Speech Therapy in Gurnee, Illinois
A certified SLP, a clinic close to home, and a plan built around your child. Speech therapy for ages 18 months to 18 years.
Families in the northern suburbs should not have to drive to Chicago to find a clinic that takes speech therapy seriously. At CST Academy in Gurnee, your child sees a certified SLP who plans each session, adjusts as your child grows, and knows your child by name. No referral, no diagnosis required, no long waitlist.
BCBS PPO In-Network
Certified SLP-Led Team
Ages 18 Months to 18 Years
No Referral Needed
Get a call back in 24 hours
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Wondering if your child needs speech therapy? Schedule a speech evaluation in Gurnee and your child can begin therapy with the same SLP, at the same location.
Why Choose CST Academy for Your Child's Speech Therapy in Gurnee
You noticed your child struggles to find their words. Maybe they point instead of speak, or stumble on sounds their peers have already mastered. North suburb families call us every week with the same question.
How We Work:
Your child's SLP builds one-on-one sessions around what motivates them, using games, storytelling, and real-world scenarios so communication feels natural. Toddlers practice their first words through play. School-age kids sharpen their pronunciation and building confidence in conversation. Teenagers practice the real conversations they navigate at school and at home. Your SLP adjusts the plan as your child progresses.
What Sets Us Apart:
At a typical speech clinic, your child gets one 30-minute session a week and nothing reinforces the skill until the next visit. At CST Academy, your child's SLP is in the same building as our OT, PT, and ABA clinicians. When your child's progress depends on coordination across disciplines, that coordination happens down the hall, not across a referral network.
Integrated Care Model
Your child's SLP, OT, behavior analyst, and physical therapist share a clinic and coordinate where disciplines overlap.
Play-Based Sessions
Your child learns to communicate through books, games, songs, and hands-on routines matched to their interests.
Data-Driven Progress
Your child's therapists build sessions based on research, weekly notes, and strategies that actually work.
Parent Coaching Inclusion
The SLP shows you what to practice at home so your child keeps building language skills between sessions.
Address
1 S Greenleaf St, Gurnee, IL 60031
Phone
(773) 620-7800
Hours
Monday to Thursday: 8AM to 6PM
Friday 8AM to 5PM
Speech Therapy in Gurnee for Every Age and Every Goal
Curious about how speech therapy at our Gurnee clinic works? You are not the only one wondering. The four steps below walk you through what to expect.
YOUR CHILD'S PROGRAM
Progress at Every Age, From First Words to Full Conversations
After several weeks of speech therapy, many children begin communicating their needs, asking for what they want instead of pointing, and saying familiar names. Your SLP tracks progress each session and shows you what to reinforce at home.
Speech therapy at CST Academy is not one-size-fits-all. Your SLP designs each session around what actually engages your child, then adjusts the moment it stops working.
Book Your Child's Tour - Our Team Responds in 24 Hours
Five-Step Path to Progress
1
Phone Consultation
Our SLP listens to your concerns and answers your questions over the phone. We help you understand whether speech therapy is what your child needs.
2
Comprehensive Evaluation
Your child meets with an SLP for an in-person speech-language evaluation. By the end of the visit, your SLP can tell you whether speech therapy is the right next step.
3
Personalized Plan Development
We integrate the evaluation results into your family's goals and priorities. Our SLP designs a care plan that targets your child's communication needs and builds on their strengths.
4
Therapy Sessions
Your child attends sessions at our clinic. The SLP uses play to build communication skills. How often the sessions are held is determined by your family's availability and evaluation results.
5
Progress Monitoring and Plan Adjustment
We continuously track progress and adjust strategies based on what is effective. We review goals, reinforce wins, and refine the plan with your help.
Take the First Step Toward Clearer Communication
Schedule a free consultation with a certified SLP in Gurnee.
Does Your Child Struggle to Communicate? Signs to Watch For
When your child wants to say something and the words stay stuck, you notice. You are here looking for answers, not another referral run-around. You do not need a diagnosis or a pediatrician referral to call us. Below are the signs families most often share on the first call.
Your child's speech remains unclear to unfamiliar listeners.
Your child has a limited vocabulary for their age.
Your child struggles to understand even simple instructions.
Your child often stutters or hesitates to communicate with others.
Your child easily gets upset when trying to talk to people.
Your child struggles to take turns in conversation, read social cues, or make and keep friendships.
Your child has trouble drinking, eating, or swallowing safely.
Your child's teachers have mentioned delays in speech or language.
If you keep noticing something about the way your child communicates, that instinct is worth a call. The initial consultation is free, and many parents walk away from it with either a clear next step or the reassurance that their child is on track.
Talk to Our Team About Your Child
What if my child has trouble only with certain sounds?
Specific sound difficulties are one of the most common reasons families come to speech therapy. Your SLP listens for which sounds your child stumbles on and shapes sessions around them. Most kids are saying those sounds clearly within a few months of regular practice.
Do I need to stay during my child's sessions?
You are welcome to sit in on our sessions. Your child's SLP regularly updates you and teaches you ways you can reinforce the work at home. Parents who stay involved help their child carry new skills into everyday conversations.
How will I know when my child is ready to stop therapy?
Your child’s SLP shares progress updates with you on a regular basis. When your child consistently meets their communication goals at school and at home, therapy shifts to a monitoring phase. Your child stops going to therapy when their speech skills remain steady without weekly support.
