Episode #138: Speech Therapist Reveals the ONE Question Every Parent Should Ask Their Child

Show Notes:
From late talkers to selective mutism, learn why your child’s communication is a foundation for their future and how to build it strong.

In this episode, Tonya sits down with Luba, a leading speech-language pathologist and founder of Kidology, to demystify the world of early speech therapy. If you’ve ever found yourself searching “speech for a 2-year-old” or “is my child a late talker?”, this episode is for you.

Luba shares invaluable insights on common early signs of speech and language delays, the difference between the two, and the crucial importance of trusting your parental instincts. She offers a clear roadmap for parents, explaining the different paths to get help—from state-funded early intervention programs to private clinics and school-based IEPs.

Luba also shares a touching “A Day in the Life” story about a child with selective mutism, proving that even small moments can lead to significant breakthroughs. We also tackle common misconceptions about early speech therapy and the importance of parents acting as the “administrator” to coordinate care between schools and private practices. This is an essential conversation for any parent looking to give their child the best possible start.

Topics Covered:

• Signs your child may need speech therapy
• The difference between speech vs. language delays
• Navigating early intervention and IEPs
• The benefits of combining school and private speech therapy
• Overcoming common misconceptions about early speech therapy

Links & Resources:

• Kidology Website
• The Confident IEP Parent Program
• Kidology on Social Media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Key Takeaways from Episode 138:

• Trust Your Gut Instinct: Your parental intuition is your most valuable tool. If you have any concerns about your child’s communication, don’t wait for them to “grow out of it.” Early speech therapy is key.
• Speech vs. Language: Understand the difference. Speech is the physical production of sounds (the “vehicle”), while language is the words and how they’re used (the “message”).
• IEP and Private Therapy: You don’t have to choose one or the other. Combining school-based IEPs with private speech therapy can provide a more consistent and holistic approach to your child’s development.
• Parent Power: You are the most important advocate and “administrator” for your child’s care. Ensure communication is happening between all providers to create a unified plan.
• Don’t Be Afraid: Seeking help doesn’t mean something is wrong with your child. It’s a proactive step to build a strong foundation for their future communication and success.

Work with Tonya as an IEP Coach: If you’re looking for personalized support, a trusted partner, and expert guidance through the IEP process, I would be honored to be part of your team. Find more information about my IEP coaching services here: https://waterprairie.com/iepcoach

📰 Are you getting our newsletter? If not, subscribe at https://waterprairie.com/newsletter

👉 Support our podcast and help us share more incredible stories by making a donation at Buy Me A Coffee. Your contribution makes a significant impact in bringing these stories to light. Thank you for your support!

• https://BuyMeACoffee.com/waterprairie

Music Used:

“LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

---

---

Episode #138: Speech Therapist Reveals the ONE Question Every Parent Should Ask Their Child

From late talkers to selective mutism, learn why your child’s communication is a foundation for their future and how to build it strong.

(Recorded August 12, 2025)

Full Transcript of Episode 138:

00:00 Intro & Meet Luba Patlakh

If your child was injured right now, could they tell you what happened? Speech expert Luba Patlakh says if the answer is no, you need to take action immediately. As the founder of Kidology, she’s sharing the one question every parent should ask about their child’s communication—and the critical difference between speech and language delays most parents don’t realize.

Welcome to Water Prairie Chronicles! I’m Tonya, and this channel is where we help parents navigate the unique challenges of raising children with disabilities. Today, I’m talking with Luba Patlakh, speech-language pathologist and founder of Kidology. We’ll answer the most common questions parents have about speech and language development: when to worry, when to seek help, and why early intervention can change everything. If you’ve ever wondered about your child’s communication, you’re in the right place.

Tonya: Luba, welcome to Water Prairie.

Luba: Hi.

