Speech Therapy for Kids in Naperville, IL
Play-based speech and feeding therapy for kids from 18 months through school age, at our Naperville center off Diehl Road.
- ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists
- A one-hour, play-based first visit to see how your child communicates
- Speech, OT, and ABA under one roof, with autism testing in the same building
- We check your insurance before your first visit
Call 630-884-5761 and we'll walk you through the next steps.
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Sunday: Closed
We accept most major insurance plans:
Is it time to talk to a speech therapist?
Maybe your 2-year-old takes your hand and walks you to the fridge instead of asking. Maybe grandma still can't understand most of what he says, or she gets so frustrated that dinner ends in tears. You don't have to be sure something is wrong to ask a question. Noticing is enough.
A few milestones speech therapists watch for, from the CDC's milestone checklists:
- By 18 months: tries to say three or more words besides "mama" or "dada"
- By 2 years: puts two words together, like "more milk"
- By 3 years: talks well enough that others understand most of the time
Missing one doesn't mean something is wrong. And as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association puts it, you don't have to "wait and see." An assessment gives you a clear answer instead of more late-night searching.
What speech therapy looks like at our Naperville center
Your first visit is an assessment with a speech-language pathologist, usually about an hour. She'll play with your child, listen to how they communicate, and ask what you're seeing at home. Then you'll get a plan built around your child, with goals you can picture: asking for a snack with words, answering "what's your name?" at the park, being understood by a new teacher.
Sessions happen in our 1:1 therapy rooms, and sometimes in our two gyms, because a lot of kids find their words more easily on a swing than at a table. We work on:
- Late talking: first words, word combinations, sentences
- Understanding language: following directions, answering questions
- Speech sounds: being understood by people outside the family
- Alternative communication (AAC): picture systems and speech devices for kids who need another way to talk
- Social communication: taking turns, playing with other kids
- Feeding therapy: picky eating, trouble chewing or swallowing, or mealtimes that end in tears, in our dedicated feeding room
You're part of every step. Our SLPs show you the one or two things to try at home that week, so progress doesn't stop when the session does. See how we approach speech and feeding therapy.
Your speech therapist plays with your child, listens to how they communicate, and asks what you're seeing at home.
Goals tied to real moments: asking for a snack, being understood at preschool, mealtimes that feel calmer.
Play-based sessions, and one or two things to practice at home each week, so progress keeps going between visits.
Meet Our Speech Team
Jessica Roberts-Grant
Michaela Bugumba
Michelle Spencer
Speech, OT, and ABA under one roof in Naperville
Your child's speech therapist works alongside our occupational therapists and the BCBAs who lead ABA therapy, all in the same building. They share notes, adjust goals together, and plan around the same child, so the words your child practices in speech show up in OT and at the snack table in ABA. If autism is a question for your family, our early autism testing happens here too.
Finding their words
First words, being understood, picture and device communication, and mealtimes that feel calmer.
Confidence in everyday moments
Fine motor, sensory, and self-care skills, from getting dressed to holding a crayon.
Skills for independence
Play-based, child-led support for communication, social, and daily-living skills.
The bigger picture
When speech is part of a bigger picture
Sometimes a speech delay comes with other differences, in how a child plays, connects with people, or handles change. Some of those children are autistic. If that question is on your mind, you don't have to sort it out alone.
- Ask your speech therapist. She'll share what she's seeing and whether an autism assessment could help.
- Get answers in the same building. Our early autism testing happens right here at our Naperville center.
- Keep the team you know. If ABA therapy would help, it starts down the hall, with therapists who already know your child.
And if speech therapy is all your child needs, that's a great outcome too.
ABA therapy
Support that grows with your child
If an autism diagnosis is part of your child's story, ABA therapy happens in the same building, with a team that already knows your child. It's play-based, led by your child's strengths, and built around your family's goals.
Learn about ABA therapy at this center →Why Naperville families choose private speech therapy
Early Intervention and school services help a lot of kids. But they're built around eligibility rules and classroom needs. Private speech therapy is built around your child and your family.
- Your child doesn't have to "qualify." EI and schools only serve children who meet their cutoffs. If your child is struggling to talk, that's reason enough to get help here.
- One-on-one, based on what your child needs. Not a group, and not whatever fits a school schedule.
- You're part of it. You see what's working and leave each session with one or two things to try at home.
- Goals for real life. School therapy focuses on the classroom. We also work on dinner, the park, bedtime, and being understood by grandma.
