How Speech Therapy Helps Your Child Communicate with Confidence

Communication plays a big role in how your child connects with the world. From asking for help, to making friends and sharing ideas, communication allows your child to express who they are and what they need. It is the foundation for almost every interaction they have.

But if communication feels difficult for your child, they may become frustrated or hesitant to speak up. They might even begin to withdraw from social situations or participating in class. Pediatric speech therapy supports your child in building the skills and confidence needed to communicate more clearly and comfortably in everyday life.

Signs of Communication Difficulties in Children

Communication challenges can show up in different ways depending on your child’s age. Some children have trouble pronouncing certain sounds, while others struggle to put their thoughts into words or follow a conversation.
You might notice your child:

Struggling to express their needs or feelings
Becoming frustrated when others do not understand them
Using fewer words than expected for their age
Avoiding speaking in group settings or with new people
Having difficulty understanding directions or questions

When these moments happen often, your child may begin to lose confidence. They may have a lot they want to say, but the fear of being misunderstood makes them stay quiet.

Why Confidence Is Key to Communication

Confidence plays a key role in whether your child feels comfortable trying to communicate in the first place. If your child worries about being misunderstood or appearing “stupid,” they may speak less or rely on gestures instead of words. Over time, this can affect friendships and how they participate in the classroom.

Building communication confidence helps your child feel safe taking risks. It allows them to practice new skills and engage with others without the fear of making a mistake.

How Speech Therapy Supports Confidence

Pediatric speech therapy focuses on strengthening your child’s communication skills while building the confidence needed to use them in daily life.

A speech therapist begins by understanding how your child currently communicates and identifies what feels the most challenging for them. Then they create a therapy plan specific to your child’s individual needs.

Therapy sessions are designed to be engaging and encouraging. As your child experiences small successes in therapy, they often build confidence and begin to feel better about expressing themselves at home, in school and during play.

What Speech Therapy May Look Like

Therapists use playful activities to help your child practice real-life communication in a fun, low-pressure environment. These activities might involve:

Turn-taking games to practice waiting, listening, and responding during conversations
Storytelling to help organize thoughts
Role-playing to practice common social interactions
Simple games that encourage asking and answering questions
Practicing correct pronunciation so your child can be understood more clearly during conversations

Through these experiences, your child learns that communication does not have to be perfect to be effective. Over time, these positive experiences help your child engage more comfortably in the world around them.

Reach Out to JLD Therapy for Support

If you are concerned about your child’s communication skills and live in the San Jose, CA, area, JLD Therapy is here to help. Call us today at (408) 337-2727 or fill out our online contact form to schedule an evaluation. We look forward to helping your child find their voice and use it confidently.

How Speech Therapy Helps Your Child Communicate with Confidence

Helping Your Child Discover New Foods with Feeding Therapy

Improving Coordination and Strength with Pediatric Physical Therapy

How Physical Therapy Supports Your Child’s Balance and Movement

Strengthening Your Child’s Social Connections with Speech Therapy

Schedule an Evaluation with Our Experts Today

Ready to get started? Our expert pediatric therapists are ready to help your child overcome their challenges so they can experience life full of joy and laughter. All you have to do is reach out, and we’ll get started with play-based therapy that works.

Give us a call at (408) 337-2727 or fill out the contact form below to schedule an evaluation with our team, and let’s make childhood fun again!

First Name

Last Name

Phone

Intersted in:

Message

I consent to receive SMS appointment reminders, service updates, and promotional messages from Joy & Laughter Developmental Therapy to the mobile number provided above. Message frequency may vary. Message & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help and STOP to opt out anytime. See our SMS Terms at jldtherapy.com/terms-of-use

Ms. Annette
Speech and Language Pathology

Annette’s journey toward becoming a speech-language pathologist began when her mother survived brain cancer for the first time. Watching her mother relearn how to speak—and attending many of her therapy sessions—deeply inspired her and sparked a genuine fascination with the field. At the time, Annette had recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and was searching for the next direction in her career. After her mother later passed away following a second battle with brain cancer, Annette chose to pursue a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in her honor. Her mother’s strength, determination, and journey with communication rehabilitation continue to guide and motivate Annette’s work today.

With over 16 years of experience as a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Annette has dedicated her career to helping children and adolescents find their voice, build confidence, and develop the communication skills they need to thrive. Her passion has always been working with neurodivergent learners, especially children and teens with autism. In recent years, she has begun integrating her interest in functional medicine to support the overall health of her clients, recognizing its impact on speech and well-being. By addressing root causes, she provides personalized strategies that enhance communication and quality of life through holistic functional medicine practices.

