Helping Children Find Their Words, Express Their Ideas, and Communicate With Confidence
Does your child know what they want to say but struggle to find the words?
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Do they have difficulty following directions, answering questions, explaining ideas, or participating in conversations?
You are not alone. Many children need extra support developing language skills, and the right therapy can help children become more confident and effective communicators.
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At Speak with Stephanie, I provide individualized child language therapy for children who need support with understanding language, expressing thoughts, building vocabulary, and communicating more successfully at home, school, and with others.
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Speech therapy is available through in-home and online sessions for families in Skokie and surrounding North Shore communities.
Does This Sound Like Your Child?
Your child may benefit from language therapy if they:
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✓ Have trouble finding the right words
✓ Use shorter or less detailed sentences than expected
✓ Have difficulty explaining thoughts or experiences
✓ Struggle to answer questions
✓ Need directions repeated often
✓ Have trouble telling stories or retelling events
✓ Have difficulty learning new vocabulary
✓ Become frustrated when trying to communicate
✓ Have trouble participating in conversations
✓ Struggle with classroom language skills
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Every child develops differently. A speech-language evaluation can help identify your child’s strengths and determine what support may be helpful.
What Is Child Language Therapy?
Child language therapy helps children develop the communication skills needed for learning, relationships, and everyday life.
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Language therapy focuses on how children understand and use language, including:
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Vocabulary
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Sentence development
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Understanding questions
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Following directions
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Expressing ideas
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Conversation skills
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Storytelling
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Organizing thoughts
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The goal is to help children communicate more clearly and confidently in the situations that matter most.
Expressive Language Therapy
Expressive language is the ability to use words and sentences to communicate.
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Children with expressive language challenges may have difficulty:
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Finding the right words
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Creating complete sentences
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Describing events
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Explaining ideas
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Answering questions
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Retelling stories
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Having back-and-forth conversations
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Therapy helps children build the language skills needed to express themselves more effectively.
Receptive Language Therapy
Receptive language is the ability to understand what others say.
Children with receptive language difficulties may struggle with:
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Following multi-step directions
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Understanding questions
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Learning new concepts
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Understanding vocabulary
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Listening comprehension
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Processing spoken information
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Therapy supports children in becoming stronger listeners and more successful communicators.
A Personalized Approach to Language Therapy
Every child communicates differently.
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That is why therapy is designed around your child’s:
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Strengths
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Interests
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Communication needs
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Learning style
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Individual goals
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Sessions may include:
✓ Interactive activities
✓ Games and conversation practice
✓ Books and storytelling
✓ Real-life communication practice
✓ Parent strategies to support progress at home
Children learn best when they feel comfortable, supported, and understood.
Language Therapy for School-Age Children
Language development continues throughout childhood.
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School-age children may need language support for:
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Vocabulary development
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Grammar and sentence structure
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Reading comprehension
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Written language skills
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Explaining ideas
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Classroom participation
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Organizing thoughts
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Strong language skills help children feel more successful both academically and socially.
In-Home and Online Child Language Therapy
Families have different schedules and needs.
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In-Home Speech Therapy
In-home therapy allows children to practice communication skills in a familiar environment while receiving personalized support.
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Online Speech Therapy
Virtual speech therapy provides flexible access to language support for eligible clients who prefer online sessions.
Both options provide individualized therapy focused on meaningful progress.
Why Families Choose Speak with Stephanie
Personalized Care From a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist
Parents want a therapist who understands their child as an individual.
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At Speak with Stephanie, therapy is:
✓ One-on-one and personalized
✓ Evidence-based
✓ Supportive and encouraging
✓ Focused on real-life communication
✓ Designed around your child’s goals
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The goal is not only improving language skills — it is helping children feel confident, understood, and successful.
What to Expect From Language Therapy
Evaluation
A comprehensive speech and language evaluation helps identify your child’s strengths and areas of need.
