What is Pediatric Speech Therapy?
Pediatric speech therapy helps children develop the ability to communicate clearly, understand language, and express themselves with confidence. It addresses speech sounds, language comprehension, social communication, and feeding or oral-motor skills, depending on each child’s needs.
At the Clubhouse, we believe in the power of play. When kids are having fun, they’re more receptive to learning and more motivated to try new things. Our play-based approach encourages a fun and open learning environment that utilizes games, books, toys, and apps to keep therapy fun and meaningful while addressing each child’s unique challenges.
Pediatric speech therapy differs for every child. It can target areas like listening skills, language comprehension, verbal expression, speech production, phonological awareness, auditory processing, and ever-important social use of language.
Our therapists tailor each session around your child’s unique needs and provide parents and caregivers with an individualized plan for success outside of the clinic. The Clubhouse is proud to offer Pediatric speech therapy services in English, Spanish, Hindi/Urdu, ASL, and for those who communicate using AAC and other related devices.
Why Does Speech Therapy Work?
Speech and Language Skills We Work On
- Speech Issues Related to Autism
- Feeding Disturbances
- Social Language Impairments
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- Reading Disorders
- Language Delays
- Phonological Impairments
- Speech Impairments Including Articulation and More
- Involved Disorders
- Voice Disorders
- Spanish & AAC Evaluations
Benefits of Speech Therapy
- Clearer speech
- Stronger language
- Better communication
- Increased confidence
- Enhanced social skills
- Improved articulation
- Better comprehension
Areas We Serve
- Downers Grove
- North Mayfair
- Westmont
- Oakbrook Terrace
- Darien
- Albany Park
- Edgebrook
- Forest Glen
- Jefferson Park
- Clarendon Hills
- Lisle
- Hinsdale
The Clubhouse supports children from toddlers to teens with a wide range of speech and language needs. Our therapists work with kids experiencing speech delays, articulation issues, stuttering, voice challenges, social communication difficulties, and developmental conditions like autism.
Families come to us through many different referral paths, including pediatricians, schools, early intervention programs, and parents who reach out directly. No matter how you find us, we’re ready to partner with you to create a therapy plan that supports your child’s growth and communication success.
Therapeutic Techniques & Methods
Our speech-language pathologists use evidence-based methods designed to help each child communicate more effectively. Therapy sessions are engaging, personalized, and built around your child’s unique goals.
Common techniques include:
Modeling & Imitation:
Demonstrating correct speech and language patterns for your child to practice.
Prompting & Fading:
Gradually guiding responses to build independence and confidence.
Play-Based & Naturalistic Teaching:
Encouraging communication through play, daily routines, and real-life interactions.
Visual Supports & Cueing:
Using visuals, gestures, and AAC tools to reinforce learning.
Generalization Strategies:
Helping children apply communication skills across home, school, and community settings.
Treatment and Program Structure
At The Clubhouse, speech therapy sessions take place in our welcoming clinic setting and follow a flexible, research-informed structure tailored to each child’s needs. Our process ensures therapy is both effective and engaging, guided by current research in speech-language pathology and real-world outcomes.
1- Comprehensive Speech & Language Evaluation:
Identifies each child’s communication strengths, challenges, and specific goals for therapy.
2- Individualized Treatment Plan:
Therapy goals and methods are personalized, including targeted strategies for home practice and real-life carryover.
3- Session Frequency & Intensity:
Based on evidence and clinical insight, we often recommend 30-minute sessions twice per week, which offer stronger outcomes than longer, less frequent visits. This model improves learning, maintains focus, and supports better skill retention.
4- Ongoing Progress Monitoring:
Therapists collect data each session to track growth, adjust goals, and ensure steady progress.
5- Collaboration & Family Coaching:
Parents receive practical tools and feedback to reinforce communication skills at home, turning everyday routines into learning opportunities.
6- Program Review & Adaptation:
Goals are revisited regularly to keep therapy relevant, effective, and aligned with your child’s developmental journey.
While the 30-minute, twice-weekly model is often ideal, we know every child is unique. We’re committed to working with your family to create a schedule and structure that works best for your child’s learning style and needs.
Our Insurance Providers
The Clubhouse works with families with all major insurance coverage. We are proudly an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Medicaid. While we are not in-network with other insurance companies, we can provide the necessary documentation to submit for reimbursement to your insurance company.
Meet Chicago’s Trusted Physical Therapy Team
Our clinic was founded over 20 years ago as a speech therapy practice. Since then, the Clubhouse has grown to provide the ideal foundation for our talented team of speech therapists that are as diverse as the families we see.
Our lead therapists are from top-rated universities with a variety of specialties and skills including AAC, Articulation, Reading Disorders, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Speech therapy encompasses a wide variety of skills! The easiest way to know if your child needs speech therapy is to bring them into the Clubhouse for a free screening or a full evaluation. If you have any concerns or feel that your child is behind their peers, it’s better to be safe and get it checked out. If you’re not sure if your child is meeting their speech and language milestones, talk to your child’s pediatrician or check out our developmental milestones! If your child has missed more than one or two, a screening or evaluation is a good next step. Some common reasons for speech therapy include not saying sounds clearly, not combining words, difficulty following directions, and trouble interacting with others.
To get started with speech therapy, reach out to the Clubhouse! One of our clinic managers will go over your billing options and will schedule an evaluation with a speech therapist. After your evaluation, the speech therapist will make recommendations for how often your child should receive services and a manager will work to schedule sessions. From there, all you’ll need to do is show up!
There are many ways to do this! Your speech therapist will give you weekly suggestions for what to work on at home depending on what you and the therapist determine to be the best goals for your child. After each session, you’ll receive information on your child’s progress and homework to practice outside the clinic. You may get a list of child-friendly words with a specific speech sound to practice, ideas to practice following two-step directions while playing at the park, or something as simple as instructions to ask your child to name three things they did at school each day! Speech therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach; the best thing you can do is to follow up with your child’s therapist and work with them for weekly ideas to practice.
How often your child needs speech therapy will depend on their goals. Most children receive speech therapy twice a week, which allows your child and their therapist to build a relationship in addition to working on speech and language goals consistently. Some children may be recommended for more frequent therapy depending on their needs.