Ages 18 months–4 years
Early Language & Late Talkers
When "wait and see" stops feeling right, we're the second call.
Some toddlers catch up on their own. Some don't, and the earliest movers get the best outcomes. If your two-year-old has few words, isn't combining them, or is hard to engage, an evaluation gives you a real answer.
Signs to watch for
- Fewer than 50 words by age 2, or no two-word combinations
- Frustration, tantrums, or pointing instead of words
- Not responding consistently to name or simple directions
- Your pediatrician said "let's wait" and your gut disagrees
Our approach
Early intervention at TALK is play-based, parent-embedded, and fast-moving. We teach you the techniques between sessions, use early sign language where it accelerates spoken language, and re-assess formally so you always know whether it's working.
What the first visit looks like for a toddler
To your child, it looks like playing with a warm adult who follows their lead. To us, it is a structured evaluation: play-based instruments normed for this age (the PLS-5, CELF-P:3, and Fluharty-2 are the tools we reach for most), a parent conversation, and your child's real communication sampled as it happens, with you in the room for all of it. The session runs 30 to 60 minutes at our standard hourly rate, so most families pay $90–$185 for the evaluation, and the written report that follows within days is part of it, not an extra line item. You leave with a clear diagnosis or a clear all-clear, and a specific plan either way.
Who treats this at TALK
Heather Hamilton, M.S., CCC-SLP
Heather performs most of TALK's preschool and early-language evaluations herself, and coaches parents so therapy continues at the dinner table, in the car, and at bedtime.
Meet the whole team →Every plan begins with a comprehensive evaluation and ends with measurable goals reviewed on a set schedule. See the full process →
Begin here
Start with a conversation.
Your call reaches a person who knows speech and language, live or returned the same or next business day. We’ll listen, tell you honestly whether an evaluation makes sense, and explain exactly what happens next.
Calls returned the same or next business day · Evaluations typically within 1–2 weeks · After-school appointments available · TeleTherapy backup for busy weeks