Speech & Language Therapy

Neurodiversity-Affirming | Michigan-based | SErving all ages

Coming to Mala July, 2026

At Mala Child & Family Institute, we are proud to introduce Speech & Language Therapy to our Ann Arbor and Farmington Hills offices as part of our growing multidisciplinary care model.

We are the first outpatient clinic in Michigan to intentionally integrate mental health, occupational therapy, and speech & language therapy under one roof, united by a shared mission: to end intergenerational cycles of trauma.

Our approach is not just about helping individuals communicate. It is about helping them be understood, feel safe in their voice, and exist authentically in the world.

Like all services at Mala, our speech therapy is:

  • Trauma-informed

  • Neurodiversity-affirming

  • Culturally responsive

  • Deeply individualized

Because communication is never just about words—it is about connection, identity, and belonging.

    • Intake (60 minutes): $260

    • Follow-Up (45 minutes): $140

    • Follow-Up (30 minutes): $95

      Parent-only speech and language therapy sessions are not billable to insurance.

    • Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)

    • Blue Care Network — Only for clients with a formal Autism diagnosis from a referring provider.

    • Aetna

    • Private Pay

    Please note, parent-only speech and language therapy sessions are not billable to insurance.

  • Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills, and Virtual

Enroll in speech therapy

What is Speech & Language Therapy?

Speech & language therapy supports individuals in developing, restoring, or strengthening the skills needed to communicate effectively and confidently across environments.

At Mala, this goes beyond articulation or vocabulary.

We support:

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Social communication and connection

  • Emotional expression and self-advocacy

  • Feeding and oral-motor development

  • Executive functioning as it relates to communication

  • Regulation as it impacts communication and engagement

We understand that communication challenges are often misunderstood as behavioral issues, when in reality, they are a reflection of unmet needs, nervous system dysregulation, or lack of support.

Our role is to decode, support, and empower, not to pathologize.

Who Can Benefit from Speech Therapy?

Our speech therapy services support individuals across the lifespan, including:

  • Children with speech or language delays

  • Neurodivergent individuals (Autism, ADHD, PDA, etc.)

  • Individuals with social communication differences

  • Children who are “not talking yet” or minimally speaking

  • Individuals who struggle to express emotions or needs

  • Children with feeding or oral-motor challenges

  • Teens navigating social relationships and identity

  • Adults with communication, cognitive, or neurological differences

We also work closely with families who feel:

  • “Something is off, but we don’t know what”

  • “They understand more than they can say”

  • “They shut down or act out instead of communicating”

You do not need a perfect label to receive support.
You just need a place that knows how to listen deeply.

Our Approach: Communication Through a Whole-Person Lens

At Mala, speech therapy does not exist in isolation.

As highlighted throughout our other program models, our care is deeply collaborative and multidisciplinary, and speech therapy is woven into that same ecosystem.

This means:

  • A child’s sensory system is understood alongside their communication, recognizing how regulation and sensory processing shape expression and engagement

  • Their emotional world is integrated into treatment, supporting not just what they say—but what they feel, avoid, or struggle to express

  • Their cognitive and developmental profile helps us understand how they process, learn, and communicate, allowing for truly individualized care

  • Their biological and neurological needs are considered when appropriate, ensuring that attention, mood, sleep, and regulation are fully supported

  • Their environment is part of the plan, so communication is supported everywhere—not just in the therapy room

We’re not only asking:
“Can they communicate?”

But also:

“Do they feel safe enough to communicate?”
“Are they being understood?”
“Is their environment meeting them where they are?”

Because communication thrives in safety.

Our Speech Therapy Services

We offer comprehensive, individualized services including:

    • Late talkers

    • Minimally speaking and non-speaking children

    • Understanding directions and questions

    • Vocabulary development

    • Sentence structure and grammar

    • Storytelling and narrative skills

    • Early literacy and reading readiness

    • Comprehension and language processing

    • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluations

    • AAC trials and device recommendations

    • AAC treatment and caregiver training

    • High-tech and low-tech communication systems

    • Multimodal communication strategies

    AAC systems commonly used include:

    • TouchChat

    • LAMP Words for Life

    • TD Snap

    • Proloquo2Go

    • Core vocabulary communication boards

    • Visual supports and communication books

    • Speech sound disorders

    • Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

    • Suspected motor speech disorders

    • Speech clarity and intelligibility

    • Difficulty producing specific sounds (such as /r/, /s/, or /l/)

    • Lisps

    • Stuttering

    • Repetitions of sounds, words, or phrases

    • Communication confidence

    • Self-advocacy related to stuttering

    • Neurodivergent communication styles

    • Joint attention and engagement

    • Turn-taking

    • Back-and-forth interactions

    • Conversation skills

    • Play and peer interactions

    • Self-advocacy

    • Perspective taking

    • Social problem-solving

    • Vocal nodules

    • Hypernasality

    • Hyponasality

    • Cleft palate and craniofacial differences

    • Voice use and vocal hygiene

    • Feeding therapy (in collaboration with OT)

    • Oral-motor coordination

    • Sensory-based feeding challenges

    • Tongue thrust

    • Mouth breathing

    • Oral rest posture

    • Orofacial myofunctional disorders

    • Oral habit elimination

    • Coordination of the lips, tongue, and jaw for speech and feeding

    • Gestalt language processing support

    • Alternative and augmentative communication 

    • Strength-based communication development

    • Neurodivergent affirming communication styles

    • Supporting communication during dysregulation

    • Sensory informed approaches

    • Coaching for real-life implementation

    • Understanding your child’s communication style

    • Reducing frustration and increasing connection at home

Why Choose Mala for Speech Therapy?

  • We are a team that works together. Speech therapists collaborate with psychologists, occupational therapists, and medical providers to create cohesive, whole-person care.

  • We do not aim to “fix” communication differences.
    We aim to understand them, support them, and build on them.

    Your voice—however it shows up—is valid.

  • We recognize that trauma impacts:

    • Language development

    • Expression

    • Social connection

    • Nervous system regulation

    We create spaces where communication can emerge without fear, pressure, or shame.

  • Like our OT model emphasizes , we prioritize:

    • Engagement through interests

    • Connection before correction

    • Safety before skill-building

    Because progress happens through relationship, not compliance.

  • Everything we do is rooted in one goal:

    Ending cycles of trauma, through early, affirming, and integrated care.

    Speech therapy at Mala is not just about clearer words. It’s about helping individuals:

    • Be heard

    • Be understood

    • Feel like they belong

Meet Our Speech-Language Pathologists

  • Muhiba Mehmedovic, MA, CCC-SLP

    Director of Speech & Language Therapy Program

    Read Bio

  • Shelby DeShetler, MA, CCC-SLP

    Speech-Language Pathologist

    Read Bio

Enroll in Speech & Language Therapy

ANN ARBOR & FARMINGTON HILLS | VIRTUAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE | ALL AGES

If you are wondering whether speech therapy could help—that curiosity is enough to start.

You do not need to wait until things get harder. You deserve support now.

start here