Tonya: The reason that I wanted to talk with you today was, it’s been three years since I’ve spoken to anyone on the podcast about speech, and so many parents are searching for this information, and so I, I appreciate you being willing to talk about this with me. We’re listeners, we’re gonna talk about a lot of things, but, but I wanted to start by talking about.

Uh, some specific questions that I see coming up online that parents are looking for, and, um, one of the biggest things. Depending on where they are, and a lot of times these are younger children that that we’re speaking to. They may be in that, that infant toddler program still, or they might be in the preschool range.

But what are some of those common early signs that a child might need speech therapy, like if a parent’s searching speech for a 2-year-old speech for a 4-year-old, what are some of the things that they might be seeing where they should be a little bit more concerned?

Luba: Well, firstly, I just wanna also say that if you’re a parent listening, whether you’re a first-time parent.

Second child, whatever realm of childhood and parenting you’re in. If your gut is questioning something and you’re like, Hmm, is it, are they not speaking enough? Is it, is it taking too long? Are they not repeating? Is the articulation off? If any question arises within you, do not wait. Do not dim that. Go and figure it out.

Talk to your pediatrician, see if there’s a program you can register in. Find a local clinic, get an evaluation. The worst they’re gonna say is Your kid doesn’t need anything. Because a lot of people will hear that in their thoughts, and then they’ll be like, I’m just too busy. I don’t wanna get started with anything.

And then they miss the chance. But often if you’re child has a need, a want, they’re home, they want a snack, and they’re either crying or they’re humming at you and they’re not babbling, they’re not attempting to gesture and show you. You need to be looking to see, how is my child presently communicating their needs to me?

02:50 The “Communication Emergency” Test

If they really needed something or they were injured, how would they tell you? If they can’t tell you, you should get speech therapy because that lack of communication is, it’s crucial to, to notice it. Then when they’re in other situations, if that foundation isn’t built much like a house, there’s gonna be no communication.

You can’t build a house out of, without a foundation. So that’s kind of how I use that example a lot. I always ask people to maybe make a if, if that question comes up, make a chart log, how many words a day your kiddo was saying? That’s the first place to start.

Tonya: So I was gonna ask you about when a parent should be concerned, but you’ve already answered that.

’cause you said if the, if their gut’s telling them anything. And I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard anyone say because parents, I tell this all the time, your gut is your best instinct. You know your child better than anybody else does. And, and as she said, if you’re worried, what’s the worst?

They’re gonna say, you’re right. Let’s do something about it.

Luba: Exactly. Let’s start play therapy for your kid.

Tonya: Or everything’s fine, you know?

Luba: Also you do wanna also look at, you know, if the child has been speaking perhaps a couple words and then they lose it. So a regression, that’s a concerning thing you should take a look at.

But always listen to your gut.

04:11 How Family Dynamics Affect Speech

Tonya: Are there phases that a child goes through when they will have a regression? Like if a younger sibling is born or something, is that a natural process for some kids?

Luba: They shouldn’t, they shouldn’t, however. There’s many situations and every day is a new experience and adventure in parenthood.

Um, often if a child begins to talk more quickly than they walk, so there’s a shift there too. If it’s a infant child who isn’t a walker yet and they already have words and language, some language, when they begin to walk, they may. It can happen. They may lose their language skills for some period or regress because the brain is now functioning so much stronger to get the walking down that it doesn’t always balance the two equally.

So the child could lose some of the language in order to start the walking, but then if worked on, it’ll balance out. Some kiddos do fine with both things at the same time, but we’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen children who, um. Become very clumsy when they’re learning to walk and then have to get glasses, they lose language then. It’s very unique.

It comes with certain changes. I like that you brought up a sibling being born. Some families have come to me and been like, my kiddo never stuttered. They started to talk. Now the kiddos three and, and a brother or sister, a sibling is born language lost. We have stuttering, we have language loss because children are human beings.

