Irvine, California

Pediatric Speech Therapy in Irvine, CA

Child-led, play-based speech and language therapy for children up to age 12, from speech-language pathologists who follow your child's interests into communication.

Our SLPs hold master's degrees, state licensure, and the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA. Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming: the goal is being understood and connecting with people, not sounding like everyone else.

Schedule a tourCall or text (949) 835-3746
1,002+ children served Serving families since 2016 ASHA certified SLPs Ages up to 12

Speech and language are two different things

Parents often use the words interchangeably, and the difference matters because it changes what therapy targets.

A speech difficulty is about sound

How the mouth, tongue, and voice actually produce words. A child may know exactly what they want to say and still not be understood, because the sounds are not coming out the way they intend. This covers articulation, phonology, apraxia of speech, fluency and stuttering, and voice or resonance.

A language difficulty is about meaning

Understanding what others say, and putting words together to say what you mean. A child may speak clearly but struggle to follow directions, find the right word, tell you what happened at school, or keep a conversation going. This covers receptive and expressive language, pragmatic and social language, and memory and cognition.

Plenty of children have some of both. That is one reason the evaluation matters: it separates what is actually going on from what it looks like from the outside.

Signs your child may benefit from speech therapy

Any one of these on its own can be typical. It is when several cluster together, or when your child is getting frustrated, that an evaluation is worth having.

How they sound

  • People outside the family have trouble understanding them
  • Sounds are dropped, swapped, or softened past the age you would expect
  • Repeats sounds or words, or gets stuck and blocks
  • A hoarse or unusually nasal voice that does not go away
  • Knows what they want to say but cannot get the word out

How they use language

  • Fewer words than other children the same age
  • Short or scripted sentences where you would expect longer ones
  • Trouble following directions with more than one step
  • Cannot tell you what happened at school in an order that makes sense
  • Reaches for a word and lands on the wrong one, or on "that thing"

How they connect

  • Repeats whole phrases or lines from shows and books
  • Hard to join or stay in play with other children
  • Misses the back and forth of a conversation
  • Big frustration or meltdowns when not understood
  • Coughs, gags, or struggles with textures at meals

What we work on

Every plan is built around one child, but these are the developmental areas our speech-language pathologists most often target.

  • Expressive language. Putting words together to say what they mean, from first words through full narratives.
  • Receptive language. Understanding what is said to them, following directions, and making sense of questions.
  • Articulation and phonology. Producing sounds accurately, and the patterns underneath the errors.
  • Apraxia of speech. When the brain has trouble planning and sequencing the movements speech requires.
  • Gestalt language processing. For children who learn language in whole phrases and scripts rather than single words.
  • Fluency. Stuttering, blocks, and the pressure that builds around them.
  • Pragmatic and social language. Starting a conversation, taking turns, repairing a misunderstanding, reading the room.
  • AAC. Augmentative and alternative communication, from picture systems to speech-generating devices, for children who need another way in.
  • Oral motor skills. The strength, coordination, and awareness the mouth needs for both speech and eating.
  • Auditory processing. Making sense of what is heard, particularly in noisy rooms.
  • Memory and cognition. Holding onto information long enough to use it.
  • Swallowing and food aversion. Where communication and feeding overlap, we work alongside our feeding therapists.

What a session looks like

Fifty minutes of play with a target inside it.

  • Your child leads, the therapist steers. We follow what your child is interested in and build the language work into it. Motivation does more than drilling does.
  • Neurodiversity-affirming. We are not trying to make an autistic child sound non-autistic. We are trying to get them understood and connected.
  • Every form of communication counts. Gestures, devices, scripts, and single words are all real communication, and we build from whatever your child already has.
  • You are welcome in the room. Most of the practice happens at home, so seeing what works matters.
  • The team talks. If your child also sees our OTs or feeding therapists, they all work under one roof and collaborate together.
  • Progress gets checked. Goals at three and six months, parent consults every two months, formal re-evaluation every six.

Ways we support communication

Speech therapy is one of several services at our clinic. See all pediatric therapy services for the full picture.

