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A colorful wooden toy stacking pyramid with perfectly smoothed edges and vibrant painted rings in graduated sizes, positioned on a natural maple tabletop. The background includes neatly organized children's books with soft, calming pastel covers and a tidy basket of textured flashcards. Gentle afternoon light filters through a nearby window, casting dreamy shadows and creating highlights on the toy's glossy surfaces. The scene is composed with an eye-level view, using a shallow depth of field to subtly blur the background and keep focus on the pyramid. The overall style is clean, modern, and inviting—perfectly evoking child development and speech milestones in a nurturing, resourceful environment.

Welcome To the Speech Neighborhood

The Speech Neighborhood is a focused resource for parents and caregivers who have questions about developmental milestones, curious about their child’s development, and/or parents who are already in the speech language communication journey who are looking for extra support.

Here you will find in depth blog posts about various topics, free downloads/resources, and if you sign up via email a FREE weekly newsletter “Monday Milestones”. This newsletter contains bite-sized practical tips to boost your child’s talking and overall communication.

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Meet The Host

Hi! My Name is Jan and I am a certified speech language pathologist. I have been in the field for 12 years and dedicated my entire career to pediatrics. My passion is birth-5, early intervention, parent coaching, preschool, “late talkers”, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and AAC.

I’m glad you are here and hope you join the Joyful Speech Community. I believe we are all better in community. I believe that ALL children are the greatest gift to this world. I believe in learning through play, trust, and connection. I believe in creating safe spaces for parents and caregivers to feel heard, supported, and confident in how to help their child.

Join the Joyful Speech Community

Each Monday, you’ll receive a free email newsletter…Milestone Monday! These newsletters will have bite-sized information for tips, resources, and strategies to help you and your child. They will quick reads compared to the blog posts, designed for busy parents who need easy ideas for the week ahead. You’ll never receive spam or promotions.

Latest Blog Posts

Visit the blog for in depth information on various topics