Meet Your Child’s Speech Therapy Team in Gurnee
Certified SLPs and occupational therapists who help children communicate with confidence at home, at school, and with friends.
Courtney G., M.S., CCC-SLP
Lead Speech-Language Pathologist
Courtney serves as the Lead SLP for the North Suburbs. She provides services in early language development, expressive and receptive language disorders, pediatric feeding disorders, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She coordinates directly with the ABA team so that speech gains are reinforced across every session.
Speech Therapy
Becca G., M.S., CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Becca works with children on articulation, phonological disorders, and language delays. She individualizes sessions to utilize each child’s strengths to support their areas for growth. Becca strives to create learning opportunities through play-based activities that incorporate each child's unique interests.
Speech Therapy
Feeding Therapy
AAC
Ali B., M.S., LBA, BCBA
Ali is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, dedicated to supporting and celebrating neurodiversity through trauma-informed, client-centered, culturally-responsive care. She especially enjoys the privilege of partnering with children and their families to ensure that the assent-based services she provides bring her clients joy that can have a meaningful impact on their lives.
Occupational Therapy
Sensory Integration
Fine Motor Skills
Your child is paired with one certified SLP who leads their speech therapy. Families using other CST Academy services (OT, PT, ABA) benefit from team coordination on shared goals. Families coming for speech only get one focused clinician and one focused plan.
Meet Your Child's SLP. Schedule a Free Consultation
Start Your Child’s Speech Therapy Journey in Gurnee
Finding us is the first step. Tell us a little about your child and the concerns that brought you here. Someone from our speech therapy team will call you within 24 hours to answer your questions and explain next steps.
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What Families Say About Our Speech Therapy in Gurnee
The growth we’ve seen, especially over the last two months, has been amazing! Our family and friends constantly comment on how much more my daughter is talking, the words she’s using, and even the expressions on her face as she communicates. It’s been a joy to witness, and my family is beyond grateful and blessed to Sandra and the CST team!
Amanda R.
My son started here when he was 3 1/2 yrs old and other than saying "daddy" he was not talking at all. They have a great team that are very knowledgeable in dealing with my son who is on the spectrum. He graduated this August and I cant thank enough all of the teachers and staff at CST. Now my son is talking and will start kindergarten at a local grammar school.
H c.i
I can't thank her enough for everything she did for my son and me. My son is high energy, and she made every session fun for him. She is caring, energetic, compassionate, and just a pleasure to work with. She goes above and beyond for her kids. My son saw her as more than just his speech therapist, Ms. Steph is his friend.
Elizabeth G
Insurance and Enrollment for Speech Therapy in Gurnee
Insurance Accepted
In-Network
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
Coming Soon
Aetna
Important Note About Speech Therapy Coverage:
Illinois law requires insurance companies to cover medically necessary speech therapy for children. Our client success team at CST Academy in Gurnee verifies your benefits, secures any required pre-authorizations, and files claims on your behalf so that billing never becomes your responsibility. Every coverage detail is confirmed before your child's first session.
A Speech-Language Evaluation Is the First Step:
No autism diagnosis or pediatrician referral is necessary to begin speech therapy at CST Academy. Your SLP evaluates your child's communication and flags what therapy should address. The results of this evaluation become the basis for your child's speech therapy plan.
Get Started With Speech Therapy in Gurnee
We verify your insurance, match your child with an SLP, and guide you through every step.
Common Questions Parents Ask About Speech Therapy
Your child might need speech therapy if you notice some signs: frustration when trying to talk to others, a limited vocabulary for their age, or not being able to follow simple instructions. Our team gives you clear answers after an evaluation with your child. Many families told us that calling sooner made them feel relieved.
Speech Therapy for Families Near Gurnee, Illinois
Our Gurnee clinic serves families throughout the northern suburbs and beyond. No matter where you live, speech therapy in Gurnee means your child gets quality care without the long drive to Chicago.
By Car
Take I-94 (Tri-State Tollway) to the Grand Avenue exit. Head west on Grand Avenue, then south on Greenleaf Street. Free, dedicated family parking is available on-site.
Parking
Free on-site parking with dedicated spaces for families right at the entrance.
By transit
Waukegan Station (UP North Line) is approximately 10 minutes by car. Libertyville Station (Milwaukee District North Line) is also accessible for families using Metra.
Why Speech Therapy at Our Gurnee Clinic Gives You Better Results
Families in the northern suburbs often weigh a long commute into Chicago against a closer clinic that offers speech therapy alone. Both paths carry real tradeoffs, and most families feel them once weekly sessions become part of the routine.
At CST Academy in Gurnee, that stops because your child's SLP, OT, and behavior analyst share one building, one intake, and one point of contact for your family.
You stop coordinating between offices and start watching your child improve.
The combination of play, consistency, and a therapist who knows your child helps kids build real communication skills.
Your Child's Full Care Team in Gurnee:
Talk to a Certified SLP About Your Child
One focused plan, one consistent clinician, real progress you can see.
Not in Gurnee? Find Speech Therapy at a CST Academy Near You
CST Academy Northbrook
85 Revere Dr, Northbrook, IL 60062
Approximately 20 miles from Gurnee
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Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
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CST Academy Buffalo Grove
150 Half Day Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Approximately 18 miles from Gurnee
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Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
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CST Academy Wilmette
3201 Old Glenview Rd, Wilmette, IL 60091
Approximately 25 miles from Gurnee
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Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Learn More