Alexis Irazoque, M.S., CCC-SLP
For 8-year-old Alaina, life has always been colorful, joyful, and full of energy. Whether she’s dancing, practicing taekwondo (she’s a green belt!), crafting with glitter and glue, or keeping up with her three older brothers, Alaina’s vibrant spirit shines through.
But when it came to speaking, her mom, Heather, began noticing something that didn’t quite match her daughter’s bubbly personality: Alaina’s words weren’t always clear, and it was starting to hold her back.
How speech problems were affecting Alaina’s life
Heather first noticed Alaina’s speech challenges around age 5. “It was mostly her /r/ sounds,” she said. “At first, we thought it would resolve with time.” Heather tried gently correcting it, even pulling up YouTube videos with speech tips. “But we weren’t seeing much progress,” she said.
By the time Alaina turned 7, Heather could tell the issue was more than just pronunciation. “I started to see it affect her confidence. She didn’t want to speak up in group settings, like during taekwondo classes. And other kids sometimes had trouble understanding her.”
She didn’t want to speak up in group settings, and other kids sometimes had trouble understanding her.
That’s when Heather’s husband, Justin, found Expressable. As a family that travels full-time, they needed something flexible and online. “We figured, let’s just try it,” Heather said. What the family didn’t expect was how quickly things would start to change.
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Start the screenerMeeting Leah: A therapist who truly 'got' her
From their very first online session, Alaina and her speech therapist, Leah Roop, M.S., CCC-SLP, clicked. “Leah was incredible,” Heather shared. “She was kind, encouraging, and the way she spoke to Alaina never made her feel like something was wrong. It was always positive.”
Leah noticed right away that Alaina had a severe phonological and articulation disorder. Along with the tricky /r/ sounds, she often spoke very fast, which caused her to drop syllables or entire sounds. “It made her hard to understand, especially for people who didn’t know her well,” Leah explained.
They got to work right away, breaking things down step by step: sound by sound, word by word. Their sessions focused on targeted articulation exercises, especially for the /r/ sound. They also worked on strategies to slow down Alaina’s rate of speech.
Leah noticed right away that Alaina had a severe phonological and articulation disorder. Along with the tricky /r/ sounds, she often spoke fast, causing her to drop syllables or entire sounds.
Leah used visual and tactile cues to teach correct tongue placement. She guided Alaina through structured practice at the word, sentence, and conversation level. Together, they also worked on self-monitoring skills, so Alaina could start to catch and correct errors on her own.
“Alaina was such a hard worker,” Leah said. “She listened, she tried her best, and she never gave up. We always started sessions with a little show-and-tell. She’d share her latest drawing or bracelet. It was a fun, natural way to practice speech.”
‘She caught herself mid-sentence and fixed it!’
The entire family got involved in Alaina’s speech journey, and it made all the difference.
Heather joined sessions, watched the techniques, and practiced with Alaina throughout the week using the home practice materials in the Expressable portal. “The activities didn’t feel overwhelming,” Heather said. “We worked on /r/ sounds while crafting or reading. It was easy to fit into everyday life.”
If I could go back, I wouldn’t waste time trying to fix it on my own. Expressable gave us tools, support, and an amazing therapist who truly cared.
One day, Heather noticed something special. “Alaina was telling me something, then stopped herself mid-sentence, went back, and corrected a word. It was a huge moment.” That’s when Heather noticed that Alaina’s self-awareness had completely changed.
Her taekwondo instructors even began to comment on her improved clarity. Alaina used to rush through the phrases during class. But with all her practice, she was suddenly yelling them slowly and clearly – and being understood!
A new way of interacting with people
After just five months, Alaina had met all her speech therapy goals and graduated early. “She made tremendous progress,” Leah said. “Her speech was clearer, her rate was better, and her confidence soared. She blossomed into a strong communicator.”
Today, Alaina speaks up with pride. She participates, shares her thoughts more freely, and expresses herself more clearly. “Speech therapy has unlocked confidence,” Heather said. “It’s changed the way she interacts with people.”
Heather also reflects on how powerful the therapy experience was as a parent. “Being part of the sessions taught me so much. If I could go back, I wouldn’t waste time trying to fix it on my own. Expressable gave us tools, support, and an amazing therapist who truly cared.”
Ready to support your child’s speech confidence?
Alaina’s story is one of joy, persistence, and family teamwork–and proof that clear communication can change everything.
If you’re wondering whether speech therapy could help your child, let us help. Take our free communication screener or connect with a licensed speech therapist today.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication and feeding, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 3,000 5-star reviews from our clients (4.9/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
Communication is more than words. It’s how we share how we feel and show who we are. We’re here to help you or your child do just that.
