Frequently Asked Questions

We’ll tell you directly, and we’ll tell you why. If our team decides Talk isn’t the right placement right now, Daniela will call within three business days to talk it through, share what we observed, and where we can, point you toward what might help your child become classroom-ready or which setting may serve them better.Every specific in these is pulled from the seven steps already on the page, so nothing here can be contradicted later. The two that would sharpen most if Kristen ever does weigh in are the total timeline and the document checklist — both currently route to Daniela instead, which is defensible on an admissions page anyway.

Earlier than feels necessary. Availability varies by age and classroom from year to year, so starting the conversation well before you need a placement gives your family the most options. Even if you’re only beginning to explore, a tour is a low-pressure first step.

We’ll ask for the records that help us understand your child, which generally means recent evaluations, a current IEP if there is one, and reports from any speech, occupational therapy, or psychological services. Daniela sends the specific list once you’ve started an inquiry, so you’re never guessing at what’s needed.

District funding usually follows a formal evaluation, and for some families it takes advocacy, legal support, or a due process step to get there. That part of the road is genuinely hard, and it’s the part families most often feel alone in. Our admissions team can explain how the process typically works and what other families have navigated, so you know what you’re walking into.

It varies, mostly because the pace depends on how quickly your child’s records arrive and how your district’s process unfolds. Once we have documentation, a placement evaluation is typically scheduled at least two weeks out, the trial placement runs three to four days, and you’ll hear our decision within five business days after that. Daniela can give you a realistic timeline for your family’s situation.

School districts within a 10 mile radius will provide transportation. School districts that place students at Talk MAY provide transportation.

Talk does not provide lunch and students are responsible to bring their own. Talk is a Tree Nut, Peanut and Mustard Free Building. It is important that all families adhere to this policy.

The method was passed down from Ms. McGinnis to her students, who established their own schools and mentored a few colleagues. Dedicated to their schools and the children, most were unable to devote much time to promotion.* And because there is nothing to buy or sell, no one has ever had an interest in marketing the method. In fact, in all but the most advanced levels of the Method -- when students are transitioned to traditional texts -- the teachers, themselves, make nearly all of the materials. It is also worth noting that an effective Association Method program is not that easy to replicate. While the basics of the technique are relatively easy to acquire, truly effective application requires significant skill, experience and diligence.

*It must be acknowledged that Maureen Martin, Director of the Dubard School for Language Disorders in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and her predecessor, Etoile Dubard, have made it their mission to provide professional development in the Method. Thanks to their efforts the Method is more readily available in the South.

Federal and state law requires that all children receive a free appropriate public education, known as FAPE.

There are many answers to this question and most are complicated. However, Talk School believes that the exponential rise in the occurrence of autism and other language disorders in the pre- and school-age population, has overwhelmed local school districts and caught them unprepared. Many have insufficient experience with these types of problems and are just now learning how to address them. Cost is also undeniably an important factor. Because appropriate remediation and education for these kids is both time and labor intensive, the cost is high. In addition, the inefficiency of current delivery systems adds significantly to the expense. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Autism Task Force states, "In the last 15 years, the number of individuals in PA diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder increased 2000%." It goes on to state, "The current education system (in PA) does not meet the needs of people living with autism. Schools must focus on the communication, language and social skills needs of children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder”). Extensive language training should be provided. The Task Force found that required related services (such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, education audiologist, etc.) are often not provided on a timely basis, if at all.

In many cases, educational agencies have struggled to provide a timely and adequate response. Consequently, there is often intense debate over what "appropriate" means in the context of each individual child's needs.

Children are frequently placed in existing programs that only partially address their needs. Some curricula limit a child's potential by assuming low expectations and focusing solely on achieving those. Most children receive just one to two hours of speech therapy per week, which is clearly insufficient for those with severe impairments. As a result, parents who can afford it often pay out-of-pocket for additional, expensive hours of therapy. Additionally, many of these children have other issues that require services like occupational therapy, which is crucial for their development.

At Talk School, we believe, and clinicians strongly agree, that the only truly appropriate program is one that offers full-time immersion in a language-based, fully integrated therapeutic and educational environment.

Communication disorders, such as absent or impaired speech and language, are commonly associated with autism. Currently available tools, resources, and delivery systems suggest that fewer than half of autistic children will achieve speech. Additionally, many children with language disorders, regardless of their medical diagnoses, exhibit characteristics similar to those of autistic individuals. These common features include delays in social and relational development, sensory system disturbances, motor planning difficulties, and behavioral challenges.

In simple terms, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a condition where kids have trouble planning and coordinating the movements needed to speak. This means they can’t say words clearly and consistently, even though their muscles are working fine. It might be due to known or unknown brain issues or just happen on its own. The main problem is that their brain struggles to organize how to move their mouth and tongue in the right way to make sounds and words.

Talk School was founded in 2002 by parents seeking better support for their children with autism and language disorders, who were frustrated by the lack of suitable programs. Initial funding came from a grassroots campaign, bolstered by the generosity of individuals and corporate donors. The school's name accurately reflects its mission and activities. Today, Talk School stands as the only full-time program in the Northeast dedicated to serving school-age children with severe communication disorders.

