Speech Therapy in Wicker Park, Chicago

One Wicker Park clinic with a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, and a behavior analyst who coordinate on your child's communication goals. Ages 18 months to 18 years.

Most parents searching for speech therapy in Wicker Park have already been through a waitlist, a dead-end referral, or advice that did not help. At CST Academy, your child is evaluated and begins therapy at the same location with a team that coordinates your child's care every single day.

BCBS PPO In-Network

Certified SLP-Led Team

Ages 18 Months to 18 Years

On-Site Evaluations Available

Speech Therapy in Wicker Park - front entrance of CST Academy on Willow St

Get a call back in 24 hours

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Not sure if your child needs speech therapy? A speech-language evaluation at our Wicker Park clinic answers that question, no diagnosis or pediatrician referral required. If therapy is the right next step, your child continues with the same certified SLP in the same location.

What Speech Therapy in Wicker Park Looks Like at CST Academy

Dinner turns into a guessing game. Your child points, gets upset, and you are left trying to figure out what they need. Families across Wicker Park walk through our door with that exact story, and we are here to tell you how we change it.

How We Approach Speech Therapy:

Your child meets regularly with a licensed SLP, who tailors every one-on-one session to their unique communication strengths and challenges. Young children join fun activities with songs, picture books, toys, and games that naturally build vocabulary and speech sounds. Teens focus on the conversations they face every day: speaking up in class, talking with friends, and being understood the first time. Your child’s SLP adjusts therapy goals as each session progresses.

What Makes Our Program Different:

At a typical speech clinic, your child gets 30 minutes once a week and goes home with no follow-through until the next appointment. At CST Academy, when your child’s OT discovers a regulation technique that helps them focus during a morning session, the SLP applies it in the next session that same day. Families at CST Academy report quick communication progress because of this coordinated approach to speech therapy.

Speech Therapy in Wilmette - child during aba therapy session at CST Academy

Integrated Speech Therapy

Your child's speech, behavior, and sensory therapists work on shared communication goals every single day in the same building.

Play-Based Sessions

Your child builds language through games, songs, stories, and interactive activities they enjoy most.

Data-Driven Progress

Your child's therapy plan changes based on data collected every week, ensuring therapy targets what actually works.

Parent Coaching Inclusion

You receive coaching from the SLP so that you can help your child learn new communication skills even at home.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Certified SLP

Address

1422 W Willow St, Chicago, IL 60642

Phone

(773) 620-7800

Hours

Monday to Thursday: 8AM to 6PM
Friday 8AM to 5PM

Schedule a Tour

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Your Child's Speech Therapy in Wicker Park: From Your First Call to Your Child's First New Words

Families looking into speech therapy in Wicker Park often ask: how exactly does this work? Here is the step-by-step plan.

YOUR CHILD'S PROGRAM

From Inquiry to Steady Communication Progress

Speech Therapy in Wicker Park - child during a speech therapy session at CST Academy

A few weeks into therapy, you start noticing it at home: your child asks for more at dinner instead of pointing, names a friend from school for the first time, or tells you what happened in their day using full sentences. Each session builds toward moments like these with an SLP who knows exactly where your child stands. The therapy plan shifts as your child grows, and the SLP uses your observations to decide what comes next.

Your child's therapy plan is personalized. It evolves as your child keeps improving each session and, with your help, the SLP identifies the next communication goal.

Book Your Child's Tour - Our Team Responds in 24 Hours

Steps

1

Tell Us About Your Child

Call our clinic or fill out our online form. Our team gets back to you within 24 hours, listens to your concerns, and answers every question about insurance and next steps.

2

Talk With a Certified SLP

A certified SLP walks you through what your child may be experiencing and what therapy could look like. Families who want to see the clinic first are welcome to tour, but most move straight to the evaluation.

3

Let Us Evaluate Your Child

The SLP assesses your child's speech, language, and social communication skills. These results drive the therapy plan from day one.

4

Send Your Child to Therapy

Your child starts one-on-one sessions with their SLP. How often they come in depends on what the evaluation shows and what your week allows.

