Speech Pathology & Education Center

What Speech Pathology & Education Center does

Speech Pathology & Education Center (SPEC, DBA; legal entity Speech Pathology & Educational Center, Inc.) is a privately held, founder-owned pediatric therapy practice headquartered at 8590 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL. Founded by Millie Martinez Suarez, MS, CCC-SLP — a practicing clinician since 1979 who opened the entity in 1991 — the center provides speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, developmental intervention via its ABA-based FUNdamentals program, developmental screenings (hearing, vision, speech/language), social-pragmatic groups (SPEC Explorers ages 4-7, Social Skills Group, SPEC Detectives ages 8-10), educational programs (Toddler Talk, Hands on Writing, SPEC First Friends), parent coaching, and seasonal intensive programs (SPEC/FIU Summer Treatment Program and Summer Academy). Services are delivered through four channels: the central Miami clinic, a HIPAA-compliant teletherapy platform, on-site at partner schools and daycares across Miami-Dade County, and community outreach screenings.

The business operates as a single-clinic pediatric therapy practice with a multidisciplinary, bilingual (English/Spanish) clinical team including certified speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers, and counselors. The technology stack is modest: a standard high-resolution live video conferencing teletherapy platform with HIPAA-compliant encryption for remote service delivery; no proprietary software, APIs, or AI/ML systems are indicated. Revenue mechanics combine insurance reimbursement (verified per patient), private pay, and — for eligible families — full coverage through five Florida scholarship and grant programs (Step Up for Students Unique Abilities, Bridge Disability, Florida Safety Net CMS, ELC VPK Specialized Instructional Services, Act 4 Me). The go-to-market motion is sales-led and referral-driven, relying on physician referrals, parent word-of-mouth, community outreach at schools and daycares, and partnerships with FIU, Albizu University, and area schools. The company serves a multicultural Miami-Dade population and reports over 32 years of operation with thousands of pediatric outcomes.

Name

Speech Pathology & Education Center

Legal name

Speech Pathology & Educational Center, Inc.

Website

https://specmiami.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Speech Pathology & Education Center is a Miami-Dade pediatric therapy practice delivering bilingual speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, ABA-based developmental intervention, screenings, and social groups to children with developmental delays via clinic, teletherapy, and partner schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Speech and Occupational Therapy

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG), Speech & Language Therapy (Early Intervention) (EDACAFAB), Language Disorders Intervention (Receptive/Expressive, Morphology/Syntax/Semantics) (EDAKAEAE)

Keywords

• Pediatric speech therapy
• Occupational therapy services
• Developmental intervention
• Speech language pathology
• Pediatric therapy center

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Therapy Services: Direct therapy services including speech-language therapy and occupational therapy provided at clinic, via teletherapy, or at partner schools. Revenue generated through insurance reimbursement, private pay, and scholarship funding programs.
2. Educational Programs: Educational programs including Toddler Talk, Hands on Writing, SPEC First Friends, and Simple Study Skills for grades 3-8.
3. Summer Treatment Program: SPEC/FIU Summer Treatment Program and Summer Academy - intensive summer programs for children.
4. Screening Services: Developmental screenings for hearing, vision, speech and language provided at schools, daycares, and at the center.
5. Social Skills Groups: Social-pragmatic groups including SPEC Explorers (ages 4-7), Social Skills Group, and SPEC Detectives (ages 8-10).
6. Scholarship-Supported Services: Services fully covered by scholarship programs including Step Up for Students (Unique Abilities), Bridge Disability, Florida Safety Net CMS, ELC VPK Specialized Instructional Services, and Act 4 Me.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Speech Pathology & Education Center (SPEC) is a Miami-based pediatric therapy practice providing speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, developmental intervention using ABA principles, social skills groups, screenings, teletherapy, and educational programs for children with developmental delays. Services are delivered in-person at the central Miami clinic, via HIPAA-compliant teletherapy, and on-site at partner schools and daycares throughout Miami Dade County, with scholarship and insurance-supported funding options.

