EP 450: What If Early Support Changes Everything For Your Child

What makes Amruta Potdar with Amruta Potdar SLP a good neighbor?

You can love your child deeply and still feel that quiet worry… why isn’t this clicking yet? Whether it’s feeding struggles, delayed speech, or mealtime turning into a daily battle, many parents carry these questions silently, hoping it will sort itself out with time.

We sit down with Amruta Podar, a Plano-based speech-language pathologist who brings mobile pediatric support directly to families navigating speech delays, language development, and feeding challenges from infancy through school age. This conversation goes beyond surface-level advice and into the real, everyday moments parents face.

From trouble latching or taking a bottle, to the stress of introducing solids, picky eating, speech sound delays, and stuttering, Amruta shares what she sees again and again. She also addresses one of the most common and costly myths: “They’ll grow out of it.” In reality, waiting often adds confusion, stress, and missed opportunities for early support that can make progress feel more natural and less overwhelming.

What truly sets her apart is her family-first approach. Therapy doesn’t stop at the session, it extends into your home, your routines, and your confidence as a parent. Amruta focuses on equipping caregivers with the tools to support their child every single day, turning small interactions into meaningful progress.

We also explore how she’s building awareness across North Texas through partnerships with preschools, libraries, and hands-on enrichment classes designed to strengthen communication using simple, everyday moments.

If you’ve been wondering whether to wait or take action, this conversation will give you clarity, reassurance, and a next step. You’re not alone—and support might be closer than you think.

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To learn more about Amruta Potdar SLP go to: https://www.amrutapotdarslp.com

Amruta Potdar SLP

214-945-2337

Transcript

Welcome To Good Neighbor Podcast

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yuvet.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a speech language pathologist? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing our good neighbor, Amruta Podar, with Amruda Podar SLP. Amruda is lovely to have you on today. Now we are so excited to learn more about your business and what you do. So please start off by sharing with our listeners today just a little bit more about your company.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here today. Um I my name my company is my name. I'm Gruda Pothar SOP. I've been a speech pathologist for over 20 years now. And uh, but I started my uh practice, my private practice, just a few years ago, uh, going on three years. Um and I am based in Plano, but I provide mobile services to my families, um, ages zero and up, uh, mostly pediatrics, uh, but I also see a few older clients. Uh, but my my services focus on young families uh that have children with speech and language difficulties or feeding difficulties, um, infancy through school age. Um, you your child may have difficulty latching at breast, your child may have difficulty uh taking milk from their bottle, your child may have difficulty uh starting solids, or they may experience picky eating as they're growing up, or they may uh have delays in their speech and language, uh, or they may not be able to say their sounds correctly, stuttering. Those are all um issues that I help parents with. Uh the way I think my services are set apart from other services available or other professionals available in the community is I work very, very, very closely with the parents, and I coach parents also to help their child. So there are times when I don't necessarily need to work with your child, I need to work with you, parents, so you can help your child better.

How She Found This Career

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Wow, Maruda. Well, I can definitely tell you have a heart for doing what you do. So give us a little bit more background on yourself. How did you originally get into this industry?

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Thanks to my cousin, actually. Um, I grew up in India for the most part, and um I originally wanted to become a physical therapist, but there wasn't um, you know, uh the universe intervened and I landed in this field by accident, but I stayed and have stayed for 20 years now. Um, over my career though, I've worked, I worked in the schools, I've worked in the skilled nursing facilities, worked in outpatient. Um, but after becoming a parent myself, um, even though I was in the I I have been in this industry, I figured out how much information or lack of information or knowledge there is when it comes to, you know, parents. Uh, when we when we become parents, we're not handed a handbook. Here, go raise your child. You know, we kind of figure, we figure things out ourselves. And I had some roadblocks myself, and that um that really was when I decided that I need to be uh out in the field doing this and helping more more families and parents.

The “They’ll Grow Out Of It” Myth

SPEAKER_01 3:41

Wow. So having the knowledge that you do today, you know, what is that number one misconception you like to put to rest for our listeners when it comes to your industry? That they will grow out of it.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

That is the number one thing I hear across cultures. Uh, you know, in this in the North Texas community, we have we have a multicultural community, and this is not tied to one culture. I hear this very often. Oh, I was a late speaker too, I was a late talker, or I was a picky eater growing up, and so my child will grow out of it. And um, to be honest, do you want to wait for your child to grow out of it? Number one, you know, because that's more stress for you as a parent. And also, um, things are different from you know, 10 days, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. We grew up in a different environment. Uh and many of us growing up had grew up in a village, and parents don't have that village anymore. Uh, they're leaning into uh their spouses or partners or books or podcasts like this, seeking information from, you know, just the internet. And uh there is a lot of misinformation there, but there's also a lot of information there. And seeking guidance from a professional who will uh be able to give you the exact information and not misinformation, I think is valuable.

Reaching Families Through Community Talks

SPEAKER_01 5:16

And speaking of those families, you're so passionate about helping. Um, how are you attracting them today on the online front?

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Uh by you know, by doing something like this, I do um, I also have partnered with preschools and libraries in the community. Um, I um will every now and then you'll see me at you know an event or two speaking to families uh when there's an opportunity. Uh I have in the past an ongoing, there's one upcoming uh with the Melissa Public Library, and I will partner with libraries to bring this information to parents. Um also partner with other professionals in the community. Um, I do offer uh after school or mommy and caregiver and me enrichment classes where I'll give tips to parents on, hey, this is what you can do at home. Uh, you know, sure, come to me, learn these tips and strategies. Um, using books, using sensory, uh, sensory play, using regular everyday things. You know, you could have uh you might be traveling and all you have is a bottle of lotion, and you could still teach your language, uh teach your child some vocabulary and uh end up having fun with them, you know. So that's I consider that my my specialty.

What Makes Her Practice Different

SPEAKER_01 6:39

Wow, you have such an interesting way at looking at teaching children. Have you ever thought about having your own podcast to educate your community? Um, no, I haven't, but now I think the seed is planted. Now, really getting down to your business, what you offer, and what makes your business stand out from every other speech language pathologist. What is that number one thing that sets you most apart that you would like our listeners to take with them today?

SPEAKER_02 7:14

I consider myself a professional that supports the family. Yes, I can I support their child, but um, the child is not a single child, the child is an individual in the family unit. So I support not just your child, but also you, mom and dad, or grand or grandparents, uh, or any caregivers. I support you. I want you to feel empowered and supported so you can continue um teaching your child or working with your child because uh we want our children to reach to their highest potential, um, you know, whatever that might be. And uh we want to provide them all the tools that we can to help them grow to that highest potential and just be happy. And uh that's that's how I set myself apart. I'm thinking about your child, but I'm also thinking about you, mom and dad, or grandparent, or any character, or teacher even, um, so you can support your child.

Where To Learn More And Nominate

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Well, to all our listeners here, it sounds like you found your long-lost relative, Amruda. All right. Well, final question for you today. You know, where can our listeners go to learn more about Amruda Podar SLP?

SPEAKER_02 8:34

Uh, my website is also my name, AmrutapodarsLP.com. Uh, that is where my uh you will find all of my information. I also blog, so you will uh if you're interested in learning more about my services and what I offer and just what I'm thinking about, that's a place to go. I'm also active on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. Uh, you'll find me um as my name in all those places.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Well, Amruda, we really appreciate you being on the show and we wish you and your business the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

Thank you. It was a pleasure being here and talking about.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpfrisco.com. That's gnpfrisco.com or call four six nine two two one nine three four five.