- Specialized help in one place. Feeding therapy, AAC devices, and two therapy gyms, with OT and ABA down the hall if your child needs more than one kind of support.
- No summer break. Therapy continues all year, so progress doesn't slide between school years.
Already getting EI or school speech?
Keep it. Private therapy works alongside it, and we're glad to coordinate with your child's team. It matters most at age 3, when Early Intervention ends. Not every child qualifies for school services, and school therapy centers on the classroom. Private speech therapy keeps your child's progress going through the switch.
Most families use insurance for private speech therapy, and we check your benefits before your first visit.
Naperville, Warrenville, Lisle, Wheaton, Aurora, North Aurora
BCBS PPO, BCBS Blue Choice, BCBS HMO (Endeavor Health and Ascension), UnitedHealthcare, United Behavioral Health, TriWest
Coverage varies by plan. We check yours before your first visit.
More about this center →Getting to our Naperville, IL center
Our Naperville ABA Therapy & Pediatric Therapy center proudly serves families in Naperville and surrounding areas. We're also conveniently located within a 10-mile radius of nearby communities, including Warrenville, Lisle, Downers Grove, Woodridge, and Bolingbrook.
No matter where you're coming from, our team is here to support your child's growth and well-being.
Gracent Pediatric Therapy - Naperville, IL
We're in the Park Place office park off Diehl Road near Mill Street, across from the Nike Sports Complex and about half a mile from I-88.
Typical drive times: about 5 minutes from Warrenville, 10 from Lisle, 14 from Wheaton, and 15 to 20 from North Aurora or Downers Grove.
We're open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm, and Saturdays, 8 am to 3 pm.
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Sunday: Closed
Start speech therapy with one call
Reach out to us
Tell us about your child. We’ll listen, ask questions, and help you understand next steps based on your needs and availability.
Come in for a tour
Meet the team, see the space, and talk through how we’d support your child, so you can feel confident before moving forward.
Start care with confidence
We’ll help you get started quickly and smoothly, with a plan built around your child.
What our families say
My child attends both OT and speech therapy and we've had a very positive experience with the therapists and Gracent as a whole.
— A local familyThe team is amazing. Our son has made so much progress. The work of his therapist and lead ABA coordinator have helped him to move through many of his goals faster than expected. We are so appreciative of the staff at [Gracent].
[Gracent] is full of passionate and professional staff members that truly care. Thank you for all you do!
Speech therapy questions from Naperville parents
Do I need a doctor's referral for speech therapy?
It depends on your insurance. Some plans need a referral or a prescription, and some don't. Our intake team checks your plan's rules before your first visit, so you'll know exactly what's needed.
My child is already in Early Intervention. Can they also come here?
Yes. Many Naperville families use EI and private speech therapy together. We're glad to coordinate with your EI therapist so everyone works toward the same goals.
Does my child need an autism diagnosis to start speech therapy?
No. Speech therapy doesn't require any diagnosis. If you do have questions about autism, our Naperville center also offers early autism testing, so you can get answers in the same building.
Does speech therapy help with picky eating?
It can. Our speech-language pathologists also provide feeding therapy for children who struggle with textures, chewing, or swallowing, or whose mealtimes have become a daily battle. It starts with the same one-hour assessment.
What ages do you see for speech therapy?
We work with children from about 18 months through school age. Many families come to us with a toddler who isn't talking much yet, but we also help older kids with speech sounds, language, and social communication.
See What's Possible for Your Child
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Our commitment to you and your child:
- For our clients, treatment hours are determined on an individualized basis, without predefined blocks.
- Our BCBAs weigh the priorities of the family, the availability of the child given other therapeutic services they may be receiving, and the level of support needed to facilitate the best outcomes.
- All of our treatment plans have terminal goals that are reported every 6 months and discussed every 3 months directly with the family, to ensure we are always moving towards fading the level of support needed and increasing daily independence.
Gracent Pediatric Therapy — formerly Pine Cone Therapies in Texas and includes three North Shore Pediatric Therapy centers in Illinois — is part of the Gracent network and a sister company to North Shore Pediatric Therapy. Together, we’re creating connected, compassionate care for children and families across every stage of growth.
Services at North Shore Pediatric Therapy and Gracent Pediatric Therapy centers are provided by affiliated professional corporations.
- ABA services are provided by North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Ltd.
- Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy services are provided by Pediatric Therapies, Ltd.
- Neuropsychological services are provided by Chicago Neuropsychological Institute