People forget and like us, they go through nerve situations and they don’t always have the tools to work through that. So the brain is just trying to operate and figure out and process. Oh, I have a sibling now. Oh wow. I was, I was talking to my mom and now she’s not really talking to me because she has to go feed my brother.

And the child doesn’t always know how to cope with all of those things. So something’s gotta give. And sometimes you see a dip. And these are great opportunities to go for speech therapy. You’re gonna give your child consistency, you’re gonna give your child the ability to continue and pick up where they left off before so they, they won’t lose anything.

We’re upkeeping.

Tonya: So you’re not always looking at speech therapy as a five year commitment. Sometimes it might be for a stage of life.

Luba: Some kiddos, it can be as simple as an articulation disorder or a misplaced sound. We can fix that in a little bit. And also depending how well the child is able to focus in the session.

That’s dependent on age, dependent, on behavior, dependent on, I don’t know what they ate today. There’s so many variables. However, if you’re at the right place at the right time, solid eight to 12 weeks usually can in and out. But I’ve had long standing clients. Some people stay with us for a long time, just like you said.

Tonya: What’s the average age that you have children that are coming into to your practice?

Luba: At Kidology, we see birth to 21, but I would say the bulk is three, three to eight years old. So still a wide range of kiddos. So as they’re leaving the early intervention and coming into the school age and then till about third grade.

Tonya: I mentioned my son needing a little more time to get all the frontal sounds in.

He was in third grade, so eight, when we finally heard the last frontal sound develop, is that a typical developing range?

Luba: I would say yes. Again, it’s hard to give a statistic to everybody. Every child is different. Um, but if I, I, I feel like that’s a good time, why a different level of maturity begins to come at that time.

And also if the child’s been in speech therapy since six, five or six years old, and now they’re eight, they have some sort of understanding of the expectation. So you kind of grow with them. If, if that makes sense.

Tonya: I think most, most kids that I’ve worked with who had any type of speech delay or, or just a, a grouping of sounds that, that they were struggling with, um, they’re usually around that age that, that they seem to be coming out of it.

And so I didn’t know if that was just a natural maturity stage where they’re hitting that next level.

08:37 Don’t Wait: The Power of Early Speech Therapy

Luba: A hundred percent what you’re saying is true, but I also think that it, there are other variables in the daily life of the person. So if the child, perhaps is a third sibling, mom might not be as apt to get that fixed when they’re younger.

She’s like, ah, it’ll grow out. They’ll grow out of it. And then she’s like, uhoh, he’s eight. We haven’t grown out. And then speech therapy could begin on the onset because he’s a later child. So the assumption was not to worry because we’ve been there, done that. Whereas if it’s a first time parent, that first mis articulation, they’re gonna be in speech therapy.

’cause it’s like, oh my God, something’s going on. So there’s different walks of life when you start to see an older kiddo coming for speech who hasn’t had it before. Generally they are not the first child of the family. Just from experience, and you know, I have to say Tonya, a lot of people. I wish parents weren’t so naive in this regard, and I understand why they could be, but we do a lot of parent counseling and it’s my pleasure to do this and teach it.

People don’t always want to see, okay, so maybe the child doesn’t have a formal disability or something that’s so disabling. I get it. No big deal. No big deal. They’re gonna go out, they, you don’t want to hold your child back. So I always say it’s better to start service now. If you don’t need it in a few weeks or months, great.

You did what you did. Your child might have even gotten ahead rather than wait till it’s too late and then regret not beginning, and that happens so much. Oh man, why don’t we start sooner? I wish we would’ve done this or that. I don’t, nobody was waiting, you know, nobody was pulling you not to start, mom, dad, whatever reason, everything happens as it should.

But I feel like if there’s an opportunity for your child and you’re questioning something and there’s an opportunity to get services started, do it. Don’t wait.

Tonya: I, I, I agree, and like I said, my son would not have qualified on his own at that point, but the benefit that he got from that exposure was huge and lasted a lifetime for him now.

