Speech Therapy in Aurora, Colorado

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work on much more than speech. The field covers expressive language (getting ideas out), receptive language (understanding others), pragmatic language (the social use of communication), articulation, fluency, feeding and swallowing, and — critically for many autistic children — augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

For minimally speaking or non-speaking autistic children, AAC is often the most important part of speech-therapy work. AAC includes picture systems, sign, and speech-generating devices and apps. The research is clear and reassuring: providing a child with AAC does not prevent or delay speech, and often supports it. Reducing frustration, building the underlying language system, and giving a child a reliable way to communicate now all tend to help speech, not hinder it.

Speech therapy can also address feeding concerns common in autistic children, support echolalia (often a meaningful form of communication, not just repetition), and help with the practical pragmatics of social language. Good SLPs follow the child's lead, presume competence, build on motivation, and treat AAC as a real goal rather than a fallback.

Our supporting non-speaking autistic children guide goes deeper into AAC, and our autism therapy options guide places speech therapy in the larger picture.

Speech therapy is widely available in the Aurora area. Local SLPs practice in private clinics, in pediatric programs at Children's Hospital Colorado and other Denver-metro hospital systems, and through school-based services in Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, and the other districts serving the city. Many providers offer home- or community-based services. For complex AAC evaluations, Children's Colorado has dedicated programs. For children under three, Early Intervention Colorado includes speech-language services as part of early intervention.

To find an SLP: ask your child's pediatrician, contact your insurance for in-network providers, or ask Children's Hospital Colorado or JFK Partners for referrals. When you call, ask whether the SLP has experience with autism specifically — and, if your child is minimally speaking, whether they have experience with AAC. School-based services start with an IEP team request through your child's district.

If you know of a strong Aurora-area SLP we should feature, please tell us.