Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy is a founder-owned pediatric therapy practice providing speech, occupational, physical, feeding, and social skills therapy to children from birth through age 18 across two Southern California clinics in Newport Beach and Torrance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNewport Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy does
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy (legally Stepping Stones Therapy, Inc.) is a founder-owned, multidisciplinary pediatric therapy practice serving children from birth through age 18 in Southern California. Founded in 2005 by Brock Tropea, M.A., CCC-SLP, the company operates two clinics: a flagship facility in Newport Beach offering the full service suite (pediatric speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, feeding therapy, and social skills groups, plus a dedicated sensory gym) and a satellite clinic in Torrance opened in 2025 that delivers speech therapy and social skills groups. The practice's underlying technology is delivered through evidence-based, play-oriented clinical approaches, with certified specialists in programs such as Apraxia Kids, Feed the Peds, and the PEERS social skills curriculum, and a multidisciplinary team model in which speech, OT, PT, and feeding therapists collaborate under one roof on individualized treatment plans.
The business model is insurance-billed fee-for-service pediatric therapy. The practice is in-network with Kaiser, Cigna, and Blue Shield and serves as a vendor for the Regional Center of Orange County for regional center-eligible children. Patient intake is handled digitally, with insurance verification completed upfront. Go-to-market is referral-driven, sourcing new patients from pediatricians, developmental specialists, dentists, educators, and word-of-mouth from existing families; a free online developmental screening tool on steppingstonestherapy.org functions as a top-of-funnel lead generator. The company is privately held with 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional or PE backing indicated in the available materials.
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy
- Legal name
- Stepping Stones Therapy, Inc.
- Website
- https://steppingstonestherapy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy is a founder-owned pediatric therapy practice providing speech, occupational, physical, feeding, and social skills therapy to children from birth through age 18 across two Southern California clinics in Newport Beach and Torrance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pediatric 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 primary industry
- Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab (HSADAIAE), Physical Therapy (Early Intervention) (EDACAFAD)
Keywords
Where Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Insurance-Billed Therapy Services: Majority of revenue from insurance-billed pediatric therapy services. They accept Kaiser, Cigna, and Blue Shield. Digital paperwork and insurance verification handled during intake process.
- Regional Center of Orange County: Vendor for the Regional Center of Orange County, providing therapy services funded through regional center programs for eligible children
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Insurance-based therapy services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stepping Stones Therapy provides in-person pediatric speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapy as well as social skills groups for children from birth through age 18 at clinics in Newport Beach and Torrance, California. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of licensed therapists using evidence-based, individualized treatment plans in a sensory-integrated clinic environment, with a free online developmental screening tool supporting intake.
Product overview
Stepping Stones Therapy, Inc. is a boutique pediatric therapy practice offering specialized, comprehensive treatment plans under one roof. The company provides a full range of pediatric services including Pediatric Speech Therapy, Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Physical Therapy, Pediatric Feeding Therapy, and Social Skills Groups for Kids (ages 3 through 18). They also offer a Free Online Developmental Screening tool. The practice takes a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, combining evidence-based care with a family-centered philosophy. Services are available at two locations in Newport Beach (flagship clinic with full services and sensory gym) and Torrance (speech therapy and social skills groups only).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pediatric Speech Therapy Speech-language pathology services that help children build communication skills across early language delays through complex communication needs, addressing articulation, expressive/receptive language, pragmatic language, and fluency. Targeted at children from birth through age 18 and their families.
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy services developing fine motor, sensory processing, executive functioning, and self-care skills through play-based approaches for everyday success. Targeted at children needing support with daily living activities and school readiness.
- Pediatric Physical Therapy Physical therapy focusing on gross motor development, strength, balance, coordination, postural control, and motor planning through movement and structured play. Targeted at children working toward milestones such as crawling, walking, and improved athletic skills.
- Pediatric Feeding Therapy Certified feeding therapy addressing oral-motor skills, sensory feeding challenges, picky eating, and mealtime anxiety for infants through teens. Targeted at children and families struggling with eating, feeding, or transitioning to new food textures.
- Social Skills Groups for Kids Small group sessions helping children aged 3 through 18 build pragmatic communication and social skills including turn-taking, conversation skills, and reading nonverbal cues. Targeted at children needing peer-group social development support.
