What Every Parent Should Know About Airway Health, Tongue Ties, and Speech Therapy (And What We're Doing About It)
- Amanda Scott, M.S, CCC-SLP
- 1 minute ago
- 4 min read
If you've ever sat across from a specialist and walked out with more questions than answers, you are not alone.
Parents ask us all the time: How do I know if my child needs speech therapy? What even is a tongue tie? Does airway health really affect how my child talks, sleeps, and learns?
These are great questions. And honestly? They deserve better answers than a quick Google search or a two-minute conversation at the end of a busy appointment.
That's exactly why we're building something new.
The gap we keep seeing
As speech-language pathologists, we are in a unique position. We sit at the intersection of communication, airway function, oral structure, and development — and we get to see the full picture in a way that not every provider does.
What we've noticed, again and again, is this: parents want to understand what's going on with their child, but the information available is either too clinical, too vague, or buried under jargon.
Tongue tie, for example, is a topic that has gotten a lot of attention in recent years — but the conversation around it can be really confusing. Some sources say every child needs a release. Others say it's completely overdiagnosed. Parents are left trying to sort through conflicting opinions without the foundational knowledge to evaluate them.
Airway health is similar. The connection between how a child breathes, how they sleep, how their jaw and oral structures develop, and ultimately how they communicate — it's a real and important relationship. But it's rarely explained in plain language to the families who need to understand it most.
And speech therapy itself? So many families aren't sure if their child "qualifies," what the evaluation process looks like, or what they should actually expect from services.
What informed parents can do
Here's what we know to be true: when parents understand the basics, everything goes better.
They ask the right questions at appointments. They notice things earlier. They feel confident advocating for their child instead of just hoping someone else will catch whatever needs to be caught. They don't second-guess every decision because they have a framework to work from.
That's not about turning parents into clinicians. It's about giving families the knowledge they need to be active, empowered participants in their child's care.
Something we've been working on
We are so close to being able to share the full details, but we wanted to give you a heads-up now:
Salt & Light is launching an online parent mini-course at the end of May / beginning of June.
This course is going to walk parents through the foundations of airway health, tongue ties, and how to evaluate whether speech therapy might be right for their child — all in a format that's accessible, digestible, and actually useful.
It's not a clinical training. It's parent education, done well.
We designed it for the mom who's been told her child has a tongue tie and doesn't know what to do next. For the dad who keeps noticing his toddler snores loudly and isn't sure if that's something to look into. For the parent whose pediatrician said "let's wait and see" about speech, but who has a gut feeling something deserves more attention.
And for the first 50 families who sign up, there will be a special discounted price and an exclusive BONUS.
We want this to be accessible, and we want our founding families to be rewarded for jumping in early.
Full details — including how to sign up and what the course covers — are coming very soon. The best way to stay in the loop is to subscribe to our newsletter if you haven't already.
Want to be the first to know when the course launches? Make sure you're subscribed to the Salt & Light newsletter.
In the meantime
If you've been wondering whether your child might benefit from a speech-language evaluation, we are currently accepting new clients at Salt & Light for both in-person and teletherapy services. You don't have to wait for the course to get answers — we're here now.
If you are interested in services you can get started by filling out our Client Intake Form to see if we would be a good fit for each other.
We also want to put in a good word for our neighbors, Equipt Kids, who share our space and are currently accepting new clients for occupational therapy. If your child's needs extend into sensory processing, fine motor skills, or daily living activities, OT can be a powerful piece of the puzzle alongside speech therapy. We love having them close by.
A note from Amanda
I started Salt & Light because I believe every child deserves to be heard — literally and figuratively. That mission extends beyond the therapy room. It includes making sure the families we serve have the knowledge and confidence to fight for their kids in every setting.
This course is part of that mission. I hope you'll join us.
Stay tuned — more details are coming soon!
If you have questions about speech therapy services or new client availability, don't hesitate to reach out.
We also offer additional resources for families through our online shop, including digital articulation cards designed to support speech practice at home, along with educational articles available throughout our blog.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your family’s journey.
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
— Philippians 1:6
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