Speech-language pathologist working one on one with a child at Tumble N' Dots in Irvine

One-on-one speech therapy

Individual 50-minute sessions at our Irvine clinic, targeting the specific areas the evaluation identified. This is where most families start.

Book a tour to get started
Child using an AAC speech-generating device with a speech therapist during a session in Irvine

Gestalt language processing

Some children learn language in whole phrases and scripts rather than single words. We use the Natural Language Acquisition framework to move from scripts toward flexible, self-generated language.

Gestalt language processing
Child at the table during a feeding therapy session in the Tumble N' Dots clinic kitchen

Feeding therapy

Where swallowing, oral motor skills, and food aversion are part of the picture, our feeding therapists work in a kitchen and dining area built for it.

Feeding therapy
Therapist working with a child on communication skills, the same approach used in partner classrooms

School collaboration and IEPs

We work inside partner classrooms across Orange County, observe children in their own schools, and attend IEP meetings so goals carry into the school day.

School collaborations

Who your child would work with

Our speech-language pathologists hold at least a master's degree in speech-language pathology, current state licensure, and the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. They work with gestalt language processors, with AAC users, and alongside our occupational and feeding therapists when a child's needs cross disciplines.

Caseloads stay deliberately small. Your child sees the same therapist week to week, and that therapist knows your family rather than your file.

Meet our therapy teamOur signature approach

Children we work with

We see children up to age 12, with a wide range of diagnoses and, often, no diagnosis at all. A referral is not required to start.

Late talkersAutismGestalt language processorsApraxia of speechArticulation and phonologyStuttering and fluencyReceptive language delaysExpressive language delaysSocial communicationAAC usersAuditory processingDevelopmental delaysDown syndromeCerebral palsy

Paying for speech therapy

We are an out-of-network provider and are not contracted with any insurance plan, which means we do not bill your insurance directly.

  • You receive a detailed superbill twice a month, on the 1st and the 15th, with every code your insurance needs to consider reimbursement.
  • Superbills are always available in your parent portal, so you are never waiting on us for a copy.
  • Speech therapy is generally an eligible FSA and HSA expense.
  • Many of our families do receive reimbursement. Rates vary by plan, and insurers pay families directly.
Read the out-of-network reimbursement guide

Speech and language questions parents ask

What is the difference between a speech disorder and a language disorder?
A speech disorder is about producing sounds: the child may know what they want to say but cannot get it out clearly. A language disorder is about understanding words or putting them together to communicate an idea. Many children have elements of both, which is what the evaluation sorts out.
At what age should I be concerned that my child is not talking?
There is a wide normal range, which is exactly why waiting feels reasonable and is often the wrong call. If you are concerned, that is reason enough to ask. We have written up speech and language milestones by age if you want a reference point first.
How long is a speech therapy session?
Sessions are typically 50 minutes. Every child is different, but most children come once a week.
What ages do you work with?
We provide speech therapy for children up to age 12.
My child repeats lines from shows and books. Is that a problem?
Not in itself. Some children are gestalt language processors: they learn language in whole chunks rather than single words, and those scripts are real communication carrying real meaning. The work is helping them break the chunks down and build flexible, self-generated language from them. See gestalt language processing.
Do you work with AAC devices?
Yes. We support augmentative and alternative communication, from picture-based systems through speech-generating devices. Using AAC does not slow spoken language down, and for many children it takes pressure off.
Do you take insurance?
No. We are an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly. We provide a detailed superbill twice a month that you can submit for possible reimbursement, and speech therapy is generally FSA and HSA eligible.
Do I need a referral or a diagnosis to start?
No. Many of the children we see have no diagnosis at all. Some insurance plans require a referral for reimbursement, so it is worth checking with your carrier.
Can speech therapy happen at my child's school?
Yes. We provide push-in therapy in partner classrooms across Orange County, observe children in their own schools, and attend IEP meetings as part of a therapy plan.

Come see the space

The easiest way to know whether we are the right fit for your child is to walk through it. Book a tour with our clinical staff and bring your questions.

Schedule a tourCall or text (949) 835-3746