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Speech + Language Therapy helps your little one feel heard.

Speech therapy is much more than just teaching a child to say their sounds correctly. Speech-Language Pathologist’s diagnose and treat a variety of areas that affect you and your child’s day-to-day life.

Our speech therapists specialize in:

Articulation

Producing speech sounds clearly.

Expressive - Receptive

The ability to express oneself and understanding what is said to them.

Feeding

Sensory aversions that negatively impact eating.

Fluency

Stuttering and pacing of words + speech.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication

We support all forms of communication!

When is it time to get speech therapy?

If your child is not reaching typical language milestones or experiencing difficulty with speech sounds, understanding and using words, or forming sentences, it is recommended that you seek an evaluation from a speech-language pathologist.

Read our blog post about why it’s not recommended to “wait and see” about your child’s speech delays >

Follow your instincts! If you are concerned about your child’s speech and language development, schedule a free screening or a full evaluation.

Speech Sound Development

A child’s speech may be delayed if he/she has not developed these sounds by the end of each given age.

NOTE: Children can develop these sounds before these ages and many sounds have a time range of mastery

Crowe, K., & Mcleod, . (2020). Children’s English Consonant Acquisition in the United States: A review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-15.

Language Milestones that Matter

Knows a few body parts
Follow simple commands
Understands simple questions
Points to pictures when named in books
Puts two word together
Acquires new words regularly

Has a word for almost everything
Understands new words quickly
Asks why questions
Understands opposites (up/down)
Uses prepositions (in, on under)
Strings 3 words

Answers simple who, what, where, why questions
Uses pronouns and plurals
Asks when and how questions
Puts 4 words together
Knows colors/shapes
Says rhyming words

Tells a short story
Understands words for order and time first/then, yesterday/tomorrow
Uses correct grammar
Communicates easily with children and adults
Names letters and numbers

This checklist is based upon How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?, American Speech–Language–Hearing Association.

Will my child just catch up?

Early intervention is highly important because most young children develop the majority of their speech and language skills by age 3. If there is a delay or disorder, it is imperative that children receive help at this time so we can capitalize on this early brain development.

What ages do you see?

We see children from one up to teenagers. We specialize in early intervention but also serve our school aged clients in the areas of articulation, language, fluency, and more.

Do I join my child for the speech therapy session?

You absolutely can! However, sometimes we will recommend that the child comes back on their own to limit distractions and to allow them to connect with their therapists. We will always review the session with parents during the last 5 minutes as well as offer homework or ideas for carryover at home.

How do I know your speech therapists are qualified?

All of our SLP’s have master’s degrees in speech therapy. We are all licensed to practice by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association – ASHA. We complete continuing education yearly and keep up-to-date on all of the latest evidenced based research to ensure we are providing the best care to our clients.

Speech Therapy FAQs

From a Parent:

“Colleen has made such a positive impact in my son’s life over the last year. She is so down to earth and approachable which has allowed him to develop a great relationship with her. She always has words of encouragement but pairs them with practical steps to help us move towards our goals. Our whole family has benefited from all the skills and strategies she’s taught us. I went from feeling hopeless about my sons challenges to feeling empowered and optimistic.”

Meet Our Speech + Language Team

Colleen, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA

Colleen Lama, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA is the owner of Lama Pediatric Therapy. She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has over ten years of experience in providing pediatric speech and language therapy.

A graduate of Florida State University, Colleen is licensed by the State of Florida and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech–Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Colleen expanded her education and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2015.

She combines both her speech-language and applied behavioral analysis skills to provide quality therapy services. Colleen has a variety of experience working with the pediatric population in both home and clinic settings. She specializes in early intervention and feeding difficulties. Colleen takes pride in working with children and their families to provide exceptional therapy.

Marina, M.S. CCC-SLP

Marina, M.S. CCC-SLP is the lead Speech-Language Pathologist at Lama Pediatric. She was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida. She attended Florida State University where she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and went on to pursue a Master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University in Speech-Language Pathology.

She has a passion for working in pediatrics and has experience working in the private setting, home healthcare setting, public/private school setting, and daycare setting. Much of her experience has been in serving pediatric patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and patients with Augmentative and Alternative Communication needs.

She also enjoys working with children who have speech and/or language delays and has a passion for finding the most functional form of communication for her patients.

Jenifer, M.S. CF-SLP

Jenifer, M.S. CF-SLP is a bilingual speech therapist. She was born in Miami and received her bachelor's degree from FIU. She worked as a Registered Behavior Technician for two years after receiving her undergraduate degree.

She went on to received her Master's of Science in Speech Language Pathology at DePaul University. She has over 5 years of experience working with pediatric patients in the clinic, home, and school settings. Most of her experience is in bilingualism, Articulation and Phonological Disorders, Language Disorders, Fluency, Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC), and Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is a native Spanish-speaker and fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). She believes bilingualism is a beautiful superpower.

She also thinks that it is important for her to make sure she centers her treatment around the goals of the families she serves, and to make therapy functional and a fun experience!

Insurances Accepted for Speech Therapy

We accept Aetna, Tricare, UHC, Sunshine, Simply for speech therapy services.

We are out of network with BCBS for OT/Speech Therapy.