Strides Therapy and Educational Services

What Strides Therapy and Educational Services does

Strides Therapy and Educational Services is a privately held, founder-owned pediatric therapy practice headquartered in Davidsonville/Annapolis, Maryland, founded in 2014 by Loren J. Dlugos, M.S. CCC-SLP. The company delivers speech, language, literacy (reading/dyslexia), and feeding therapy to children from birth through adolescence using a family-centered, play-based clinical approach rooted in standardized assessments and evidence-based interventions. Core clinical service lines include Speech Therapy, Reading and Dyslexia Services, Feeding Therapy, and adjunct clinical activities (Screenings, Evaluations, Treatment), delivered either in-person across multiple Anne Arundel County locations or via teletherapy for the speech therapy service line.

The company operates two distinct go-to-market motions in parallel. In the direct-to-consumer channel, services are sold to families in the Crofton, Gambrills, Bowie, Annapolis, and Davidsonville catchment, with payments processed through insurance (United Healthcare, Optum, Kaiser, Cigna, MD Medicaid, Tricare, Johns Hopkins EHP and US Family Health Plan), private pay (with a prompt-pay discount), or out-of-network superbill reimbursement. In the B2B channel, the firm has provided contract therapy and educational staffing (Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, special and regular educators, nurses) to Maryland public and private school systems across 13+ counties since 2015, with subsequent expansion into Pennsylvania and Florida districts.

Revenue mechanics blend recurring insurance-billed clinical hours with negotiated multi-year institutional staffing contracts. The firm differentiates on clinician credentials (ASHA-certified SLPs, founder with ASHA ACE awards 2008/2017), MBE/WBE certifications that secure preferential school district procurement access, and a dual in-person plus teletherapy delivery model. With approximately 12 named staff and stated headcount of 1-10 employees, Strides remains a small, founder-led practice rather than a venture-backed scalable platform.

Name

Strides Therapy and Educational Services

Legal name

Strides Therapy and Educational Services

Website

https://stridesspeechtherapy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strides Therapy and Educational Services is a Maryland-based pediatric therapy practice delivering speech, reading/dyslexia, and feeding therapy to children via in-person clinics and teletherapy, while providing contract therapy staffing to public and private school systems across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Davidsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance-Based Therapy Services: The company is in-network with multiple commercial and state insurance plans including United Healthcare, Optum, Kaiser, Cigna, MD Medicaid, Tricare, Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs, and Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan. Therapy services are billed through insurance for covered clients.
2. Private Pay / Out-of-Pocket: Private pay clients are charged directly for services. The company offers a prompt pay discount for those paying out of pocket. A superbill is provided for out-of-network clients to submit to their insurance for reimbursement.
3. Contract Therapy Staffing Services: Provides qualified Speech-Language Pathologists and other therapy/educational professionals to public school systems and private practices on a contractual basis. Revenue is generated by placing clinicians in school-based and private practice positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Strides Therapy and Educational Services is a pediatric therapy practice that delivers evidence-based speech-language, reading/dyslexia, and feeding therapy to children from birth through adolescence, both in-person at its Maryland clinics and via teletherapy. In parallel, the practice operates a contract staffing business placing qualified Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, special educators, and related professionals into public and private school systems and private practices across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Services are reimbursed through major commercial and state insurance plans, private pay with prompt pay discounts, and institutional contracts.

Product overview

Strides Therapy and Educational Services is a pediatric therapy practice offering a unified suite of clinical services centered around speech-language pathology. The core offerings include Speech Therapy, Reading and Dyslexia Services, Feeding Therapy, and Contract Therapy Services for schools. These are supported by clinical service components including Screenings, Evaluations, and Treatment sessions. All services are available both in-person at their Maryland locations and via Teletherapy for remote delivery. The company operates primarily in Anne Arundel County, serving children in Crofton, Gambrills, Bowie, Annapolis, Davidsonville, and surrounding areas since 2015.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speech Therapy Comprehensive speech and language evaluations and treatment for children from birth through adolescence, addressing language delays, articulation and phonological disorders, apraxia, stuttering, social skills/pragmatic disorders, early literacy deficits, cognitive-linguistic deficits, dysarthria, and dysphagia. Delivered in-person at Maryland clinic locations and via teletherapy. Includes standardized assessments, individualized treatment plans, parent training, and ongoing progress monitoring.
• Reading and Dyslexia Services Literacy support services addressing dyslexia and language learning disorders in children, developing reading, writing, and communication skills through evidence-based interventions. Designed for pediatric clients with early literacy deficits and language-based reading difficulties.
• Feeding Therapy Feeding therapy services for pediatric feeding disorders, addressing difficulties with breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, advancing to solids, picky eating, and oral sensory-motor difficulties. Designed for infants and children with feeding challenges that may impact weight gain or nutrition.
• Contract Therapy Services Contract placement of qualified Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, special educators, regular educators, ESOL Teachers, School Nurses, and para-professionals into public school systems and private practices. Services span 13+ Maryland counties plus Pennsylvania and Florida districts, addressing staffing shortages and compliance with HB-486 background check requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 70-80% of children with atypical stuttering events eventually stop stuttering without formal intervention (per cited research).
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maryland Public School SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrides Therapy and Educational Services has been providing qualified Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, special and regular educators, specialized teachers, and nurses to local public school systems in Maryland since 2015. The company is a certified MBE (MDOT) and WBE (WBENC), providing preferential access to school district contracts. Services span 13+ Maryland counties including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Charles, Harford, Montgomery, Wicomico, Cecil, Frederick, Prince Georges, Queen Anne's, and St. Mary's.
• Private Schools (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContract therapy services are also provided to private schools in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The company places Speech-Language Pathologists and support staff in private practice settings as well as private educational institutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stridesspeechtherapy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strides-speech-therapy
• Instagraminstagram.com/stridesspeechtherapy

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Strides Therapy and Educational Services