"My son said 'rainbow' for the first time last Tuesday. I had to leave the room so he wouldn't see me cry."
— James T., Portland
"After 30 years of stuttering through every meeting, I finally led a presentation without apologizing once."
— David Chen, Beaverton
"Amelia made my daughter feel like a superhero, not a kid with a problem. That framing changed everything."
— Fatima Al-Hassan, Lake Oswego
"We waited two years before calling. I wish we'd called two years earlier. Don't wait."
— Rachel & Tom B., Hillsboro
"The IEP team noticed the progress before we even told them she was in therapy. The results speak for themselves."
— Mrs. Nguyen, School Counselor
"She turned four sounds in eight weeks. The SLP explained every step so we could practice at home."
— Kofi Mensah, Tigard
"My son said 'rainbow' for the first time last Tuesday. I had to leave the room so he wouldn't see me cry."
— James T., Portland
"After 30 years of stuttering through every meeting, I finally led a presentation without apologizing once."
— David Chen, Beaverton
"Amelia made my daughter feel like a superhero, not a kid with a problem. That framing changed everything."
— Fatima Al-Hassan, Lake Oswego
"We waited two years before calling. I wish we'd called two years earlier. Don't wait."
— Rachel & Tom B., Hillsboro
"The IEP team noticed the progress before we even told them she was in therapy. The results speak for themselves."
— Mrs. Nguyen, School Counselor
"She turned four sounds in eight weeks. The SLP explained every step so we could practice at home."
— Kofi Mensah, Tigard
Does your child substitute "w" for "r" — saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit"?
Substitutes "w" for "r" past age 5
The "r" sound is the most complex in English — most children master it by age 6–7.
Replaces "th" with "d" or "f"
"Da" for "the" is common before age 5, but persisting beyond that warrants evaluation.
Omits sounds at the ends of words
"Ca" for "cat" or "do" for "dog" — final consonant deletion is a common pattern.
Family members struggle to understand them
By age 4, strangers should understand about 75% of what your child says.
"Priya couldn't say 'r' in any position. After 14 sessions with Sarah, she read her entire book report aloud in class. Her teacher sent me a voice note afterward."
Deepa Krishnamurthy
Mother of Priya, age 7 · Portland, OR
Does your child avoid speaking in group settings — going quiet when other kids talk freely?
Repeats sounds, syllables, or words involuntarily
"I-I-I want..." or "Can-can-can I..." — repetitions that cause visible frustration.
Avoids answering in class or group settings
Selective silence in social situations is often a protective strategy around stuttering.
Shows physical tension when speaking
Eye blinking, facial tension, or foot tapping are secondary behaviors of fluency disorders.
Has started saying "never mind" more often
Giving up on communication attempts is an early sign that speech is becoming a source of shame.
"Noah was called on in third grade and froze completely. He didn't speak in class for two months. Marcus helped him understand his stutter — and then helped him own it. He joined the debate club in sixth grade."
Jennifer & Aaron Walsh
Parents of Noah, age 11 · Lake Oswego, OR
Start with a free
15-minute screening.
Tell us about your child or your own speech goals. We'll match you with the right clinician and confirm a time within 24 hours.
Is your toddler behind on words — and your pediatrician just handed you a referral?
Fewer than 50 words by age 2
Most children have 50+ words and begin combining them ("more milk") by 24 months.
Not combining two words by age 2.5
"Daddy go" or "more cookie" — two-word combinations are a key developmental marker.
Difficulty following two-step directions
"Get your shoes and bring them here" — following sequences is a language processing skill.
Prefers gestures or pointing over words
Pointing is normal early on, but should give way to words as the primary communication mode.
"At 26 months, Eli had 8 words. We were terrified. Amelia was so calm — she explained exactly what was happening and what we could do at home between sessions. At 36 months, he wouldn't stop talking."
Marcus & Yuki Tanaka
Parents of Eli, now age 4 · Beaverton, OR
Have you rehearsed what you'll say before every phone call — because speaking feels like a performance?
Avoids phone calls, presentations, or introductions
Situational avoidance is one of the most limiting consequences of adult fluency disorders.
Substitutes words to hide difficult sounds
Circumlocution — talking around a word — is exhausting and limits authentic expression.
Feels your stutter has cost you opportunities
Research shows adults who stutter are passed over for promotions at measurable rates.
Has never received formal speech therapy as an adult
Many adults were told they'd "grow out of it." Adult-focused therapy is different — and effective.
"I'm a software engineer. I'm good at my job. But I turned down a senior role for four years because it required leading standups. Marcus didn't cure my stutter — he helped me stop letting it run my career. I took the role. I'm good at that too."
Daniel Osei
Senior Software Engineer, age 34 · Portland, OR
Trained hands.
Listening hearts.
Every clinician at Voices holds ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) and brings specialized training in pediatric and adult speech disorders.
Articulation & Phonology
Dr. Sarah Okonkwo
Lead Clinician · Pediatric Specialist
M.S., CCC-SLP · 14 years
"I watch parents cry the first time their child says their name clearly. That moment never gets old."
Stuttering & Voice
Marcus Webb, M.S.
Fluency & Adult Services
M.S., CCC-SLP · 9 years
"Adults who stutter have spent years apologizing for how they speak. My job is to end that apology."
Language Delay & AAC
Amelia Torres, M.S.
Language Development
M.S., CCC-SLP · 7 years
"Language is the door to everything. When it opens, the whole world gets bigger for that child."
Certifications & Affiliations
ASHA Member
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
OSHA Certified
Oregon Speech-Language & Hearing
PROMPT Trained
Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets
Hanen Certified
Early Language Intervention
Ready to take
the first step?
A 15-minute call is all it takes to understand your needs and map a path forward. No commitment required.
Not ready to call yet?
That's completely okay.
Download our free Speech & Language Milestone Checklist — a pediatrician-aligned guide to what your child should be saying at every age from 12 months to 7 years.
Age-by-age milestones
12 months through 7 years
Red flag indicators
When to seek evaluation
At-home activities
Simple exercises that help
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