Early in her career, Annette was part of the team that developed ACE—Autism Center for Excellence—an innovative after-school program designed to support autistic adolescents through targeted communication work, social-emotional skill building, and peer-supported engagement. This program quickly became a valued resource for families and helped solidify her long-term commitment to serving children on the spectrum.

Throughout her professional journey, Annette has built a reputation for providing functional, family-centered therapy specializing in expressive and receptive language, social communication, behavior-supported communication, and parent advocacy. Whether working in schools, private practice, or home-based settings, her goal is always to meet each child where they are—by stepping into their world—and helping them grow into their fullest potential. (Fun fact: her parent support group calls her “the kid whisperer.”)

Outside of work, Annette is a proud single mom to her 16-year-old daughter, Lexi, a competitive fastpitch softball pitcher. Lexi’s dedication to the sport has taken them across the country—tournaments in Italy, showcases in Arizona and Texas, and college recruiting events in Montana. Traveling together has strengthened their bond and given Annette a deep appreciation for balance, resilience, and the importance of supporting young athletes as they pursue big dreams.

Today, Annette continues to expand her private practice, MySckool, while advocating for high-quality communication services, neurodiversity-affirming practices, and meaningful family partnerships. Her life’s work is rooted in empowering children—whether through communication, confidence, or opportunity—to succeed in every environment they enter.

Ms. Jennifer
OTR, Founder and Executive Director

Jennifer received her Master’s Degree in occupational therapy from San Jose State University, after double majoring in occupational therapy and psychology for her undergraduate program. Jennifer has been working with special needs children since 2005 both as a therapist and as a respite care worker. She has experience in working with children across the developmental spectrum and from 1-22 years of age. While Autism has been her primary area of practice she also has hands-on experience in working with children with down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Tourette’s, Dyslexia, ADD/ADHA, sensory processing disorders, mental retardation, and other developmental delays.

Outside of work Jennifer enjoys camping, hiking, cake decorating, outdoor adventures, and spending time with her family.

Languages: English, Spanish, American Sign Language (ASL)

Specialty Areas: Autism, Feeding, Swallowing, and Pediatrics Advanced Certifications: Physical Agent Modalities (PAM), Swallowing (SWC), SPD Pro 1 Certification

Certifications & Continuing Education Jennifer has participated in that are often highly sought after by clients and mentees. Handwriting Without Tears (HWT): Is a nationally recognized handwriting program that helps children gain the skills needed for both print and cursive writing. HWT draws from years of experience and research which helps provide developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory tools and strategies to help children learn the skills for handwriting. Children are taught handwriting skills using interactive materials and activities that help promote the skills needed for handwriting. Visit https://www.lwtears.com/ for more information.

Jennifer has received level 1 certification in this program. Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Feeding Solutions: A feeding program that incorporates the principles and practices from multiple disciplines including psychology, pediatrics, occupational therapy, dietetics, and speech-language pathology. The SOS program incorporates sensory, motor, oral, behavioral, learning, medical, and nutritional factors to create a comprehensive program for each child. The SOS program has over 20 years of success for helping infants, children and adolescents learn to eat. For more information visit https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/sos-certification/.

Jennifer has taken beginning and advanced course work in this approach.SCERTS Model: The SCERTS model is a research-based multidisciplinary framework that helps to address many of the problems faced by a person with ASD. The SCERTS model aims to build a child’s skills in “Social Communication”, Emotional Regulation”, and “Transactional Support”. The SCERTS model aims to help children learn and spontaneously react in a variety of settings. To learn more visit their website. The Son-Rise Program for Autism: The Son-Rise program teaches a specific and comprehensive system of autism treatment and education designed to help families and caregivers enable their children to dramatically improve in all areas of learning, development, communication, and skill acquisition. For more information visit https://autismtreatmentcenter.org/.

Jennifer learned this program second hand while providing intensive intervention with a child who’s family received specific training from the options institute.Zones of Regulation Curriculum: The Zones curriculum uses a cognitive-behavioral approach to teach children to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, by managing their sensory needs and improve their ability to problem solve conflicts and share. For more information visit their website at http://www.zonesofregulation.com/learn-more-about-the-zones.html. Jennifer has received first-hand training on this approach by the therapist who developed the curriculum.

