Find a Speech & Language Therapy Provider Near You

Chicagoland

To find a speech and language therapy provider in Chicago city & surrounding suburbs, click HERE

St. Louis Metro

To find a speech and language therapy provider on the Missouri side of the St. Louis region, click HERE

Metro East St. Louis

To find a speech and language therapy provider on the Illinois side of the St. Louis region, click HERE

What Is Speech & Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy helps children develop the skills needed for clear communication and understanding language.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with children who have difficulty speaking clearly, understanding language, expressing thoughts, or using language appropriately in social situations.

For children and adolescents, speech and language therapy commonly focuses on improving:

Speech clarity (articulation) — producing speech sounds correctly
Language development — understanding and using words, sentences, and grammar
Expressive language — communicating thoughts and ideas clearly
Receptive language — understanding spoken language and instructions
Social communication (pragmatic language) — using language appropriately in conversations and social situations
Fluency — reducing stuttering or disruptions in speech

Speech therapists use structured activities and therapeutic exercises to help children improve communication skills at home, in school, and in social settings.

Social Communication and Pragmatic Language

Some children have difficulty with social communication, even when they know the words they want to say.

This may include difficulty with:

taking turns in conversation
understanding tone of voice or facial expressions
staying on topic in conversations
knowing what is appropriate to say in different social situations

Speech therapists can provide pragmatic language therapy to help children develop stronger social communication skills.

These challenges may occur in children with:

autism spectrum disorder
ADHD
social communication disorder
developmental language delays

When MindWeal Refers for Speech & Language Therapy

MindWeal provides comprehensive psychiatric evaluations for children and adolescents. During the evaluation process, we assess concerns related to development, attention, learning, emotional regulation, and communication.

When communication concerns are identified, we may recommend referral for speech and language evaluation and treatment.

Common reasons for referral include:

speech sound difficulties or unclear speech
delayed language development
difficulty expressing thoughts or ideas
difficulty understanding language or instructions
social communication challenges
concerns related to autism or developmental disorders

The speech therapy clinic will typically perform an initial evaluation to determine whether treatment is recommended.

How to Start Speech & Language Therapy

Review the list of providers in your region.
Choose the speech therapy clinic that best fits your location and insurance.
Contact the clinic directly to ask about availability and scheduling.

IMPORTANT: In many cases, a referral from MindWeal may be required before the clinic can schedule the evaluation. Once you select a clinic, please inform MindWeal of your choice so we can send the necessary referral and clinical information to the therapy provider.

Related Therapy Services

Some clinics listed may provide both speech therapy and occupational therapy services.

While these therapies sometimes overlap, they focus on different areas of development:

Speech & Language Therapy focuses on communication skills, including speech clarity, language development, and social communication.
Occupational Therapy focuses on sensory processing, motor coordination, daily living skills, and executive functioning.

In some cases, children may benefit from both types of therapy, depending on their individual needs.