Your baby has been listening to you long before they were born—and your voice is their very first comfort. From calming cries to building the foundation for language and emotional connection, the way you speak to your baby matters. Learn how simple, loving interactions help shape brain development, build trust, and create lasting bonds—starting from day one.

Animal sounds may seem silly, but they’re actually powerful tools for early speech development. In this post, we explore why sounds like “baa,” “woof,” and “quack” count as real words, how they support imitation and play-based learning, and what you can do at home to encourage your child’s first steps into communication.

“Many children receive speech services at school through an IEP to support academic areas like reading, writing, spelling, and social interaction. Yet, there are times when school alone isn’t enough—especially if a child needs more individualized attention, support for intelligibility, feeding, or social skills development. Outpatient therapy offers longer, one-on-one sessions tailored to a child’s broader communication needs, often with deeper parent involvement and the flexibility to focus on specialized concerns.

“Rather than choosing one or the other, many families benefit from both. School-based and outpatient services complement each other—school programs ensure access and curriculum support, while outpatient therapy offers focused expertise and generalization across settings. Understanding the strengths of each helps families advocate for comprehensive speech support that truly helps their child thrive.”

"Living in rural Southern Maine, I saw local families eager for connection—and yet too often, speech and language support felt far away. I wondered: what if therapy could take place in the woods, guided by nature’s rhythm? Watching my own children thrive outdoors—curious, calm, fully themselves—filled in the missing piece. Inspired by a training in nature-based therapy, I founded Chickadee Chatter to bring communication support into the wild, where play, presence, and the call-and-response of chickadees model the connections we build."