10:49 Speech Delay vs Language Delay

So I wanted to ask about two different terms that parents might hear. One is speech delay and one is language delay. Can you explain the difference between the two?

Luba: So first of all, speech and language while they go together are two different things. The speech is the actual, um, the production of the sound.

So if a child has a speech delay, they’re having some sort of sound difficulty. So if you think about it, speech comes in sound waves. That’s where the delay is happening. Could it be a vocal issue? Are they talking too quietly? Are they unable to say a specific sound? It’s how the sound is coming together.

Whereas the language delay is difficulty understanding what the child is saying. ’cause either they don’t have language, so they’re lacking a vocabulary. It’s called a lexicon. So they may not have that yet and you have to build it up. Or they’re having a syntactical issue where they’re having trouble putting the words together, which is creating a disruption in language.

If I have words, but I’m like, ball, go it. You’re gonna stare at me and be like, what are you trying to say? Because I have a language disorder. Does that make sense? So the language is the words and the speech is the sounds.

 I have a good analogy for you. Speech is the vehicle. Language is the message, but you need both for communication to work. So that’s a good one for people to remember.

Tonya: So we’ve talked about the difference between the language, the speech, their guts, telling them that they may have some questions they need to follow through with this.

12:29 First Steps for Concerned Parents

So what are the first steps that a parent’s gonna take if they’re concerned about the child’s communication skills?

Luba: Depending on the age of the child. So if they’re in that early intervention, birth to three age. They’re gonna wanna go to their pediatrician. Or for example, if they’re in Pennsylvania and they wanna call Kidology, like somebody would come in and say, Hey, um, they fill an intake form and we would give them options.

So first we would ask if they wanna come to us through insurance or the early intervention program. ’cause we accept both. If they were going through the early intervention program, the state would need to do their initial evaluation, which is called a multidisciplinary evaluation. They look at all the things going on with the child, behaviorally, socially, emotionally, physically, mo, you know, are they using their motor skills, can they speak, and then they compile a report and goals, and that’s then given to us as an agency who will just carry the service.

Whereas if they’re coming in on insurance, they can either hear about us through their insurance by calling them and asking who was local to me in terms of a provider or if they heard of us already. Um, and then they would fill out their intake. We would look at their eligibility and benefits, and then they would come in for an evaluation and we would be the ones that create their whole plan.

We evaluate the child globally. If the parent wanted all areas, occupational, physical, speech, or behavior. We have all of those things. Um, if it was just speech, whatever the need is, we take a look and then we create a formal assessment and goals so that we can. Begin services and then monitor and track data to ensure that the goals are being met properly.

So the first step would be to figure out how you’re gonna go. Is it gonna be in an early intervention program or a private insurance? Both are acceptable. Um, if your kiddo is of school age, then you would, you could go to your school and you could begin the evaluation process there. So you’d have to go to your counselor and specify that there’s a need.

And then they would put you in for an initial assessment and you would get an IEP plan, individualized education plan, which also has goals that the child is working on, but often parents who are getting it at the school level will also get a private clinic only because usually the school, it’s just not enough service and it’s once a week, twice a month, sometimes in a group setting, it’s not as catered to the child.

It’s super ed. Um, catered to the education. So you’re gonna want to figure out where you need to be, what is your child’s age, and then you can pick, I’m going on private insurance or the state program, or if it’s a school aged child, I’m going to my psychologist. Um, in the school, we’re doing the IEP plan and or adding a private clinic as well.

Tonya: Okay. So you mentioned that in Pennsylvania with early intervention, so the state would cover the cost of them going to kidology.

Luba: Kidology or whatever entity that they go with would have to be a provider of the state. We happen to be one. So yes, it is covered without the insurance. It is a state funded program for early intervention, and we have the waiver for that.

