Speak Freely

What Speak Freely does

Speak Freely is a private pediatric speech therapy clinic headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded in 2007 by owner and speech-language pathologist Heidi Armendariz. The clinic provides speech, language, feeding, oral-motor, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) therapy services to children from birth through 18 years of age, serving families across Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties in Central Texas. Customer segments include children diagnosed with or presenting speech and language delays, autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, feeding disorders (including G-tube and aspiration cases), apraxia, and dysarthria, along with their parents and caregivers. The clinic also serves bilingual Spanish-English families and operates a specialized speech program (P.E.A.K.) in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT), serving approximately 18 families annually.

The clinic's service stack is delivered through individualized, evidence-based therapeutic approaches including the SOS Approach to Feeding, the Floortime developmental model, and the Hanen "It Takes Two to Talk" parent-training program. Therapy is delivered in person at three clinic locations (Austin, Dripping Springs, and Bastrop) in a house-like setting where families sit in on sessions, an operational model the clinic emphasizes as a differentiator. Underlying technology is minimal and operational rather than clinical: patient intake uses Google Forms, PDFs are distributed via Adobe Acrobat, and patient payments are routed through a Square payment link. The technology footprint is therefore best characterized as a professional services practice rather than a technology platform, with no proprietary software, mobile application, public API, or AI/ML capability disclosed.

The business model is a professional services clinic operating primarily on insurance-based reimbursement with private-pay options. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; billings are quote-based and vary by service type and coverage, with monthly billing cadence noted. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: families reach out through the website (available in both English and Spanish) and schedule appointments. Marketing relies on organic social (Facebook and Instagram), educational blog content, and referral partnerships with community organizations such as DSACT and Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) of Texas. Speak Freely is privately held, founder-owned, with no disclosed outside funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Speak Freely

Legal name

Speak Freely

Website

https://speakfreelyslp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Speak Freely is a privately held pediatric speech therapy clinic founded in 2007 in Austin, Texas, operating three clinics across Central Texas. It provides speech, language, feeding, and oral-motor therapy for children from birth through 18 with developmental and communication disorders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Speech Therapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAKAEAN

SLP Consultation, Teacher/Parent Coaching & Home Program Support

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Speech-Language Therapy Services (School-Age)

SECONDARYEDACAFAB

Speech & Language Therapy (Early Intervention)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Intervention & Developmental Services (0–5)

SECONDARYEDAKAEAD

Speech Sound Disorders (Articulation/Phonology) Intervention

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Speech-Language Therapy Services (School-Age)

SECONDARYHSAAAIAA

Autism (ASD) Support Childcare

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Special Needs & Inclusive Childcare Services

SECONDARYHSAAAIAC

Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Special Needs & Inclusive Childcare Services

SECONDARYHSAAAIAH

Communication Support Childcare (AAC, speech/language-informed)

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Special Needs & Inclusive Childcare Services

Keywords

• Pediatric speech therapy
• Speech language pathology
• Feeding therapy services
• Augmentative communication
• Oral motor therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Speech Therapy Services: Direct speech-language therapy services billed to insurance or private pay. Services include evaluation, individual therapy sessions, and family training. The clinic accepts various insurance plans and offers payment through Square.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Speak Freely is a private pediatric speech-language pathology clinic that evaluates and treats children from birth to 18 years of age with speech, language, feeding, hearing, and oral-motor disorders. The clinic delivers in-person therapy sessions at three Central Texas locations (Austin, Dripping Springs, Bastrop), supplemented by parent education, family participation in sessions, and a specialized P.E.A.K. speech program for children with Down syndrome delivered in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas.

