making their speech hard to understand. In speech therapy, articulation treatment focuses on helping children learn how to move their mouth, tongue, and lips to form sounds accurately.
Language delays involve challenges in understanding (receptive language) or using (expressive language) words and sentences appropriately. Children may struggle to follow directions, ask questions, or express their thoughts clearly.
This refers to patterns of sound errors, like saying “tat” instead of “cat” or dropping sounds entirely. These errors can interfere with a child’s ability to be understood and may persist past typical developmental stages.
Fluency disorders include stuttering, where a child may repeat sounds, stretch out words, or pause involuntarily while speaking. This can disrupt the natural flow of speech and affect communication confidence.
Children with social communication challenges may struggle with conversational skills, understanding social cues, or adjusting language based on the listener or situation. These difficulties are often seen in children with autism or other developmental conditions.
Speech therapists help children who have trouble chewing, swallowing, or safely managing food and liquids. These challenges can affect nutrition, growth, and mealtime participation.
Voice disorders involve problems with pitch, volume, or voice quality that make a child’s voice sound hoarse, strained, or weak. These issues may stem from vocal misuse, medical conditions, or structural differences.
Receptive language disorders involve difficulty understanding spoken or written language. Children may struggle to follow directions, comprehend questions, or grasp age-appropriate vocabulary and grammar.