The numbers are concerning and growing at epidemic rates. Accurate tallies are hard to reach because many of the individuals fit more than one reporting category and would therefore be counted more than once. However, according to the CDC’s 2023 report, 1 in 36 children in the United States has an Autism Diagnosis. Therefore, if we add to these figures all those children who have CAS without autism, or the many thousands who have other neurological problems leading to speech and language deficits, we are clearly talking about staggering figures.

If a full day would serve your child better, we are glad to talk it through. Our full-day school is built for children whose primary need is speech and language.

Complete the inquiry form on this page to tell us about your child, and our team will follow up within one to two business days.

Our pediatric speech and occupational therapy serves preschool and school-age children with mild to moderate needs in communication, sensory, and motor development. Families do not need to be enrolled in our full-day school.

All sessions take place at our campus at 6 Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA, Monday to Friday beginning at 3:30 pm. Frequency and length are arranged with your therapist.

Not at this time. We are private, self-pay, but we will provide an itemized list of services you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.

Sessions are $72.50 for 30 minutes and $145 for 60 minutes, with payment due at the time of service. Itemized receipts are available for families seeking out-of-network reimbursement.

Yes. They are part of our creative and expressive therapies, supporting the same communication, confidence, and social-emotional goals as our other therapeutic work.

Music therapy, art, and dog therapy are part of every student’s week at The Talk School.

Time with the therapy dog is optional and introduced thoughtfully, so students who are unsure or sensitive can choose their own level of interaction.

Yes. These specials are facilitated by trained staff and treated as part of each student’s broader therapeutic and developmental plan, not simply free time.

A longer year limits the skill regression that a long summer break can cause, so students keep building on what they have learned.

Instruction is data-driven: teachers and therapists track progress closely and adjust a student’s plan as soon as they are ready for the next step.

It means a child can take part in a group setting, with support, for meaningful stretches of the day. It looks different for every child, and our admissions team can help you understand what it means for yours.

Classrooms are small, no more than eight students, and grouped by academic and communication level rather than strictly by age.

Yes. Students study reading, math, science, and social studies, taught in a way built around how each child actually learns, across an 11-month school year.

Our team helps families connect with trusted outside specialists when needed, and we encourage attention to treatable medical conditions that can quietly affect learning.

Yes. We ask parents to be partners, offering training and mentoring in our approaches so progress continues at home. We draw no line between home and school.

Most students receive about 9.5 to 10.5 hours of speech and language therapy and 2 to 4 hours of occupational therapy each week.

It is occupational therapy that helps a child’s brain organize sensations like sound, touch, and movement, so the world feels manageable and the child can stay calm and engaged.

It is a relationship-based approach where a therapist follows a child’s lead through play to build attention, connection, and communication, at the child’s own pace.

Most speech and occupational therapy happens right in the classroom, alongside academics, so a child never loses learning time to get the support they need. Students also receive individual therapy sessions to address their own unique needs.

Yes. Families report smooth transitions, because the structured, sequential skills built here transfer well to other reading and language programs.

Both methods are highly structured and multisensory, meaning a child uses visual, auditory and tactile pathways for learning and nothing new is introduced before the last step is secure.

Students are supported through the Association Method, individualized to their pace and needs. Our admissions team can talk through fit for your specific child.

SPIRE is a structured, multisensory reading program grounded in Orton-Gillingham and aligned with the Science of Reading, especially effective for students with language-based learning differences.

It is our core language curriculum, a structured, step-by-step, multisensory approach that builds from individual sounds to words, sentences, and full stories.

Yes. Families who need part-time support rather than a full-day school can work with our Outpatient Therapy team, which offers speech and occupational therapy for preschool and school-age children with mild to moderate needs.

We serve students from ages 3 to 21, from preschool through the transition years, on an 11-month school year designed to limit summer skill regression.

Yes. Many of our students are nonspeaking or communicate using AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). We presume competence in every learner and build an individualized plan around each child’s own way of communicating.

A child is typically a strong fit when their primary need is speech and language, they can begin to recognize letters and symbols (our curriculum is literacy-based), and they’re ready to learn in a small group with individual support. The surest way to know is to tour the school and talk with our admissions team.

The Talk School serves children with significant speech and language disorders such as childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and children who are nonspeaking, use AAC, or have emerging spoken language. It is a full-day, full-time private school in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania — the only speech-and-language school of its kind in the state.

While licensed for ages 3–21, student readiness for a full school day usually begins at ages 4–5. Families looking for placement in our youngest class are encouraged to begin the admissions process prior to the student turning 5 years old.

Most students receive about 9.5 to 10.5 hours of speech and language therapy and 3 to 4 hours of occupational therapy each week, both in individual sessions and woven through the school day.

It is our core language curriculum, a structured, step-by-step approach that builds from individual sounds your child can say while learning others, to words, sentences, and stories. It is one part of our Association Method and SPIRE approach to language and literacy.

Yes. Students study reading, math, science, and social studies across an 11-month school year, taught in a way built for how each child actually learns.

Both. Therapy is provided in individualized sessions as well as in the classroom.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.