Product overview

Speak Freely is a private speech therapy clinic offering comprehensive speech-language therapy services for children from birth to 18 years of age. The core offering consists of speech and language therapy services that address oral motor strength, coordination and control (apraxia/dysarthria), feeding skills, articulation, receptive and expressive language, social pragmatics, and augmentative communication systems. The clinic operates from three locations (Austin, Dripping Spring, and Bastrop) and provides supporting resources including downloadable patient forms, payment processing via Square, and a curated parent resource library. The practice also runs the P.E.A.K. speech program in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speech and Language Therapy Services Comprehensive speech-language therapy services for children from birth to 18 years addressing oral motor strength, coordination and control (apraxia/dysarthria), speech development, articulation, receptive and expressive language, social pragmatics, and communication skills. Delivered in-person at Speak Freely's Austin, Dripping Springs, and Bastrop clinics.
• Feeding Therapy Specialized feeding therapy services utilizing the SOS Approach to Feeding, oral-motor therapy, and sensory-based feeding interventions for children with feeding disorders, including those with G-tubes or a history of aspiration. Provided in-person at Speak Freely clinic locations.
• Augmentative Communication Systems Development Development and implementation of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for children with complex communication needs, delivered as part of Speak Freely's pediatric speech-language therapy offering.
• P.E.A.K. Speech Program (Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas) A specialized structured stair-step speech program run by Speak Freely through the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas, focusing on oral motor movement, articulation practice, and resonance support to decrease hypernasal productions in children with Down syndrome. The program teaches parents cueing strategies for carry-over of correct productions and accommodates approximately 18 new families each year.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeak Freely leads the speech program for DSACT, entering its 3rd year of operation. The P.E.A.K. (or similar) speech program is designed to assist parents in understanding their child's speech clarity deficits, teaching cueing strategies for carry-over of correct productions, and addressing behaviors during therapy tasks. The program serves approximately 18 families annually and addresses oral motor movement, articulation practice, and resonance support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Expressable: Online pediatric and adult speech therapy company delivering 1:1 SLP sessions via teletherapy. Directly comparable to Speak Freely in core service (pediatric SLP for speech, language, and feeding issues) and target customer (families seeking SLP for their children), but competes via virtual delivery rather than in-person clinics.
• Great Speech: Virtual speech therapy company offering online SLP sessions for children and adults. Comparable to Speak Freely in clinical discipline (speech-language pathology) and pediatric focus, with overlap in articulation, language, and AAC use cases, differing in telepractice-first delivery model.
• Therapy Tree: Multi-disciplinary pediatric therapy provider offering speech, occupational, and physical therapy across multiple Arizona locations. Closely comparable to Speak Freely as a multi-site pediatric therapy clinic with a similar mix of speech, language, and feeding services, differing mainly in geography.
• Chatterboxes Speech Therapy: Independent private pediatric speech therapy practice offering speech, language, and feeding services. Highly comparable to Speak Freely in size, business model (founder-owned private clinic), and pediatric SLP service mix, differing mainly in geography and specific specializations.

Broad incumbents

• BlueSprig Pediatrics: National multi-site provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and related therapy services for children with autism. Comparable to Speak Freely in serving children with autism and developmental disabilities in a clinic setting, but offers a broader autism-focused portfolio rather than specializing in SLP.
• Centria Healthcare: National provider of autism and behavioral health services, including ABA, speech, and occupational therapy for pediatric populations. Overlaps with Speak Freely in pediatric SLP and autism caseload, but operates at much larger scale and is centered on ABA rather than SLP-led care.
• Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers: Multi-site provider of pediatric autism, ABA, speech, and occupational therapy services. Comparable to Speak Freely in serving children with autism and developmental delays in a clinic-based, multi-disciplinary model, but operates at much greater scale and across many U.S. states.

Others

• EBS Healthcare: Provider of speech-language pathology, school psychology, and special education staffing and therapy services to schools and clinics. Comparable to Speak Freely in clinical SLP discipline and pediatric focus, but operating primarily as a staffing/contract services partner rather than a consumer-facing clinic.
• KidsCare Home Health: Pediatric home health agency providing speech, occupational, and physical therapy to children in their homes. Comparable to Speak Freely in pediatric SLP service mix, but delivers in-home rather than clinic-based care and operates across multiple states.
• Soliant Health: Nationwide healthcare staffing and workforce solutions company with a large speech-language pathology placement practice. Adjacent to Speak Freely in clinical SLP discipline, but operates as a recruiting/contracting intermediary rather than a therapy provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpeakFreelySLP
• Instagraminstagram.com/speakfreelyslp
• Xx.com/speakfreelyslp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/speak-freely-pllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Speak Freely