LogoArticulate
Speech Therapy · Portland, OR

Your mouth already
knows the way.

Speech therapy, explained step by step — so the first appointment feels like arriving somewhere familiar, not somewhere frightening.

Scroll to see what therapy looks like
Step 1 of 2Who needs support?

Who are you seeking help for?

No clinical forms here — just a gentle conversation to help us understand.

Assessment·Diagnosis·Therapy Plan·Home Practice·Progress·
Assessment·Diagnosis·Therapy Plan·Home Practice·Progress·

Phase 01 · Assessment

Your first appointment: a conversation, not a test.

Thirty minutes. A quiet room. We're just listening — to how sounds move through your mouth, where they catch, where they flow. No clipboards, no timers, no anxiety.

🎙️

Conversation Sample

~10 minutes

We simply talk. Your therapist listens for how sounds are formed, how words flow, and where things feel effortful.

🔍

Oral Motor Check

~5 minutes

A gentle look at tongue movement, lip coordination, and breath support — the physical mechanics of speech.

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Sound Inventory

~10 minutes

We map which sounds are clear, which are emerging, and which need attention — no grades, just a picture.

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Your Questions

~5 minutes

Every concern you walked in with gets answered. Nothing is too small, nothing is too obvious to ask.

⏱️

Total time: 30 minutes. You leave knowing exactly what's happening and what comes next.

Phase 02 · Diagnosis

What we found — in plain English.

The assessment produces findings. We translate every one of them into language you can actually use — because understanding what's happening is half of fixing it.

Tongue Placement for /r/

Side view
Tongue tip here

The tip of the tongue rises toward the ridge just behind your upper teeth — not touching, just near.

What the report says

Not clinical codes — plain language. "Your child produces /r/ as /w/ in word-initial position" becomes "They say 'wabbit' instead of 'rabbit' right now, which is common at this age."

What's typical vs. what needs support

We always tell you where a pattern falls on the developmental timeline — so you know if this is something to monitor or something to address now.

Phase 03 · Therapy Plan

Real exercises. Real reasons.

Every technique we use has a physical logic to it. We show you exactly what your mouth is doing, why it's doing it, and what we're training it to do instead.

👅

Tongue-tip placement for /r/

Using a mirror, we practice lifting the tongue tip toward the alveolar ridge — that bumpy ridge just behind your upper front teeth. We start with the sound in isolation: "rrr," then in syllables: "ra, re, ri."

Ages 5+4–8 sessions typical
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Breath pacing for fluency

Before a word can get stuck, we practice starting it on a slow, continuous exhale. The goal isn't to slow down — it's to remove the moment of tension before the first sound.

Teens & adults6–12 sessions typical
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Word retrieval after stroke

We work through the most personally meaningful words first — names of family, everyday objects, the things you most want to say. Repetition builds the neural pathway back.

Adults & seniorsOngoing, paced to you

Phase 04 · Home Practice

Five minutes a day. More than you'd expect.

The work between sessions is where the real change happens. We give you simple, specific exercises — not vague homework — with everything you need to do them right.

What to expect between sessions

Week 1–2

Short daily exercises — usually 5 to 10 minutes. We give you a written guide and a video demonstration so there's no guessing at home.

Week 3–4

Carry-over activities: practicing the target sound in real conversation, not just drills. Reading aloud, naming objects, family games.

Month 2+

Natural integration. The goal is for the new pattern to feel automatic — not something you have to think about every time.

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The Parent's Guide to Speech Milestones

A 12-page PDF that explains what sounds develop at what age, what to practice at home, and when to seek an evaluation. Plain language, no jargon.

No spam — just the guide and occasional updates.

Phase 05 · Progress

What progress actually feels like.

It's not a chart. It's Lily's teacher stopping you in the hallway. It's saying your wife's name clearly for the first time in months. It's giving a presentation instead of skipping school.

"After two months, Lily's preschool teacher stopped me in the hallway to say she could understand every word. I cried in the parking lot."

Portrait of Maria Chen

Maria Chen

Parent of Lily, age 4

"The first word I got back clearly was my wife's name. My therapist knew that was the one that mattered most."

Portrait of James Okafor

James Okafor

Stroke recovery, 58

"I gave a three-minute presentation in English class last week. I used to skip school on presentation days."

Portrait of Sofia Reyes

Sofia Reyes

Fluency client, 17

You've seen what therapy looks like.

The first appointment is a free 30-minute screening. No commitment, no clinical forms — just a conversation about what you're noticing and what we can do together.

Available Monday–Friday · In-person and telehealth