The Speech Therapy Program
Chicagoland Families Trust Most
Talk to a Speech Therapist"Our daughter struggled to express herself, and we were worried about her falling behind. After starting speech therapy at CST Academy, she quickly found her voice."
CST Academy Parent, Google Review
We will contact you within 24 hours. No obligation.
What Speech Therapy Looks Like When Every Therapist Is Under One Roof
When speech therapy, ABA, OT, and PT happen in the same building with the same team, children make progress faster.
From Nonverbal to New Words Every Week
Our speech therapists help children who are quiet, frustrated, or hard to understand start communicating. Sessions are play-based, built for toddlers and young children, and focused on real progress you can hear at home.
4 Therapies, 1 Plan
Your child's speech therapist, BCBA, OT, and PT collaborate daily in the same hallway. Not through email. Not in quarterly meetings. Every day.
Start in 2 to 3 Weeks
From your first call to your child's first speech therapy session. We evaluate on-site and handle all insurance paperwork so there is no waiting on outside referrals.
What Is Pediatric Speech Therapy?
Pediatric speech therapy is a specialized form of treatment provided by a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) to help children develop the communication skills they need to express themselves, understand others, and participate in everyday life. It addresses a range of challenges, from late talking and unclear speech to difficulty understanding language, following directions, or engaging in conversation.
At CST Academy, speech therapy for children is delivered by licensed SLPs who specialize in working with kids from toddlers through school age. Every child receives an individualized treatment plan based on a comprehensive evaluation of their specific strengths, needs, and goals. Sessions are play-based, engaging, and designed to meet your child where they are developmentally.
What Does a Pediatric Speech Therapist Help With?
- Speech sound disorders: difficulty producing sounds correctly, making speech hard to understand
- Expressive language delays: limited vocabulary, trouble forming sentences, or difficulty conveying thoughts and needs
- Receptive language delays: difficulty understanding what others say, following directions, or processing spoken language
- Apraxia of speech: the brain has trouble coordinating the mouth movements needed for clear speech
- Feeding and swallowing difficulties: oral motor challenges that affect eating, drinking, or managing food textures
- Social communication challenges: difficulty with conversation skills, turn-taking, reading social cues, or using language appropriately in context
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): helping nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate using devices, picture systems, or sign language
- Fluency disorders: stuttering or other disruptions in the flow of speech
Speech Therapy for Toddlers and Young Children
Early speech and language development happens rapidly between ages 1 and 4. If your child is not babbling by 12 months, not using single words by 18 months, or not combining two words by age 2, those are common indicators that a speech-language evaluation may be helpful. Pediatric speech therapy for toddlers focuses on building foundational communication skills through play, interaction, and parent coaching. At CST Academy, our speech therapists work with children as young as 18 months, because early intervention in speech therapy consistently produces the strongest outcomes for long-term communication development.
Speech Delay vs. Language Delay: What Is the Difference?
Parents often use "speech delay" and "language delay" interchangeably, but they refer to two different challenges. A speech delay means your child has difficulty producing clear, intelligible words. A language delay means your child has difficulty understanding language (receptive) or using words and sentences to express themselves (expressive language). Some children have both. A speech-language evaluation can identify exactly where the difficulty lies and create a targeted therapy plan to address it. At CST Academy, our SLPs assess both speech and language skills as part of every evaluation.
Concerned About Your Child's Speech or Language?
Talk to one of our speech-language pathologists. We will help you understand what is going on and what to do next.
Families Who Found the Right
Speech Therapy
These parents were in your shoes. Here is what happened when they chose CST Academy.
Our daughter struggled to express herself, and we were worried about her falling behind. After starting speech therapy at CST Academy, she quickly found her voice both literally and emotionally. Her therapist made every session fun and engaging, and now she talks nonstop.
When our son started ABA and speech therapy, he was mostly nonverbal and easily frustrated. Within months, we began hearing new words every week and saw his confidence soar. The team made our family feel supported every step of the way.
My son currently attends for speech therapy and it is the best program I have ever seen regarding children with special needs. The combination of play, learning, and speech support helped him make incredible progress in communication and confidence.
What Makes CST Academy Different for Speech Therapy
A side-by-side look at what most pediatric speech therapy providers offer versus what happens at CST Academy.
Most Speech Therapy Providers
CST Academy
Speech Therapy for Autism, Speech Delays, and Language Delays
Many children who come to CST Academy for speech therapy have been diagnosed with or are being evaluated for autism spectrum disorder, speech delays, language delays, or a combination. Our speech-language pathologists are experienced in working with all of these populations, and because CST Academy offers ABA therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy under the same roof, your child’s speech therapist is never working in isolation.
