Pediatric Speech Therapy

Developmental Delays and Language-Based Learning Difficulties

When language challenges start affecting reading, writing, or classroom learning, the right support can make a real difference. We work with children whose developmental delays show up most clearly in the classroom, coordinating closely with teachers and tutors.

It can look like a child who struggles to sound out words despite understanding the story, or one who can't hold onto a multi-step classroom instruction long enough to complete it.

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AGES

4 to 14 years

SESSIONS

30-45 minutes

FORMAT

In-clinic or telepractice

General guideposts

Pre-Literacy Reference Points

General pre-literacy and language-learning milestones:

By age 4-5
Recognizes and plays with rhyming words.
By age 5-6
Connects letters to their sounds.
By age 6-7
Reads simple, familiar words independently.
By age 7-8
Reads grade-level text with reasonable fluency.

General guidance only — every child develops differently. An evaluation gives you an answer specific to your child.

What to look for

Signs Your Child May Benefit

Language-based learning difficulties often show up first as unexpected reading struggles.

If multi-step classroom directions consistently cause confusion, language may be the underlying factor.

A noticeable gap between your child's language skills and grade-level expectations is worth evaluating.

Struggling to sequence events when retelling something is a common early sign of a language-learning gap.

Increasing avoidance of academic tasks tied to language is often a sign of underlying frustration, not laziness.

Our process

What to Expect

1

A language-learning evaluation connecting speech, language, and academic skills

2

Goals built around your child's specific classroom needs

3

Coordination with teachers, tutors, or school teams to keep everyone aligned

Between sessions

How You Can Help at Home

  • • Read together daily, even for children who read independently at school.
  • • Play rhyming and sound games in the car or at the dinner table.
  • • Break homework instructions into smaller, single steps.

Frequently asked

Common Questions

Not exactly — we assess the language piece specifically, which often overlaps with but isn't identical to a formal learning disability diagnosis.

Yes, we're glad to coordinate with your child's teacher or school team when it's helpful.

Yes — we address the underlying language skills that reading and writing depend on, rather than just academic content.

Appointments

Give your child's learning the support it needs.

Serving families in Calabasas · Agoura Hills · Woodland Hills · West Hills · Westlake Village · Tarzana · Encino · Malibu · Simi Valley · Thousand Oaks · Moorpark

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