Goal Setting
Individualized goals are created based on assessment results and family priorities.
Therapy Session
Individualized goals are created based on assessment results and family priorities.
Parent Involvement
Parents receive strategies and guidance to support progress at home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Language Therapy
What are Language Skills?
Language skills encompass a range of abilities that allow us to communicate effectively. These skills are crucial for understanding, expressing, and interacting with others. They include: Listening Skills: The ability to understand and process spoken language (receptive language). Speaking Skills: The ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in spoken language (expressive language). Reading Skills: The ability to decode and comprehend written texts. Writing Skills: The ability to express thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written language.
What is a Receptive Language Disorder?
A receptive-language disorder is a condition that affects children's ability to comprehend and process language. Children with this disorder may experience: -Delays in language development compared to their peers -Challenges in following directions (especially when complex sentences are involved) or understanding what has been said to them -Limited vocabulary -Difficulty understanding the meaning of words -Difficulty keeping up with verbally-presented material
What is an Expressive-Language Disorder?
An expressive-language disorder is a condition that affects children's ability to communicate effectively. Children with this disorder may encounter various challenges, such as: -difficulty constructing sentences -challenges finding the right words, often using general words to describe specific objects (example: using "thing" to describe a chair) -using past, present, and future tense incorrectly -having a limited vocabulary -omitting essential words like verbs and pronouns from sentences. As a result of these challenges, their messages may appear disorganized and confusing to listeners.
What is a Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder?
Individuals diagnosed with mixed receptive-expressive language disorders encounter difficulties in both their receptive and expressive language skills.
What are the Signs Your Child May Need Language Therapy?
-difficulty following directions trouble answering questions -weak vocabulary -difficulty retelling stories problems understanding classroom language -reading comprehension struggles -trouble expressing ideas clearly -frustration communicating
Where can I Learn more about Language Disorders?
Language disorders can be confusing which is why I wrote a comprehensive guide for language disabilities.
Speech Therapy for Children with Language Disorders Near Skokie, Illinois
I offer in-home speech therapy for children with language disorders who live near Skokie, including Evanston, Wilmette, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Park Ridge, Highland Park, and surrounding Illinois communities.
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Online Speech Therapy for Children with Language Disorders Throughout Illinois, New York, and New Jersey
I offer online speech therapy services for children with language disorders throughout Illinois and New York.
If you would like to schedule a free consultation, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Watching your child struggle with a language disorder can be incredibly challenging. But there's good news.
There's hope and help available. Let’s work together to make that vision a reality.
Begin Speech Therapy for your Child with Language Disorders/Delays in Skokie, Illinois
PHONE CONSULTATION
First, you’ll speak to the owner of Speak with Stephanie. She will answer your questions, and we will discuss your concerns.
SCHEDULE A LANGUAGE EVALUATION
Book an evaluation to assess your child's language skills. The evaluation may take several sessions to allow for a more through understanding of your needs and abilities. After the evaluation, we will build a custom speech therapy treatment program specific to your needs.
SPEECH THERAPY FOR LANGUAGE
We'll partner together to achieve your goals through 30, 45, or 60 minute treatment sessions!
Additional Speech Therapy Services for Children Near Skokie, Illinois at Speak with Stephanie
In addition to treating mild to severe language disorders, we offer a wide range of speech therapy services for children with speech and language disorders. Our practice provides specialized treatment for issues like stuttering and articulation disorders, which involve difficulties with speech sounds.
We understand that each child has unique needs, and we use tailored, evidence-based methods to address them. Whether your child struggles with language comprehension, expressive language, stuttering, or articulation, our skilled therapists offer individual therapy to help them communicate more effectively and confidently. We create a supportive and nurturing environment and involve family members to ensure comprehensive support for your child's progress.
Call or email me to schedule your free Speech consultation
In-home speech therapy for individuals
in Skokie, Wilmette, and surrounding Illinois areas