Product overview

Speech Pathology & Educational Center (SPEC) is a pediatric speech and occupational therapy practice offering a comprehensive suite of services through a single unified practice model. The core offerings include Speech Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy as primary services, supplemented by developmental intervention through the FUNdamentals ABA-based program, screening services (hearing, vision, speech/language), and social skills groups (SPEC Explorers, Social Skills Group, SPEC Detectives). Services are delivered in-person at the Miami clinic, via Teletherapy (HIPAA-compliant video conferencing), and at schools/daycares. Educational Programs (Toddler Talk, Hands on Writing, SPEC First Friends) work hand-in-hand with treatment programs, while the SPEC/FIU Summer Treatment Program and Summer Academy provide extended care. Parent Coaching and observation opportunities complement the family-centered approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speech Language Therapy Comprehensive evaluation and treatment of pediatric speech and language disorders, including articulation, phonology, receptive/expressive language, voice, fluency, oral-motor functioning, pragmatic language, and auditory processing. Sessions run 30-60 minutes and are delivered at the center, daycares, schools, or via home programs.
• Occupational Therapy Pediatric occupational therapy addressing sensory integration, fine and gross motor skills, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, self-care, attention skills, social skills, and pre-writing/handwriting skills through developmentally appropriate, individually tailored activities.
• FUNdamentals Developmental Intervention Program Intensive 1:1 early intervention program following applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles, targeting receptive/expressive language, cognitive skills, gross and fine motor skills, socialization, and self-help skills such as feeding and dressing. Designed for children with developmental delays and autism.
• Screenings Developmental screenings including audiometric hearing tests (250Hz-8000Hz for children 3+), tympanometry (middle ear function), Welch Allyn SureSight vision screening, and standardized speech and language screenings, delivered in 30-minute increments on-site or at the center.
• Social Skills Groups Social-pragmatic groups including SPEC Explorers (ages 4-7), an 8-session Social Skills Group teaching Social Thinking Vocabulary, and SPEC Detectives (ages 8-10). Focus areas include self-awareness, perspective-taking, social problem-solving, expected/unexpected behavior, and body/brain awareness.
• Teletherapy Online delivery of speech and occupational therapy services via high-resolution, live video conferencing using webcams, headsets, and a synchronous online learning environment. HIPAA-compliant, encrypted, with technical support provided.
• Educational Programs Educational treatment programs including Toddler Talk, Hands on Writing, SPEC First Friends, and SPEC First Friends vs Pre-K. Programs complement speech and language treatment and address communication disorders through structured curricula.
• SPEC/FIU Summer Treatment Program Intensive summer treatment program offered in partnership with Florida International University (FIU) for children needing specialized therapeutic intervention during summer months.
• SPEC/FIU Summer Academy Summer academic program offered in partnership with Florida International University (FIU) for continued educational development during summer break.
• Parent Coaching Family-centered coaching that integrates parents into therapy, including observation through a one-way mirror in treatment offices and home program recommendations for carryover of skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of children have achieved remarkable, life-changing results
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida International University (FIU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Summer Treatment Program and Summer Academy. FIU Communication Services collaboration. Director Millie Suarez taught as adjunct professor at FIU for 12 years.
• Albizu University MiamicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical education partnership with Disorders Department. Director Millie Martinez Suarez serves as Clinical Education Coordinator at Albizu University, supervising clinical experiences and placing students in practicum sites.
• Citrus Health NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership to provide seminars and educational outreach to families.
• Parent to Parent of Miami-Dade CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership to support families of children with special needs.
• Step Up for StudentscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerScholarship program (Unique Abilities) that fully covers fees for SPEC services for eligible children.
• Bridge DisabilitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerScholarship program that fully covers fees for SPEC services for eligible children.
• Florida Safety Net CMScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFlorida Health Department program covering fees for SPEC services for eligible children.
• ELC (Early Learning Coalition) VPK Specialized Instructional ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVPK program covering specialized instructional services at SPEC for eligible children.
• Act 4 MecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerScholarship program covering fees for SPEC services for eligible children.
• The Children's TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMiami-Dade County organization providing community support and resources for children's services.
• Area Schools and DaycarescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner schools and daycares including St. Agatha, St. Theresa, Lourdes, OIA, Star, Kids Steps, Early Discovery, Ephiphany Catholic School and others where SPEC provides screenings and therapy services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Hello Foundation: Pediatric speech-language and occupational therapy clinic combining in-person care with teletherapy across the U.S. Mirrors SPEC's hybrid delivery (clinic + teletherapy) and multidisciplinary therapy suite.
• Great Speech: Virtual speech-language therapy provider delivering teletherapy to children and adults across the U.S. Directly comparable to SPEC on teletherapy delivery, pediatric SLP focus, and insurance-based reimbursement model.
• Expressable: Online speech-language therapy practice pairing families with licensed SLPs via telehealth. Comparable in business model (insurance-reimbursed pediatric SLP), payer mix, and asynchronous-to-synchronous teletherapy stack.
• Better Speech: Online speech-therapy provider serving children and adults via live teletherapy sessions. Comparable to SPEC's teletherapy product, asynchronous support tooling, and insurance/individual-payor mix.
• TinyEYE Therapy Services: Telepractice provider offering online speech and OT services primarily to U.S. and Canadian schools. Comparable on teletherapy delivery, pediatric therapy mix, and school-district channel partnerships.
• PresenceLearning: Teletherapy platform delivering speech, OT, and mental-health services to K-12 schools, with school-district contracts as the core GTM. Directly mirrors SPEC's school-channel teletherapy model, scaled nationally.

Broad incumbents

• Therapy Brands: Provider of practice management, EHR, and billing software for pediatric therapy clinics, ABA, and behavioral health practices. Adjacent incumbent serving many of the same pediatric therapy customer operators that SPEC belongs to.
• EBS Healthcare (recruitment & staffing): National provider of speech, OT, and school-psychology staffing plus clinical services to schools. Comparable adjacent player competing for the same licensed-therapy labor pool SPEC depends on.

Emerging players

• Cortica: Multi-disciplinary pediatric therapy provider combining ABA, speech, OT, and developmental services for autism and developmental delays. Comparable on the ABA + speech + OT cross-disciplinary model that SPEC's FUNdamentals represents.

Regional players

• Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy: Multi-site pediatric speech and OT clinic in the U.S. southeast with hybrid in-clinic/teletherapy delivery. Comparable on pediatric therapy mix, family-centric positioning, and regional-scaling thesis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Specmiami
• Instagraminstagram.com/specmiami
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/speech-pathology-and-educational-center-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Speech Pathology & Education Center