The Children’s League Shares Tips To Help Families Navigate Communication Challenges This National Speech-Language-Hearing Month
Communication is central to daily life—from expressing basic wants and needs, to reading the news, writing a note, or sharing meaningful moments with family and friends. But when someone has a speech, language, or cognitive disorder, these everyday interactions can become challenging—both for the person and for others who are close to them.
May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month. Speech-language pathologists at The Children’s League, Dr. Angela Mandell, CCC-SLP; Tracie Green, M.S., CCC-SLP; and Muryssa George, M.S., CCC-SLP, are bringing awareness by sharing practical strategies for caregivers supporting children with communication disorders—along with signs that it may be time to seek professional help.
“Although communication disorders are very common, many people don’t know where to turn for help—or even that help exists at all,” said Cathy Growden, Executive Director of The Children’s League. “There’s not much more fundamental to a person’s quality of life than their ability to communicate. Working with a speech-language pathologist can make a tremendous difference, not just for children with communication challenges, but for their caregivers as well.”
A 2025 poll from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association found that 60% of caregivers surveyed say communication breakdowns make life more challenging. However, among those who worked with a speech-language pathologist (SLP), more than 90% said that they would recommend these professionals to others in a similar situation.
SLPs diagnose and treat communication disorders in people of all ages and help families develop strategies to make everyday interactions easier. These professionals work in settings that include health care, education, and private practice as well as home- or community-based settings.
Tips for Caregivers of Children With Speech and/or Language Disorders
Speech and language challenges are among the most common developmental concerns in children. Early support can help children build stronger communication, learning, and social skills. The Children’s League offers the following tips:
- Focus on the message, not the mistakes. If a child doesn’t pronounce a word correctly, uses the wrong word, or struggles to get something out, let them finish their thought. Then, in your own response, naturally use the correct word or phrase without drawing attention to the error. The goal is to get your child to keep talking or expressing themselves—not to get every word right.
- Respond to their communication attempts. When possible, give your child your full attention when they’re trying to communicate. Look at them, and respond enthusiastically to their efforts—by doing this, you’re showing them that what they have to share matters.
- Expose them to lots of language. Narrate about what you’re doing as you go about your daily routines. Use a lot of different words. Read together; sing songs together. If they’re watching a show, try to watch with them and chat about what they see.
- Use the language that you’re most comfortable with. Exposing your child to more than one language will not delay their speech or language development or confuse them. In fact, being multilingual has many benefits.
When To Seek Help: If you have questions about your child’s development, you can refer to ASHA’s communication milestones charts. Missing one milestone isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. However, if your child isn’t meeting multiple milestones by the end of the appropriate age range, then it’s worth a conversation with their pediatrician.