So that’s for Kidology, depending on what state a family is in, I don’t know the rules for every state, but in Pennsylvania. It is a covered service and a child would get free care up to the age of three on the state level. Should the provider you’re interested in working with be a licensed provider of that program, then it would be covered just like it is for us.

Tonya: Oh, nice. Nice. I, I wasn’t, I wasn’t aware that they would contract with private providers, which is great. Yeah. Um. I did want to, so you and I, you and I both work in helping parents with, with IEPs and trying to train them and, and encourage them and teach them every, every, everything they need to know between, between what, what, what, what all’s out there.

Um, so, so we’re coming at this from a, from a different perspective than some of our parents might be. Um, but even so I, for me, as a coach, even I don’t always know what the best outcome is for the student when it comes to therapy like this. ’cause we’re talking about very specialized therapy and as you mentioned, if they’re in the elementary school range, they, um, they might have like one once a week or twice a month, or I’ve, I’ve seen it even as low as, as one, one time a month and it’s like a 30 minute group session and that, that’s it.

So, you know, you start wondering, you know, these goals that we’ve written on their IEP. How is the child ever gonna achieve this goal with such a small amount of exposure to practice what they’re, what they’re supposed to be learning?

17:12 School vs Private Speech Therapy

So, how you, you, you had mentioned whether they just do the school or they do private, what can, can you talk about the difference between the therapy that they’re, that the school does provide and private practice?

Like for a parent to understand like, okay, so my child already has speech. I don’t have to worry about it. What does that really mean? And, and we know parent parents listening, we are not giving you advice. We are not telling you what to do here. This is just a, a conversation that, that we’re having.

But take what you’re hearing and start asking questions based on what you’re hearing. You know, you, you need to do your own research here, but, but just kind of in general, ’cause I know this is like case to Case is gonna be different from child to child. Say we have a child who’s getting speech therapy one once a week and they’re in first grade.

Um, so at school and, and, and we’ll even go further and say, this isn’t a group of maybe five students, so it’s not one-on-one. This is, this is a group setting where they’re going. ’cause you’ll see that a lot of times happening. Um, what’s the difference between what that child might be gaining from that exposure and what they might get if they go into private practice?

Luba: So. If a child is getting services on their IEP at school, often those goals are super catered to education specifically. So that’s already very different when you come to private therapy. While we do focus on education, we want the child to accomplish and achieve and do well and succeed. We’re looking at a global approach.

So we take a look to see how will this, for example, if there’s speech, getting, speech therapy, how is the child communicating in their home, with peers, making requests, in their activities? It’s not only education based, it’s global in the sense of we look at the full wellbeing of the individual and we make sure that the needs that we’re working on and the goals that are there are for their full life.

Not only for how they’re gonna function at school or speak to somebody in the lunchroom. While that is so important, it’s just one piece of this person, and that’s a lot of what I talk to the parents about. You need to make sure that when an IEP is written, they’re looking at the child in many perspectives, not only as the student of that school.

That is very important.

Tonya: So would you, would you see a child that’s coupling both types of services together?

Luba: Oh yeah. All the time. It’s generally, and you brought up this point as well, the one time, 30 minutes at a month, it kills me. I’m like, what are you thinking? What’s the reason?

So in those types of situations, unfortunately the evaluator either didn’t get to really experience the child, they didn’t gather enough information, or they really felt that the child should be on kind of a reviewing level where they’re doing well enough, but we’re checking in on them.

Anybody who needs to meet a goal and actually accomplish a piece of therapy cannot come for one times a month or 30 minutes. It’s just not possible. There’s not enough consistency.

Therapy works when it’s consistent. A weekly time for a certain amount of time. Then the child is involved and committed and so is the therapist. And then you can build, last week we did this, we’re gonna do this again, but we’re gonna add this. And that’s how you build. You get up the ladder and you achieve.

