Pediatric speech therapy in Burbank for babies, kids, and teens
Talking, listening, and being understood are skills a child can practice. For Burbank kids, that practice can happen in the living room, on a video call, or in a classroom whose school has said yes, with your written consent.
Birth through 18
Home, screen, or classroom (you consent, the school agrees)
Each therapist passed Live Scan (DOJ, FBI)
Perhaps at two, your child uses a few words, like ball and up, while a cousin the same age strings short sentences together. Or the question about words at the last checkup is still on your mind. Pediatric speech therapy in Burbank can take place on your own living room rug. In speech therapy, a child practices taking in language, finding words, and saying sounds clearly. It covers stuttering and conversation too. A licensed speech-language pathologist builds the practice around what your child already loves. No diagnosis or referral is needed.
Will Burbank sessions be at home, at school, or on video?
Any of the three, though a school visit also needs your written consent and the school's yes. Burbank is in our home-visit area, which means a licensed speech-language pathologist can come to your door. Video works as well, and you may swap one for the other as often as you want.
A classroom can be the meeting spot instead. Daycares, preschools, and public or private schools all qualify once two things happen: the school says yes, and you put your consent in writing. Then we check in with the school and look over the room. A visit at Bret Harte Elementary, on West Jeffries Avenue, or Providencia Elementary, on North Ontario Street, would need both steps first. Both are Burbank Unified schools for kindergarten to grade 5.
If an office suits you better for the evaluation, just ask, and it can be held in a private office on Townsgate Road instead. That office is in Westlake Village and is secure and confidential. Our clinic's 8 treatment rooms, at 2535 Townsgate Road, open on December 1, 2026.
Talk it over with a therapist
Jot down what you have noticed and send it our way. Within one business day, it is read by a licensed therapist and our team, and our team answers. No question is too small.
Your Burbank options: home, video, or school if you and the school agree.
What can a child work on in pediatric speech therapy in Burbank?
Understanding and using words, saying sounds clearly, talking smoothly, and taking turns in conversation. Mealtime skills and mouth habits can come into it too.
Language therapy fits a child who talks late or struggles to follow and find words. If speech sounds come out muddled, articulation therapy works on them. For sounds or words that repeat or stick, there is stuttering therapy. Social communication therapy builds turn-taking, joining in, and playing with other kids.
Some children know what they want to say but have trouble planning the movements. That can point to childhood apraxia of speech. Tongue, lip, and jaw habits are the focus of myofunctional therapy. When a child says very little, tools for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), like picture boards and speech apps, offer a way to communicate now.
At the evaluation, we decide whether speech or OT should lead feeding therapy. And each plan has parent coaching in it, so you can keep the practice going between visits.
In charge of the speech work: Nita Anavim, M.S., CCC-SLP. Over the years, she has worked in schools, from elementary to high school, and in early intervention and private practice. She also co-founded the practice.
Does Burbank Unified run a preschool for children with special needs?
Yes, the SEED program at the Horace Mann Child Development Center. Lanterman Regional Center's page on Burbank Unified says it is free. It is an intensive early intervention preschool for children ages 3 and above with identified special needs.
The California School Directory lists Horace Mann as a Burbank Unified preschool at 3401 Scott Road. Want the district to assess a preschool-age child? The SEED page on the Horace Mann Children's Center site explains how to ask.
Lanterman's page lists the forms BUSD requires: residency and referral forms. The child or family must be a Burbank resident.
Burbank Unified's Horace Mann Children's Center page also lists the Preschool Friends Program. It is a free, 2.5-hour preschool program where typical students and students with special needs learn together. It aims to promote development, peer relationships, and a sense of belonging.
If your child attends a district preschool, private speech therapy can sit alongside it. It does not replace school services.
Who helps a Burbank toddler move from the regional center to school services?
Lanterman Regional Center describes the steps on its Burbank Unified page. Before age 3, two people plan the intake together.
One is the regional center service coordinator. The other is a BUSD Early Intervention Specialist. Parents can also make a direct referral, the page says.
Its list of BUSD special education programs includes related service programs for speech and OT.
Burbank Unified's special education page talks about students who need more support than the general instruction program gives. The district designs instruction for them, and speech and language instruction is on its list.
Starting private speech therapy with us is its own path. No regional center finding or district decision is needed first.
Where can a Burbank child practice reading out loud?
Burbank Public Library has PAWS for Reading, a program for elementary-age children. Kids sign up to read to a therapy dog. Twice a month, the dogs and their humans visit to cheer on young readers.
For younger children, in October 2026, Burbank Public Library listed Story Owl Hour. The listing described a free, nature-themed story time at Stough Canyon Nature Center for ages 2 to 5. The listing gave the date as Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. It asked that each child come with one adult and that families register in advance at BurbankParks.com.
If reading aloud or story time is a struggle right now, tell us what you notice. We can talk it through on the free call.
How soon could speech therapy start for my Burbank child?
It can be days. Once the free consultation is done, an evaluation, if one makes sense, follows within 3 business days.
You don't need the written report in hand before therapy starts. The fifth day after your call is the soonest possible first session. Need things to move faster? A rush evaluation can be requested. Count on having your written report within 14 business days of evaluation day. A therapy plan is part of it only when therapy is recommended.
See the pediatric speech evaluation in Burbank for how it works.
As of October 2026, Burbank families face no waiting list here, whether they pick home visits or video.
Can insurance help pay for speech therapy in Burbank?
Yes, if your plan qualifies, through Village, our insurance partner. Or you can pay privately.
TRICARE works through Village, and so do PPO plans from several major insurers. Village handles the billing. Its own per-visit fee is added to your plan's copay or deductible. Paying privately? We hand you a superbill, and you can file it with your insurer for possible reimbursement. For the fine print, read about insurance through Village or see every payment option.
Burbank parents also ask
How long does a speech session last?
How long a session runs, from 30 to 60 minutes, depends on the service. Evaluations take longer, roughly 60 to 90 minutes, depending on age and how the day is going.
Can my child have speech therapy at school and with you too?
Yes. A school plan and private speech therapy can each do their part. Once you agree in writing, our therapist and your child's teachers can stay in touch.
Could you tell us therapy isn't needed?
Yes, and we will explain why. We never want a child in therapy who doesn't need it.
Speech therapy also reaches children in North Hollywood, Studio City, and Sherman Oaks. Looking for occupational therapy in Burbank, or everything we offer in the city? Visit our Burbank page.
Not sure if your child needs therapy?
Start with a free 15 minute consultation. No commitment, just clarity on whether your child would benefit and what the next step looks like.
Speech therapy and occupational therapy for children ages 0 to 18.
“Show your child how to deal with conflicts by helping her share, take turns, and use words when possible.”
You hear your child at the dinner table, in the car, and with friends at the park. If something there keeps tugging at you, trust that feeling; checking is the right thing to do. Let's talk about it.
Request your free 15-minute consultation
Tell us what you are noticing about your child. A licensed therapist and our team read every message. Within one business day, our team calls to learn what you need and check insurance, then sets up a free call with Nita, Rachel or both. The consultation is free, lasts about 15 minutes, and carries no obligation. There is no waiting list. If you would rather talk now, call (805) 702-3427.
Jot down what you have noticed and send it our way. Within one business day, it is read by a licensed therapist and our team, and our team answers. No question is too small.
