In this episode of Beyond Words, host Garrett Oyama, MS, CCC-SLP, sits down with Dr. Kim Oller, PhD, for a fascinating look at how speech begins long before a child says their first word. Drawing from decades of pioneering research, Dr. Oller explains how the earliest sounds of infancy, including protophones, vowel-like coos, squeals, and growls, show an infant’s growing control of their voice and set the stage for speech and social connection.
Together, they explore what babbling reveals about the biological and cognitive roots of language, why babies make so many sounds on their own, and how understanding these patterns can help SLPs better assess and support emerging communicators.
Together, they explore what babbling reveals about the biological and cognitive roots of language, why babies make so many sounds on their own, and how understanding these patterns can help SLPs better assess and support emerging communicators.
