May 2025: Celebrate Speech and Language!

Author

Elizabeth Knapp
June 09, 2025

A newsletter brought to you by the Speech Department at Children’s Academy

In this newsletter:

May 2025

Celebrate Speech and Language!

Name a more iconic duo

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month! We are so lucky to celebrate so many talented and dedicated SLPs at Children’s Academy.

This past month, our middle and upper schoolers field tripped to the Hall of Science! Lower school social groups explored topics like insects, pets, and outdoor games. Both upper and lower schoolers celebrated moms all month long with Mother’s Day notes and crafts.

A toast to SLPs!

Urban oasis

A well-earned coffee break

The science of bubbles

Popping with possibility!

Time to go to the vet!

Look out, Dav Pilkey

SLP Spotlight: Thea Marans

Thea Marans, CCC-SLP

Thea Marans started at CA in February. She currently works primarily with first grade, but she has previously worked with preschoolers. Thea's areas of interest and expertise are receptive/expressive language, reading comprehension, and expanding on functional communication skills. She is especially passionate about developing strong rapport with her students and developing communication skills through child-led play. Her favorite part about working at Children's Academy is spending time with students in the classroom and collaborating with staff. When she's not at work, Thea likes to travel, watch the Mets, and play with her cat and dog.

Topics in Speech-Language Pathology: Speech and Language Myths Debunked

We live in a time of information overload, and it is so easy to come across advice that sounds right but isn’t backed by research. In the spirit of National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, here are five common myths about speech and language — and what the evidence really says!

Myth #1: Using pictures or AAC devices will delay spoken language.

Truth: Using AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) — like picture boards or speech-generating devices — can help children develop language, not hinder it. 

Research shows that when AAC is introduced early and used consistently, it can support understanding, vocabulary growth, and sometimes even spoken words.

Myth #2: Being exposed to more than one language will confuse children.

Truth: Children are amazing language learners! 

Being multilingual does not cause language delays. In fact, learning more than one language can boost cognitive skills and flexibility. If a child has a true speech or language delay, they will show signs of delay in all their languages.

Myth #3: SLPs only work on speech sounds.

Truth: SLPs do much more than help with sound production! 

We also support language comprehension, expressive language, social/pragmatic communication, stuttering, voice, and feeding. Our work includes helping kids express their ideas, follow directions, engage with peers, and much more.

Myth #4: Speech therapy is just playtime.

Truth: While therapy often looks like play (especially for young children), it’s always intentional and goal-driven. 

Play is how children learn best, and skilled SLPs are able to embed evidence-based strategies into play routines to build meaningful communication skills.

Myth #5: Using baby talk will delay speech.

Truth: You don’t need to avoid baby talk altogether. In fact, using a slightly exaggerated, sing-song voice (often called “motherese” or “infant-directed speech”) helps babies learn. It holds their attention and supports sound and word development. As children grow, modeling real words and sentences becomes key.

Don’t let the speech and language rumor mill get out of hand! When in doubt, ask an SLP!

Overheard at CA

SLP: Were you proud of your performance?

Simón: Yes, I did so good!

Simón is a 16-year-old verbal communicator who recently made his theatrical debut with Action Play.

Do it at home: Thank an SLP!

The SLPs at CA seem to all have one thing in common: a passion for classroom-based service delivery.

Our team knows that communication development doesn’t just take place in a therapy room. It happens during morning meeting, in small group instruction, on the playground… everywhere! That’s why our SLPs are committed to collaborating with teachers and OTs, pushing into academic lessons, and identifying strategies in real-time, helping students generalize skills in meaningful, natural ways.

Whether it’s modeling language during a science experiment, supporting a social interaction at lunch, or helping a student advocate for themselves, our SLPs are consistently finding opportunities to support student growth.

So next time you see an SLP, take a moment to say thank you! The entire CA community is so lucky to have them!

The World’s Greatest Speech Department, bar none