Speech Therapy for Children with Autism
Children on the autism spectrum often experience communication challenges that range from being nonverbal to having difficulty with social language and conversation. At CST Academy, your child’s speech therapist works alongside their BCBA and ABA therapy team to build functional communication skills in a coordinated way. Whether your child is learning first words, building sentence structure, developing social communication, or learning to use an AAC device, the speech and ABA teams share goals and reinforce the same skills across sessions. This integrated model helps children with autism make faster, more consistent progress than speech therapy alone.
Early Intervention Speech Therapy
Research consistently shows that early intervention in speech and language therapy produces significantly better outcomes. The earlier a child receives targeted support, the more effectively their brain can build the neural pathways for communication. At CST Academy, we provide early intervention speech therapy for children as young as 18 months. Our SLPs use developmentally appropriate, play-based techniques and include parent coaching so you can support your child’s speech and language growth throughout the day, not just during sessions.
Speech Delay and Language Delay Therapy
If your child has been identified with a speech delay, a language delay, or both, targeted therapy from a licensed speech-language pathologist can make a significant difference. Speech delay therapy focuses on helping your child produce sounds and words more clearly. Language delay therapy focuses on building vocabulary, sentence structure, comprehension, and expressive communication. Our SLPs create individualized plans that address your child’s specific delays and track measurable progress at every stage.
Your Child’s Communication Journey Starts Here
Whether your child has autism, a speech delay, or you are just not sure, we can help. No referral needed.
Trusted Care, Close to Home
CST Academy offers pediatric speech therapy and integrated support across convenient Chicagoland locations. Each center provides the same expert team, coordinated care, and welcoming environment families trust.
Pediatric Speech Therapy Across Chicagoland
CST Academy offers pediatric speech therapy, speech-language evaluations, and integrated therapy services at multiple locations across the Chicago area. Every speech therapy clinic in our network provides the same licensed SLPs, coordinated team approach, and welcoming, child-friendly environment.
Families come to CST Academy for speech therapy from across Chicagoland, including Lincoln Park, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, Roscoe Village, the North Shore, Northbrook, Evanston, Skokie, Park Ridge, Wilmette, Winnetka, Highland Park, and the greater Chicago suburbs. With 8 locations, there is a pediatric speech therapy clinic near you.
All CST Academy locations accept BCBS PPO insurance for speech therapy services. We verify your benefits and handle pre-authorization so you can focus on your child, not paperwork.
Find a Speech Therapy Clinic Near You
8 Chicagoland locations with the same expert team and coordinated care.
Your Child's Speech Therapy Team
Every child at CST Academy works with a dedicated, licensed speech-language pathologist who specializes in pediatric communication disorders.
Licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)
Your child’s speech therapist holds a master’s degree in speech-language pathology and maintains active licensure through the state of Illinois. Our SLPs hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the highest professional credential for speech therapists. They specialize in pediatric populations, with experience treating speech delays, language delays, articulation disorders, apraxia, fluency disorders, social communication challenges, and autism-related communication needs.
Collaborative, Integrated Care
At CST Academy, your child’s speech-language pathologist is not working in isolation. They collaborate daily with BCBAs, occupational therapists, and physical therapists in the same building, sharing goals and coordinating your child’s treatment plan. If your child also receives ABA therapy or OT, the speech therapist and the rest of the team meet regularly to align strategies so skills learned in one session are reinforced across all therapies.
Consistent Therapists, Not Rotating Staff
Your child sees the same speech therapist at every session. We keep caseloads small so our SLPs can build genuine relationships with each child and family. You will always know who is working with your child, and your therapist will know your child by name, by goals, and by personality.
Meet the Team That Will Work with Your Child
Schedule a tour of your nearest location and see our speech therapy clinic firsthand.
Getting Started Takes One Phone Call
Most families go from first call to first speech therapy session in 2 to 3 weeks.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Tell us about your child. One of our team members will call you within 24 hours to answer your questions and discuss next steps. No obligation, no pressure.
Let's start with a conversation
Tell us about your child, and we will call you within 24 hours.
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We will call within 24 hours. No waitlists, no runaround.
Insurance Coverage
We verify your benefits, manage pre-authorization, and handle billing so you do not have to.
BCBS PPO In-Network
We verify your benefits and handle all paperwork. Many families have low or no out-of-pocket costs depending on their plan.
Illinois law requires commercial insurance to cover medically necessary speech therapy services for children. Aetna coming soon.
Your Child's Speech Progress Starts with
One Phone Call
Every week you wait is a week your child could be building communication skills. Our team across Chicagoland is ready to help your family take the next step.
Monday to Thursday: 8 AM to 6 PM / Friday: 8 AM to 5 PM
Questions Parents Ask About Speech Therapy
The questions we hear most from families across Chicago and the suburbs.
Still Have Questions About Speech Therapy?
Call us and speak directly with a speech therapist about your child. No obligation.