5

Join in Progress Tracking and Receive Coaching

The SLP walks you through what your child accomplished each week and what comes next. You also learn how to reinforce new communication skills at home between sessions.

The Best Speech Therapy in Wicker Park You Can Ever Give Your Child

Your child's certified SLP is ready when you are.

Get Started Today

(773) 620-7800

Signs Your Child Needs Our Speech Therapy in Wicker Park

You already know something is not right. Your child is not talking the way other kids their age do, and that concern brought you here for a reason. You do not need a diagnosis or a referral to call us. If these signs sound familiar, it is time to act on what you are seeing.

Your child uses too few words for their age or is not talking much at all.

People outside your family struggle to understand what your child is saying.

Your child gets frustrated or angry when trying to communicate with others.

Your child has difficulty understanding simple instructions or answering basic questions.

Your child's pediatrician has brought up speech or language concerns.

Your child stutters or has trouble with specific speech sounds.

Your child avoids talking, playing with other kids, or asking for what they want.

Your child's teachers or daycare providers have mentioned speech or language delays.

Whether this is just a phase or a real concern is a question not only you ask. Every week, parents in Wicker Park call us with the same question. You can speak to one of our SLPs. They can give you clarity and some peace of mind, knowing there's a solution.

Talk to Our Team About Your Child

What if my child won't cooperate during sessions?

Children cooperate when the session feels like play, not a test. Our SLPs build every session around play. Your child will not sit at a desk, write, or complete boring drills. Instead, they join activities they already love, and the language skills come through the play itself.

Are we starting too late?

No, you are not. Speech and language skills continue to develop throughout childhood and into adolescence, so starting therapy at any age is fine. Early intervention produces faster results, but children of all ages make real progress. Our team can explain during an evaluation where your child stands and what realistic goals look like.

Does my child need a diagnosis first?

No, they don't need a diagnosis. Unlike applied behavior analysis (ABA), which requires an autism diagnosis, speech therapy covers any child whose speech or language is not where it should be for their age. Our speech-language evaluation provides us with a basis for recommending therapy, especially if we determine that your child can benefit from it.

Meet Your Child's Speech Therapy Team in Wicker Park

Licensed SLPs and occupational therapists who help children express themselves clearly and confidently.

Emma B., M.A., CCC-SLP

Lead Speech-Language Pathologist

Emma directs the speech therapy program in Chicago and specializes in language delays, articulation disorders, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She coordinates daily with the ABA and occupational therapy teams to ensure every communication win is applied to every activity your child joins. Emma uses a playful, data-driven, and targeted approach to speech therapy.

Speech Therapy

Carolyn R., MA, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Carolyn provides individualized, evidence-based care for children with receptive-expressive language differences (including AAC, gestalt language processing, and early language development), pragmatic communication differences, speech sound disorders, and feeding difficulties through a play-based, child-led approach.

Speech Therapy

Feeding Therapy

AAC

Ashley R., M.S., OTR/L

Occupational Therapist (Coordinating)

Ashley brings her sensory processing expertise into the speech therapy planning process. When she discovers that a child needs movement breaks, deep breathing, or specific input before being ready to talk, that discovery becomes part of the child's speech therapy sessions the very next day. Her collaboration with the SLP team keeps your child engaged and willing to learn in every session.

Occupational Therapy

Sensory Integration

Fine Motor Skills

Your child's certified SLP leads every speech therapy session. The OT and behavior analyst work alongside the SLP, sharing what helps your child stay focused, regulated, and ready to communicate. You receive regular updates and a clear view of progress.

Talk to a Certified SLP About Your Child

Your Child's Speech Therapy in Wicker Park Starts With This Form

You found us, which is the first step. Share a few details about your child below, and someone from our team will call you within one business day. No commitment, just a conversation.

Speech Therapy in Wicker Park - Therapy Rooms at CST Academy

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Phone

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Parent/Guardian Name*

Email*

Phone Number*

Zip Code*

Child's Date of Birth*

Service(s) Interested In*

ABA Therapy

Autism Evaluation

Speech, Occupational, Physical, and/or Feeding Therapy

Therapeutic Preschool

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What Families Say About Our Speech Therapy at CST Academy in Wicker Park

CST Academy is who you've been online searching for! I researched so many locations to look for speech therapy for my at the time 23-month-old daughter. CSTA has the best resources that your child may need.

