Echo Me aims to help prevent the development of speech disorders in young children through the use of guided play. Echo Me will create toys that target difficult speech sounds through auditory bombardment: moving an Echo Me toy during play will trigger sounds within the toy that resemble a particular speech sound such as sss, zzz, rrr, etc. Echo Me toys will provide tailored speech exposure and develop strong motor skills during play.

Echo Me will work with community partners such as the UIUC Child Development Lab to gain insight and feedback throughout the development of our toys. Working with community partners and child development experts, Echo Me will also run workshops designed to teach caregivers the best strategies for play that promote proper speech development.