It’s so important then from the side as a parent to evaluate, okay, the school’s giving me x. Fine. It’s maybe a little, but it’s better than nothing. So now I see my child doing other things that the school didn’t pick up on. I’m gonna now also get the private therapy and the two can work together. At Kidology, if a parent comes with an IEP from school, I always get a release.

We speak to the provider at the school level so that we can collaboratively work. That’s the best way. Otherwise, you’re doing different stuff. It’s, it can be, quite frankly, can be confusing. The child is confused and the parents don’t get enough information. So that’s another thing we do. We try to really inform the parent, Hey, do you know what your kid’s working on at school?

No, I don’t. You need to call and find out. So I do try to utilize both levels. I absolutely think that if you’re getting service at school, that’s fantastic. It’s generally just not enough, and it’s not focusing on the full picture.

21:56 Coordinating Care: Parent as Advocate

Tonya: Right. And parents, the piece that I wanna share with you, mom to mom here is we, we say this all the time.

You’re the expert on your child. In this situation, you’re going to be that administrator that is working between the two entities, whether it’s private practice and the school, and you’re gonna want to make sure that that communication is happening because your child is the one who’s in the middle. You said it’s, it’s gonna be a confusing situation if they’re hearing different things from different, different adults who are speaking into them.

But you’re the one who can help bring this together.

Luba: Absolutely. And it, it’s kind of your job ’cause you don’t have a coordinator on that side to, to push it all together. It’s similar to, okay, my son comes home during the school year and the teacher always makes him copy the homework from the board, but she still emails it to us because who knows what they wrote down at that age.

So you wanna make sure you understand the full picture Mom and dad. Your kiddo might not be able to come home and communicate what’s happening to you. So unfortunately, if they’re already in these positions with services, you have to be involved.

Tonya: Yeah. Yeah. And I don’t know of a single school out there who’s going to be upset because you chose to add on private therapy to what they’re doing.

So you’re not doing anything wrong. If you, if you choose to make that, that, that decision.

Luba: It’s a good decision and it’ll help your child move along more quickly. And I think everybody wants the best for their family, for their kiddos, so it’s. The right thing.

23:33 A Day in the Life: Success Story

Tonya: All right, so I’m gonna move into our A Day in The Life section.

If you could, share an anecdote with me about a child that you worked with where early intervention made a significant difference in their communication skills.

Luba: This is one of my favorite stories. We had a kiddo. So in Kidology’s clinics we also have a play gym. Um, and it’s a great place for kids to play post session or sometimes during, uh, or do physical therapy, occupational, whatever happens, whatever they need, we do. Uh, but it’s not always in the gym, but it is something we offer.

So we had a little girl, um, she came in and she was diagnosed with selective mutism because, and she was one of four, um, I don’t remember if she was the oldest or the second child, but there were four kiddos and mom, they had moved from a different country. The girl started in in school and she was talking, and then just one day she didn’t speak anymore and she had been coming to Kidology for six or seven weeks and she participated in the session and she played and she was joyful.

She was always in a good mood. She was there, but she never said a word. She would nod, she would say no, just gesturing and nodding and, um. We brought her into the gym. This was the second time in the gym. So she had been there once before and this was the second time. And I got a new swing for the gym. And I happened to be there that day doing stuff with the swing, and she was there.

So I invited her and I brought her on the swing and the mom was just sitting on the floor. She had been finishing, um, physical therapy and I was there. So I bring on the swing and I’m swinging her and I’m saying, “wee, wee” back and forth, “wee,” and then. I stopped and she looked at me, and she said, “wee,” and her mom just started.

She hadn’t spoken in months. I mean, they didn’t hear her voice. I’m getting chills right now again. And we all, myself, the physical therapist and the mom just stood there and we were just crying. As parents, as providers, and we were so happy and. That day, I think she said bye also. And this was her slow climb back to speaking.

And I, I don’t know if she had a traumatic event, why the selective mutism came, but it came and I was, I just, can you believe like this moment of swinging her and we do find a lot that kiddos, um, who will come to the gym will have breakthroughs like this.

Tonya: Interesting. Well, it’s, they’re, they’re relaxed. There’s nothing forced now.

Luba: Was was special.

Tonya: It’s just fun.

Luba: Was special. She was just having a good time and I stopped and she said, “wee.”

Tonya: She wanted you, you to keep doing it.

Luba: Loved it. Yeah. Oh my gosh.

Tonya: Fun.

Luba: I’ll never forget that ever.

Tonya: All right, so we’re gonna go from that, from that feel-good story to what, what’s just, just one ’cause I’m sure there’s tons of them.

26:29 Common Misconceptions About Speech Therapy

What’s one of the most common misconceptions that parents might have about the process of getting an evaluation or starting therapy?

Luba: Especially my foreign parents, they immediately assume that like something’s wrong with their child. And rather than, and this is where I advocate and have been for years.

Rather than kind of sweeping this away and hiding away, oh, my kid is like different. Um, we’re encouraging them to accept it’s okay. There’s, there’s ways that we can help them function and be better. So I just, I want people’s mentality to shift. I, I get so sad that they feel like something’s wrong with my kid.

I can’t like do X, Y, Z. Yes, you sure can. Let’s, let’s get to work though. And this is a collective space. We’re all gonna work together. People come, they think that this is a mechanic shop. I’m dropping Bob off, I’ll pick him up later. All fixed up. No honey, this isn’t how this works. You know? So I think that not being of that mentality.

Tonya: I could see that.

And I keep thinking back to, we were talking about the grandparents earlier, um, the, the old school thoughts that if there’s something you’re gonna hide it. And that doesn’t, doesn’t help the child anymore.

Luba: And, and his, I’m Russian by my culture and that is just what it is. It’s super old school style people especially who come over and immigrating with all these programs and their kids need help.

They’re very, maybe not as much as 10 years ago when I started, but for sure that old school mentality.

28:06 About Kidology & The Confident IEP Parent

Tonya: We, we’ve mentioned Kidology a couple times. Tell us more about what that is, and then you listeners, she does so many different things, your head’s gonna spin if you hear it all. So, so, so tell us about Kidology.

Tell us about your, your new program that’s, that’s coming out and, um, or is, is that already? And um, and anything else you wanna share?

Luba: Thank you so much. So Kidology is my baby. It’s actually my first child. Uh, I’ve been in business as the owner and founder of Kidology for the last decade, 10 years. It is a multidisciplinary practice that has private clinics, brick and mortar, um, in the Pennsylvania area.

Uh, we offer speech, ot, PT, ABA, and these play gyms. Consolidated in one beautiful package. So come on by if you’re, if you need help. Um, but I am a speech language pathologist and now also certified as a myofunctional therapist. So I work with kids who have special needs, autism, and any type of speech related delay or language since you’ve learned today what that means.

Um, and I do speak Russian as well. My practice, uh, we offer Russian, Ukrainian, Albanian, Spanish, Polish many languages and always looking to add more. We, if we don’t have your language, we call in the language line, but we do. That is our heart. I came here to America as an immigrant at two years old and I remember learning and going to ESL and I just, I’m so blessed to give back to that community because I was there and I just, I want people to be heard even when they’re in a foreign place.

Tonya: And, um, tell me about the Confident IEP Parent program.

Luba: The  Confident IEP Parent , um, I’ve started the  Confident IEP Parent . I have sat in on so many IEP meetings and I love to teach parents. So when they’re in the hands of Kidology, obviously we advocate for the kiddo. We get everything we need between insurance and the state programs.

But then when the kiddo goes to the school. I can’t come to school to talk for the kid, so I love working with parents. The program is a all-encompassing curriculum. They can buy a course, um, or get one-on-one private sessions, but the idea is that we fully teach them how to come to the table with confidence and get everything that their child needs and more.

And make sure that the child is heard in a global perspective, in light, not just academically.

30:36 Where to Find Luba & Free Resources

Tonya: How can parents find out more about you? What’s your website? For Kidology and also the  Confident IEP Parent.

Luba: We’re accessible at kidologyinc.com and there’s information there about Myo function and um, we have a, a bus that comes to you if you wanted to get evaluated at your house.

Um, yeah, the speech therapy mobile therapy bus and for the  Confident IEP Parent, it’s just the confidentiepparent.com. Um, there is a inquiry form you can join for a free monthly newsletter, and there’s some freebies that we give out as well on there. Um, we are on social media, so it’s @kidologyinc.

We’re @theconfidentiepparent. If anybody has personal questions and wants to reach out to me, I am @kidologyqueen. I recently changed my name. It was my name, but I am now the Kidology @kidologyqueen.

31:26 Final Thoughts & Outro

 TONYA: Nice. All right, listeners, all of that will be in the show notes. So if you’re listening, look, look, look down on the show notes.

If you’re watching this on YouTube, look in in the video description. If you’re on the webpage, it should be right in front of you right now. So we will have have all of those links so you can, can stay in touch with her.

LUBA: Please come and actually on the Kidology website, if you are in preschool readiness age, and you need tips about if what your child should be saying, there’s a whole guide there by grade and age level.

It’s free, you can just access it on there.

TONYA: So everyone go and check that out because if you don’t need it, you know someone who does. So, check that out, send them there. Luba, thank you for being here today.

This has been a lot of fun. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you.

LUBA: Thank you so much. Yeah, you’re a blast. I love connecting with another parent who understands this ’cause it’s just so much. There’s a special bond there.

I hope Luba’s expertise gave you the confidence to trust your instincts and take action if you have concerns about your child’s communication skills. Remember her key advice: if there’s an opportunity for your child and you’re questioning something, don’t wait.

If today’s episode has helped you, be sure to subscribe to Water Prairie —your support helps us keep bringing expert interviews and practical resources for families like yours. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you next time!

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Q: What are the early signs that my child may need speech therapy?

• A: According to Luba, a major sign is your parental gut feeling. Other indicators include a lack of babbling, not gesturing to communicate, losing words they previously had, or struggling with articulation.

Q: What’s the difference between a speech delay and a language delay?

• A: A speech delay is an issue with the physical production of sounds (the “vehicle”), while a language delay is a difficulty with understanding and using words to convey a message (the “message”).

Q: What is the role of the parent in speech therapy?

• A: Parents are the most important part of the therapy team. As Luba mentioned, you are the “administrator” who brings all the services together. Your role is to be an advocate, ask questions, and carry over the strategies learned in therapy into your daily routines at home. This consistent practice is key to your child’s progress.

Q: How can I help my child at home in between therapy sessions?

• A: You don’t need special materials or dedicated time. You can incorporate language-building activities into everyday routines. This could be as simple as narrating what you are doing during bath time, singing songs, reading books, or encouraging your child to make requests and respond to questions. Your therapist should provide specific “homework” to guide you.

Q: Do I need private speech therapy if my child already gets services at school?

• A: As Luba explains, school-based therapy often focuses solely on academic goals and may not provide enough consistency. She suggests that combining school and private therapy can offer a more global, holistic approach to a child’s needs.

Q: Will my child’s speech problem just “fix itself” over time?

• A: While some children may naturally improve, it’s a common misconception that all delays will resolve on their own. Luba emphasizes that a parent’s gut feeling is the best guide. Waiting to see if a child “grows out of it” can lead to lost time during critical developmental periods. Early intervention is the best way to ensure your child has a solid foundation for communication.

Q: What should I do if my child starts regressing in their speech?

• A: Regression, or losing previously learned words, is a red flag. While a shift can sometimes happen when a child is learning a new skill like walking, it’s a good reason to seek an evaluation to ensure they don’t lose progress.