Communication is an essential tool all animals use to survive.  We humans have many ways to communicate but the most essential life-skill that differentiates us is the spoken word.  For those of us blessed to have traveled to other parts of the world where English is not the primary language, losing this ability can be quite scary. How will I order food?  How will I get directions back to our hotel? We adapt as best we can. We might learn a few words in the local language to get by, or hopefully be blessed to meet someone who speaks English to help.

Now take those same concerns and fears and imagine a toddler with delayed speech skills. She or he is constantly fed new information and challenged to adapt in a world while still dependent on the care of others.  Like the traveler, the toddler cannot communicate their wants or needs to peers, siblings, teachers, or even their own family.  Pair these feelings of frustration with the emotional irregularity of a toddler and clearly it can be a combustible situation for a child without clear speech.  Unlike travelers, however, this was their every-day life. Not because nobody cares, but because of their inability to communicate.

Our family experienced this challenge firsthand with our youngest son. This taught us why speech therapy is so critical for young children who need it.  Where we live in Anthem, there used to be a local speech therapist we could take our son to, but when this service closed down we were challenged to find another option. Not being able to get the help your child needs might be one of the toughest things to process as a parent.

When we decided to build My Play Place a year ago we not only saw a need for the young children of North Phoenix to have an indoor play center focused on educational play, we also envisioned it as a community center to host enrichment classes, special events, but most importantly child therapy services not available in our area.  So, beginning 1/28, thanks to our partners at InterAActive Speech, My Play Place will be offering Speech Therapy classes for kids aged 6 mos to 5 years and bring a much needed service back to Anthem & North Phoenix.  There will be free screenings the last Friday of every month and we’re offering multiple groups for all ages. For parents of young children who have even the slightest concern that their child’s speech may need some support paired with community and play, we built My Play Place for you. We welcome you to drop in and hear more