Communication Works

What Communication Works does

Communication Works (legal entity: CW Speech & Language Pathologists, Inc.) is a private speech-language pathology firm founded in 2004 and headquartered in Lafayette, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The company delivers speech, language, and social therapy services directly in public, non-public, and private school settings, as well as through county programs, regional centers, and in-home engagements with families and individuals. Beyond direct therapy, Communication Works runs an integrated SLP career pipeline comprising a University Internship Program, a Clinical Fellowship (CF) Program, tiered supervision and mentor training, and a growing portfolio of state-certified continuing education (CEU) courses priced between $20 and $59.

The business model is anchored in recurring school-based therapy contracts, supplemented by professional-services revenue from CEU courses and in-home/compensatory services. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: partnerships with school districts, county programs, and regional centers across a single metro area. Pricing for CEU training follows a one-time pay-as-you-go model with tiered rates (early bird, regular, student). The firm invests in content marketing (Wellness Works, Book Works, Communication Works blogs), email newsletters via Constant Contact, social channels, and conference presence at events such as CSHA Convergence 2025 to recruit both clinicians and institutional clients.

Communication Works is bootstrapped, SLP-owned, and operates without external investors, parent companies, or disclosed M&A activity. Its 11-50 employee base, multi-decade operating history, and award-winning regional reputation position it as a stable niche player in California school-based SLP, with a recently expanded training product line as its primary growth lever. No proprietary technology platform, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the firm's defensibility rests on clinician talent, supervision infrastructure, and embedded school relationships rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Communication Works

Legal name

CW Speech & Language Pathologists, Inc.

Website

https://cwtherapy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Communication Works provides speech, language, and social therapy services to schools, families, and regional centers across the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 2004 by SLPs, the firm also operates internship, clinical fellowship, supervision, and continuing education programs for speech-language pathologists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speech-Language Pathology Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Home Health Care Services (6216), Home Health Care Services (62161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

School-Based Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Services (EDAKAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Related Therapy Services (Speech, Occupational, Physical, Feeding) (EDAJAKAD), Classroom-Based / Push-In & Curriculum-Embedded SLP Services (EDAKAEAK), IEP Speech/Language Evaluation, Goal Setting & Compliance Documentation (EDAKAEAC), Home Health Therapy Services (PT/OT/SLP) Providers (HLAFAEAM)

Keywords

• Speech language pathology
• School-based therapy services
• Clinical fellowship training
• Continuing education courses
• Social communication therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School-based therapy services: Providing speech, language, and social therapy services to students in public schools, private schools, county programs, and regional centers
2. Professional Training/CEU Courses: Continuing education units and professional training workshops for SLPs and educators with registration fees ranging from $30-59 per course
3. In-home services: Therapy services provided in-home settings for families and individuals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Communication Works provides speech, language, and social therapy services delivered primarily in school-based settings (public, non-public, and private schools) across the San Francisco Bay Area, with additional in-home therapy for families and regional center/county program partnerships. The company supplements its clinical services with professional development offerings, including a Clinical Fellowship Program, a University Internship Program, supervisor/mentor training, and state-approved continuing education (CEU) training courses for external SLPs and educators.

