A Speech and Language School in Greater Philadelphia
Not being able to speak is not the same as having nothing to say.
The Talk School is a school like no other: Now celebrating our 25th year of helping children find their individual voices and transform their lives.
Where thoughts
become communication, and communication becomes possibility.
We know you’ve been told what your child can't do. We start with what they can. The Talk School is a full-day speech and language school near Philadelphia, in Newtown Square, PA, licensed to serve children ages 3 to 21 whose language works differently. Not a program you visit a few times a week, but a school, a whole day built around helping your child be understood– while providing the educational foundation all children should receive
A School for Nonspeaking Children in Pennsylvania
The only speech and language school in Pennsylvania and the greater region, built for children with diverse learning needs.
Every child who comes here has their own way of being heard, whether that's spoken words, a device, or sounds and signs the world hasn't learned to read yet. No two of our students sound alike. We meet each of those voices where they are.
Children come to us from all across the Philadelphia region, and some families move here just to attend, because there is truly nowhere else like it. We teach reading and language through refined, structured, multisensory methods, and we begin from the one belief that changes everything: not being able to speak is not the same as having nothing to say.
Talk is not only a game changer, its a life changer
What Talk Parents Have to Say
Why Families Choose a Full-Day Therapeutic School
One place where education, therapy, and individualized support come together seamlessly.
You know the exhaustion of a dozen appointments in a dozen places: the driving, the waiting rooms, the telling and retelling of your child's story. Here, all of it lives under one roof, woven through every hour of the day.
Up to 10.5 hrs
hours of speech and language therapy every week, folded into the school day.
1:1
ratio of aides to student with only 8 students per class so everyone gets individualized attention.
11 months
months of school a year, so the progress your child works for does not slip away each summer.
2 to 4 hrs
hours of occupational therapy weekly, individually and in the classroom.
The Talk School Approach
Dive deeper to learn more about The Talk School
Intensive.
Individualized.
Who We Serve
A school for nonspeaking children, and for kids who learn and communicate in their own way.
If your child has been called “too complex,” or “too far behind,” you may have just found their place.
We’re not intimidated by diagnoses like apraxia or autism. In fact, we’re built for those. And AAC devices in the classroom are welcome if that is what a child needs. All we need to know is that a child is ready to learn alongside others with strong support, and families ready to walk this road with us. See if The Talk School is the right fit for your family.
And if a full day is not the right fit right now, our outpatient services can be a gentler place to start.
From Our Families
The relief of being understood
The Talk School has been a true blessing for our family.
The support and progress I have seen over the years for my son Aiden, has been nothing short of remarkable. They have a special way of approaching my son’s struggle in communicating verbally. The staff does it with such patience, expertise, and compassion. It’s incredible to see how much my son has grown over the years! I’m so grateful for the caring environment they provide. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.
Beyond the numbers, there is hope!
When we found The Talk School, we found hope. Before we found The Talk School, we were lost. Statistics work against the non-speaking community, but Talk takes those numbers out of the equation. Our kiddo has a hard time showing how much he knows and understands. But having him at The Talk School, we finally have a place that not only sees our son's potential, but recognizes his natural intelligence.
For our family, Talk was a game changer and a life changer.
They figure out what he and the other kids need and they build around them. And when things are hard, they don’t make you feel like you’re on your own. They work through it with you because we’re all on the same team. And I really don’t know what our lives would look like if we hadn’t found Talk. It’s his school. It’s his place. And as his dad, that’s everything.
Talk has been the best decision we have made for Emmet, by far.
He continues to learn, be challenged, and grow in so many ways at this school. The curriculum, staff, and teachers go above and beyond and are truly invested in what they do. They bring out the best in Emmet, encourage him every day, and genuinely listen to him and understand what he needs to succeed. Thank you, Talk, for all you do every day and for your amazing team of dedicated superheroes who fight for our guy endlessly!
Want to know what life can be after Talk? See for yourself.
More Than Therapy
Underneath all the expertise, this is a childhood. A place where kids get to be kids.
Music therapy, art, gardening, and a much-loved therapy dog give every child new ways to express themselves, to connect, and simply to have fun, all woven into the same day as their academics and therapy.
The Talk School Story
Started by parents who would not take no for an answer.
The Talk School began twenty-five years ago, when a handful of parents refused to accept that no school existed for their children. So they built one. That same stubborn love still runs through everything we do, because children do not stay children while the world catches up.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about The Talk School
How do families pay for The Talk School?
Most students are funded through their local school district, often after an advocacy step. We know that can feel daunting, so our admissions team walks families through every part of it, and EITC scholarships are sometimes also available for families who qualify. Learn more about EITC.
Where is The Talk School, and what areas do you serve?
Our campus is in Newtown Square, PA, in Delaware County, and families come to us from all across greater Philadelphia, including the Main Line, Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the Wilmington area. We also have had numerous families who have moved here from across the country because The Talk School was the right fit for them.
Do you offer part-time or outpatient services?
Yes. Our outpatient therapy offers part-time speech and occupational therapy for preschool and school-age children, separate from full-day enrollment, and it can be a gentler first step for the child who is not yet able to handle a full-day classroom experience.
Is The Talk School a full school or a part-time program?
A full school. We are a full-day, full-time, 11-month day school licensed to serve children ages 3 to 21. Therapy is built right into the school day through our integrated academic and therapeutic model as well as in individual sessions with expert therapists. We are a licensed private special education school focused on speech and language, and a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS).
What makes The Talk School a good fit for your family?
Children whose primary need is speech and language, including multi-modal children and children with childhood apraxia of speech, autism, and other communication differences. Many students communicate using AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) devices. We embrace multimodal communicators.
The Future of Talk
25 years of refusing to take no for an answer. Now, we're building what's next.
The Talk School exists because a few parents wouldn't accept that no school existed for their children. That same stubborn love is what gets us to our next chapter: full enrollment, research partnerships that prove what works, and a lasting home for every child who learns to communicate here. Investing in Talk is investing in the next twenty-five years of that story.