Integrated Listening Systems: The iLs system helps to train body/brain integration through a staged approach, starting with the fundamentals of sensory integration and extending through more complex cognitive functions. The iLs program is based on “neuroplasticity” and the fact that the neuronal connections can be improved. For more information on this program visit https://integratedlistening.com/. Jennifer has received certification in the use of iLs for home and clinic use.

STAR Model: The STAR Institue for sensory processing disorders provides treatment, education, and research for children, adolescents and adults with SPD. The STAR Institue provides clinicians with a unique opportunity to receive ongoing education to develop advanced clinical reasoning and treatment skills for individuals with sensory processing.

VitalStim: VitalStim is the only FDA-cleared treatment for NMES (neuromuscular electrical stimulation) treatment for dysphagia. This modality is specifically designed to improve the mechanisms of the swallow. Visit https://www.ciaoseminars.com/home/vitalstim/ for more information. Jennifer is certified to provide treatment using the VitalStim+ system.”

Ms. Shivali
Physical Therapist

Shivali’s journey with kids began over 15 years ago, where she’s been fortunate to witness their incredible growth as a Physical Therapist. After graduating in 2009, she established her own practice in India, nurturing a deep understanding of individual needs and fostering a supportive environment.

Relocating to Virginia in 2013, Shivali embraced new challenges. She thrived in an outpatient Functional Movement based setting, collaborating with Speech, Occupational, Developmental therapists as well as movement aides and assistants to provide a holistic approach to her therapeutic interventions. Her passion for supporting families flourished as an Early Interventionist for Fairfax County, where she valued the importance of natural environments, parental participation and individualized care to support children and their families meet their functional goals. She worked as an Assistive Technology manager to handle all the therapeutic equipment for the county therapists and patients. Shivali brings a wealth of experience to her practice, having dedicated her career to supporting children from infancy through young adulthood. She has a deep understanding of diverse developmental needs, including those facing children with Delayed milestones, Torticollis, Down syndrome, Plagiocephaly, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, ADD, Muscular Dystrophies, Cerebral Palsyand genetic abnormalities. Her approach is multi-faceted, drawing from a range of evidence-based therapies such as Total Motion Release, DIR Floortime, Kinesio Taping, Learning Without Tears to name a few to create personalized treatment plans that foster each child’s unique growth and development.

The summer of 2022 brought the family to sunny California, where Shivali currently dedicates her expertise to supporting children within a school district and with Joy and Laughter.

Beyond the clinic, Shivali cherishes her role as a mother to two vibrant daughters. Together with her husband, they embrace adventures, exploring new parks and hiking trails. A culinary enthusiast, Shivali delights in creating healthy and exciting meals for her family. And for a touch of self-care, she enjoys crafting her own skincare products for her family and friends!
Shivali is thrilled to bring her passion, experience and playful spirit for pediatric therapy to JLD, empowering children to reach their full potential.

Ms. Jennifer
Speech Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist

Since earning her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Arizona Jennifer has specialized in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders; working in hospitals, clinics and home health settings. For over 10 years she has been evaluating and treating children, newborns to adolescents, with a variety of disorders including, premature birth, autism spectrum disorders, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, tongue and tip tie, cleft lip and palate, organ transplant recipients and medically fragile children. She has transitioned medically fragile infants and children from tube feedings to oral feedings and advised physicians on feeding tube removals. She has completed training in the “Get Permission Approach to Feeding Therapy”, “Beckman Oral Motor Protocol,” and “Tethered Oral Tissues Specialty Training.” Additionally, she has specialized training in the underlying medical causes of feeding and swallowing disorders and in assembling and working with an interdisciplinary medical team to address often overlooked medical issues. She conducts training with local medical professionals to provide education on pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. She uses a whole-body approach when assessing and treating feeding and swallowing disorders.

Jennifer is a certified infant massage instructor and utilizes these skills to teach family massage techniques that improve parent-child attachment, muscle activation, and digestion. She also enjoys and has experience in providing pediatric speech and language evaluations and therapy to children with a variety of special needs including those who have a tracheostomy tube, are medically fragile, born premature, have developmental delays, autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, cognitive disabilities, chromosome abnormalities, drug exposure, tongue thrust, etc. Jennifer has advanced proficiency in American Sign Language and has employed this skill to improve the communication within D/deaf and hard of hearing families and hearing families who want to use a total communication approach. She is TOTS certified as well.

Jennifer and her husband have three young children. They all love riding bikes, hiking, and exploring California together. She is scuba certified and loves traveling back home to Florida to dive in the warm water.