- Free Online Developmental Screening Free online checklist tool helping parents identify whether their child is meeting key developmental milestones for their age, reviewed by licensed pediatric therapy professionals. Targeted at parents seeking early identification of developmental concerns.
Quantifiable outcome
- Children make faster progress and build stronger foundations for future success at home, in school, and in life with early intervention
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Regional Center of Orange CountycoreOfficial vendor for the Regional Center of Orange County, providing pediatric therapy services to children eligible for regional center funding. Handles all paperwork and insurance verification digitally.
- KaisercoreIn-network insurance provider accepted for pediatric therapy services. Insurance benefits verified as part of intake process.
- CignacoreIn-network insurance provider accepted for pediatric therapy services. Insurance benefits verified as part of intake process.
- Blue ShieldcoreIn-network insurance provider accepted for pediatric therapy services. Insurance benefits verified as part of intake process.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- KidsCare Home Health: Multi-state home health provider offering in-home pediatric OT, PT, and speech therapy to children with developmental and complex medical needs. Competes for a portion of Stepping Stones' patient base where families prefer in-home delivery to clinic visits.
Broad incumbents
- Aveanna Healthcare: Large publicly traded home health and medical solutions provider with a pediatric therapy division delivering in-home OT, PT, and speech services. Competes for pediatric developmental therapy demand at national scale and operates with significantly greater capital and infrastructure.
- Hopebridge: Multi-site outpatient pediatric therapy provider delivering ABA, OT, PT, and speech services to children with autism across multiple U.S. states. Comparable integrated-service pediatric therapy thesis with substantially broader geographic and capital footprint.
- Cortica: National, scaled provider of multidisciplinary pediatric therapy (ABA, OT, PT, SLP, feeding) for children with autism and developmental differences. Overlaps Stepping Stones on the integrated pediatric therapy thesis but operates at significantly larger scale and with corporate backing.
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): Large national provider of ABA therapy and related services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Competes for the same referral-driven pediatric therapy demand pool Stepping Stones serves, with a heavier ABA-centric mix.
Direct peers
- STAR Institute for Sensory Processing: Specialty pediatric therapy center focused on sensory processing disorder treatment with intensive OT-led programs and a sensory gym model. Comparable in the sensory integration/OT specialty emphasized by Stepping Stones' flagship Newport Beach sensory gym.
- Soar Autism Center: Multi-state ABA and pediatric therapy provider offering clinic-based autism services including social skills group work closely comparable to Stepping Stones' social skills groups. Rapidly expanding multi-site pediatric therapy model.
- Children's Health Council: Bay Area nonprofit providing multidisciplinary pediatric therapy (speech, OT, ABA) and developmental assessment to children with autism, ADHD, and learning differences. Closely comparable multidisciplinary pediatric model, though operating in a different region of California.
- Pediatric Therapy Network: Nonprofit pediatric therapy provider headquartered in Torrance, CA offering OT, PT, and speech services to children with developmental needs across the South Bay and Greater LA. Operates in the same geography as Stepping Stones' Torrance clinic with an overlapping multidisciplinary pediatric therapy model.
Others
- EBS Healthcare / EBS Children's Institute: Provider of pediatric therapy staffing, early intervention, and direct therapy services (school-based and clinic-based) for pediatric speech, OT, and PT. Comparable in clinical discipline mix but primarily a workforce/services company rather than consumer-facing clinic operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy social profiles
Digital presenceStepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy
What does Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy do?
Stepping Stones Therapy provides in-person pediatric speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapy as well as social skills groups for children from birth through age 18 at clinics in Newport Beach and Torrance, California. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of licensed therapists using evidence-based, individualized treatment plans in a sensory-integrated clinic environment, with a free online developmental screening tool supporting intake.
Is Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy a public or private company?
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy founded?
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy based?
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy is headquartered in Newport Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Insurance-Billed Therapy Services are the primary driver. The others are regional Center of Orange County.
Who are Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy's main competitors?
KidsCare Home Health is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Aveanna Healthcare, Hopebridge, Cortica and Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). Direct peers are STAR Institute for Sensory Processing, Soar Autism Center, Children's Health Council and Pediatric Therapy Network. EBS Healthcare / EBS Children's Institute is listed as an others.
Does Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy.
What industry is Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy in?
Stepping Stones Therapy & Learning Academy's product category is Pediatric Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAJAL, Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP), with a secondary code of HSADAIAE, Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab. Its NAICS code is 621340 and its SIC code is 8093.