Product overview

Communication Works is an award-winning speech-language pathology company that provides a comprehensive suite of therapeutic and professional development services. The core offering consists of speech, language, and social therapy services delivered in school-based settings. Supporting this are specialized programs including a University Internship Program for graduate students, a Clinical Fellowship Program for new SLPs, School Services partnerships, Professional Training with CEU credits, and Supervision/Mentor SLP Training. The company also provides wellness resources through its blog. Together, these services form an integrated ecosystem supporting the entire career continuum from student intern to licensed SLP, with a focus on school-based settings throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speech, Language, and Social Therapy Services Core therapeutic services providing speech, language, and social therapy to students in school-based settings (public, non-public, and private schools, county programs, and regional centers) and to families/individuals in in-home environments across the San Francisco Bay Area. Targets students and individuals with communication disorders, social-emotional challenges, autism spectrum needs, and speech sound disorders.
• Clinical Fellowship Program Comprehensive Clinical Fellowship (CF) year program providing unparalleled supervision and personalized matching for aspiring speech-language pathologists, with access to the entire supervision team throughout each stage of the fellowship year. Designed for graduate students transitioning to licensed SLP practice, with specialty focus areas including AAC/AT, Social Communication/Regulation, Bilingual (Spanish), SDC, and Motor Speech.
• University Internship Program Graduate student internship program partnering with local and out-of-state universities to provide clinical training in school-based settings, pairing graduate students with Mentor SLPs for hands-on experience in speech-language pathology practice. Designed for SLP graduate students seeking school-based clinical placements.
• Professional Training (Continuing Education / CEU Courses) Continuing education (CEU) training and consultation services provided by qualified specialists to therapists, educators, and the community. State of California-approved CEU provider offering individual courses on topics such as R Errors, Implicit Bias, Teaching Flexibility, and Neurodiversity, priced from $10 (student rate) to $59 (regular rate) per training. Designed for licensed SLPs, clinical fellows, graduate students, and educators seeking California State Board CEU credits.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)coreOthersProfessional association membership demonstrating commitment to national standards and continuing education for speech-language pathologists
• CSHA (California Speech and Hearing Association)coreOthersState-level professional association partnership; CW presents at CSHA Convergence conferences and participates in state-level professional development initiatives
• University ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local and out-of-state universities for graduate student clinical training through the University Internship Program
• Make Social Learning StickminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Make Social Learning Stick for parent webinars and resources during pandemic support

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EBS Healthcare: EBS Healthcare provides school-based and pediatric speech, occupational, and physical therapy staffing and direct services across multiple states. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Communication Works in the school-based SLP services model.
• The Hello Foundation: The Hello Foundation is a speech-language pathology and school psychology provider serving schools in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest with a telepractice-forward model. It mirrors CW's school-based SLP delivery model and cultural focus on supporting clinicians.

Regional players

• Speech Pathology Group: Speech Pathology Group offers speech-language pathology and occupational therapy services primarily in Northern California, including school-based contracts. It is a regional peer competing for the same Bay Area school and regional center business.
• Pediatric Therapy Network: Pediatric Therapy Network provides SLP, OT, and PT services to children in Southern California. It is a comparable pediatric therapy services provider in California, although it operates in a different geographic market and broader clinical setting.

Broad incumbents

• BAYADA Home Health Care: BAYADA is a large national home health provider offering pediatric and adult SLP, OT, and PT services. It overlaps with CW's in-home/compensatory service line and competes for the same SLP labor pool, but at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Soliant Health: Soliant Health is a major healthcare staffing firm placing SLPs, OTs, and PTs in school and clinical settings nationwide. It competes directly with CW for school-based SLP contracts and clinician talent, but at a much larger national scale.
• Maxim Healthcare Services: Maxim is a large national provider of home health, behavioral, and school-based therapy services. It competes with CW on school contracts and home-based speech services, with substantially broader geographic reach and corporate scale.
• Sunbelt Staffing: Sunbelt Staffing is a national therapy and education staffing company placing SLPs, OTs, and school psychologists in schools. It competes with CW for both school contracts and clinician placements, though at significantly larger scale.
• Therapy Travelers (AlliedUP): Therapy Travelers places school-based SLPs, OTs, and PTs in districts across the U.S. It is a relevant comparator on the school-based therapy staffing business model that underpins CW's revenue.

Emerging players

• PresenceLearning: PresenceLearning delivers online speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and behavioral services to K-12 schools via telepractice. It represents an emerging, technology-enabled alternative to in-person school-based SLP services like CW's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cwtherapy510
• Facebookfacebook.com/communicationworkstherapy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communication-works
• Instagraminstagram.com/communicationworks

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Communication Works