Jennifer J.

Speech Therapy

Our daughter has been seeing her for the past three years, and she’s loved every moment. The progress made is incredible, and it’s clear how much care, patience, and expertise go into every session. Erika creates such a positive, encouraging environment that truly brings out the best in her little clients.

Ashley T.

Speech Therapy

CST Academy was instrumental in the progress our son had made and continues to make. They have caring, professional staff that were flexible and sensitive to our son's needs.

Alex V.

Speech Therapy

1000+

5-Star Google Reviews

Insurance and Enrollment for Speech Therapy in Wicker Park

Insurance Accepted

In-Network

Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO

Coming Soon

Aetna

Important Note About Speech Therapy Coverage:

Illinois law requires insurance companies to pay for medically necessary speech therapy services for children. Our Wicker Park office verifies your plan details, secures any pre-authorizations, and submits all claims directly so that you never have to handle billing paperwork. We will confirm the coverage specifics before your child's first appointment.

A Speech-Language Evaluation Is the First Step:

No autism diagnosis or physician referral is necessary to begin speech therapy at our Wicker Park clinic. Your child goes through a thorough speech-language assessment to map their expressive, receptive, and social communication abilities. The results reflect every detail of the therapy plan. Our team then starts treatment at the same Wicker Park location.

Your Child Deserves the Best Speech Therapy in Wicker Park, Chicago

Your child's certified SLP is here for you.

Get Started Today

(773) 620-7800

Common Questions Parents Ask About Speech Therapy

Signs that your child needs speech therapy include difficulty being understood, a narrow vocabulary for their age, and visible frustration when they try to talk. Our SLP team can give you a definitive answer after a speech-language evaluation. Most families at CST Academy wish they had called sooner.

Integration is our core differentiator. Your child's SLP works in the same clinic as the behavior analyst and OT, and they coordinate daily on the communication strategies that help your child. A breakthrough in a morning SLP session can shape how the OT or behavior analyst reinforces that same skill later the same day. That coordination is hard to find when therapies are split across separate clinics.

Children on the spectrum often make real gains when speech therapy and behavioral support happen together. At our clinic, your child's SLP and behavior analyst work together, coordinating on the communication goals that overlap between sessions so your child hears consistent cues from both clinicians. Families at CST Academy consistently tell us that coordination makes a noticeable difference at home.

Speech Therapy for Families Near Wicker Park, Chicago

Parents seeking an SLP near Wicker Park come from across the neighborhood and surrounding communities. Our clinic is on Willow Street with convenient access from the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94), so most families in the area are only 15 minutes away or less.

Wicker Park
2-5 min

Ukrainian Village
3-6 min

Noble Square
3-5 min

Bucktown
5-7 min

Humboldt Park
7-10 min

West Town
5-8 min

Logan Square
8-12 min

East Village
5-8 min

By Car
Take I-90/94 to the North Avenue exit (Exit 48B). Head west on North Avenue, then turn left on Elston Avenue. Turn right on Willow Street, and the clinic will be on your left.

Parking
Free parking is available in the labeled spots in the front of the building.

By CTA
North/Clybourn station (Red Line), approximately a 10-minute walk. Check the CTA trip planner for current bus connections to Willow Street.

Get Directions to Our Clinic

Why Speech Therapy at Our Wicker Park Clinic Gives You Better Results

CST Academy offers integrated speech therapy to Wicker Park families. Your child's entire team of therapists and specialists works under one roof, saving you time and delivering the results you want to see.

A child who struggles with speech sounds might also have trouble with body awareness or focus. When separate clinics treat these problems, each therapist sees only one of them, and parents end up coordinating appointments across town.

At CST Academy, our coordinated approach closes this gap. Your child's speech, sensory, behavior, and focus needs are supported in one clinic by a team that works together on overlapping goals.

One clinic, one certified SLP, and a team that coordinates on every goal that matters to your child's voice.

Your Child's Full Care Team in Wicker Park: