Early Intervention for Speech & Language
Early Intervention
Why Early Intervention Matters
The first years of life are the most important for communication growth. A child’s brain develops rapidly, forming the foundation for speech, language, and social skills. With the right support during this critical period, children can make meaningful progress that lasts a lifetime.
Before Words
Your pediatrician may ask how many words your child is saying — but there are many other milestones that come before first words:
Reciprocal Play
Your child “talks back” to you with sounds when you pause in conversation or play peek-a-boo.
Vocalizes to Objects
Holds and looks at objects while making sounds.
Imitates Movements
Copies gestures like clapping or playing “How Big?”
Imitates Sounds
Copies raspberries, animal noises, and playful sounds.
Gestures
Uses gestures like waving, pointing, or arms up to be picked up.
Joint Attention
Looks at you, then at an object (like an airplane), then back at you — sharing attention.
Social Referencing
Checks to see if you’re watching as they play.
Push & Pull
Takes your hand or leads you to what they want.
From Coos & Goos to Words
Here’s what you might expect in your child’s early speech and language development:
Infant — Before Words
- Phonation (crying, burping, sneezing)
- Cooing & gooing (early vowel and consonant-vowel sounds)
- Sound exploration (squeals, yells, raspberries)
- Babbling (repeated syllables like “mama,” “baba”)
- Variegated babbling (different syllables combined)
- Early developing sounds: P, B, M, T, D, H, W, N
12 Months
- Produces first word
- Produces word approximations (“buh" for “ball"; “muh” for “milk”, etc.
- Imitates animal sounds
- Begins to intentionally label items.
- Uses 2-6 words other than
mama and
dada
18 Months
- Hums along with songs
- Omits most final consonants
- Imitates/produces 2-word combinations (nouns + verbs)
- Uses a variety of words - mostly nouns
- Understands many more words than he/she can say
24 Months
- Uses early consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words
- Echoes adult words and intonation
- Speech ~25–50% intelligible
36 Months
- Uses 2–3 word combinations
- Adds later sounds (K, L, F, S, Y in some words)
- Speech ~50–75% intelligible
Why Starting Early Matters
- A child’s brain reaches about 80% of its adult size by age 3 — and is nearly fully grown by age 5.
- Early speech therapy takes advantage of this rapid development window.
- Starting therapy early can often reduce the amount of support needed later.
- Don’t “wait and see” — let’s take a look together.
Success Stories
"Seeing Nancy is, hands down, the best decision you will make for your child and your family. At 19 months, our son was not speaking, never babbled and could make one sound. We knew he was cognitively understanding everything we said but he just could not figure out how to use his voice. Due to this, and his premature birth which made him at-risk, my husband and I researched and felt very strongly that he should be evaluated for Childhood Apraxia of Speech. We spent months with early intervention not taking our concerns seriously and not making any progress. Finally, we saw Nancy and she changed our lives. Our son said his first word within 1 week of seeing her. His progress with her sped up from there! He is now saying 10-11 words sentences and he is not even 2.5! Needless to say, we have graduated from speech therapy...but Nancy will ALWAYS be a part of our family. My son, my husband and I have grown to love her and are so very thankful that she has been such an angel in our lives!!
If you're questioning whether or not to give her a call, stop questioning - do it! You will not regret it."
Jackie Stone
"We were referred to Nancy 2.5 years ago and our time with her has been a complete game changer. While our little guy's speech and language have improved dramatically, it's her whole-child approach that's really made the difference. Thanks to her, we've been able to surround E with support we wouldn't have otherwise known we needed and his progress has been astounding.
Nancy leans in where she has expertise and refers/partners closely with other experts to ensure our child is getting the holistic support he needs. They say early intervention makes all the difference; I say having someone like Nancy in your corner makes all the difference. Highly recommend!"
Jess Bartle
CONTACT ME
Start Early, See Progress
If your toddler (12–36 months) seems behind in speech or language development, don’t wait. Early intervention services can help your child reach important milestones and build strong communication skills for the future.
Nancy Sims M.A., CCC-SLP
Certified Speech-Language Pathologist
357 S. McCaslin Blvd., Suite 200
Louisville, CO 80027
(303) 544-2180
nancy@nancysims.net
TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials From Happy Families
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If Nancy’s therapy services have made a difference in your child’s life, we’d love to hear from you! Add Your Review and help other families find the support they need.
"We are SO excited to have you working with our son!, and SO happy to have found you - I keep raving about you to everyone I know :)"
— J.C.