Parents' and children's names have been changed to protect their privacy. The quotes below are the parent's own words from our private community, lightly trimmed.
Over about a year and a half, a parent in our program watched her daughter go from saying very few words to using new words, phrases, and sounds regularly, while also becoming more willing to try new foods and textures and feeling calmer in everyday situations. Results vary by child, but this family's story shows the kind of gradual, steady progress many parents track in our community.
| Where they started | Where they are now |
|---|---|
| In April 2025, a parent in our program shared that her daughter said 'hi' for the first time in a while, a small but exciting moment after a period of not using that word. | By September 2026, her daughter is trying new foods on her own, playing soccer with her sibling, enjoying sensory play like kinetic sand, and using more words and sounds to communicate her feelings. |
Her daughter said 'hi' for the first time in a while while waving to her dad, a moment that excited the whole family.
“she said it ! We were so excited I wish I could of caught it on camera” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
Her daughter understood a new concept for the first time, feeding birds, then clapped and looked for her mom to celebrate with her.
“she’s never done that before! Her realizing that she did something good and clapping afterwards was the highlight of my day” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
She began giving high fives and said 'mommy' again after not saying it for a long time.
“[My daughter] is saying mommy she hasn’t said this in so long !!” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
Her daughter showed improved focus on tasks, followed instructions more consistently, noticed when her cup was empty, and stayed close to her family at the park without wandering off.
“she’s becoming so much more aware! When she’s thirsty and her cup is empty she’s been bringing it to me” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
She repeated 'thank you' multiple times, paid attention to the camera, and was observed trying to repeat words she heard, including lines from a favorite show.
“trying to repeat everything they’re saying she literally has every Bluey episode memorized down to the sounds they make” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
Her daughter tried and enjoyed new foods like steak, green beans, bison, and sardines, said 'stop' when she didn't like something, and was heard counting to herself.
“she was counting saying “1,2,3 yeah!”” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
She became more observant, enjoyed watching herself on video, said 'high five' even while sick, and found a new favorite healthy snack.
“there's so much light and life in her now, she is obsessed with recording videos of herself” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
Her daughter tried new foods like parsnip fries and granola bars, finally ate meat in broth after months of avoiding it, played soccer with her sibling, and clearly said 'no' when upset.
“After months of my daughter not wanting to eat anything in any kind of broth tonight she finally started eating deconstructed meat in broth” (parent in Six Months to Speech)
Read what parents in Six Months to Speech have reported or browse more family stories and guides.
This is one family's experience, shared by a parent in our private community in their own words. Parents' and children's names have been changed to protect their privacy. Results vary from child to child. Six Months to Speech is a coaching and education program, not medical treatment, and it does not replace care from your child's doctors or therapists.
About the author. Chelsea Juels, M.S. (@the_holistic_schoolpsych, The Holistic School Psych), is a mom of three, a Certified Nutritional Therapist with an autism focus, and holds an M.S. in School Psychology. Her twin boys were level 3 autistic and nonverbal; today they speak in full sentences. More about Chelsea.
This article is educational and is not medical advice. Talk with your child's pediatrician about any medical, feeding or diet concerns. Individual results vary. Published October 13, 2026.
For this mom, the changes came gradually over many months, not overnight. She shared small wins along the way, from saying 'hi' again early on to trying brand new foods over a year later. Every child is different, so results vary, but if you want to understand the approach behind these kinds of changes, our free live training walks through how we support families.
The posts shared here focus only on everyday progress moments like new words, new foods, and calmer days, they don't tell us anything about what else this family may or may not have done. Results vary from child to child. If you're curious how our program fits alongside whatever your family is already doing, the free live training is a great place to start.
Lots of parents in our community share picky eating wins, like this mom celebrating her daughter finally eating steak or trying sardines for the first time. Every child's eating journey looks different and results vary, but if you want to learn more about how nutrition is approached in our program, we'd love for you to join the free live training.
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See the full program →It's about an hour on Zoom. I walk through how gut health, food and toxins connect to speech and behavior, what we actually do in each stage, and I answer questions live at the end. Cameras off is fine.
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