08/31/2026
What’s the difference between school speech therapy and private speech therapy?
It’s a question parents ask me a lot especially when a child is already receiving speech therapy at school.
School-based speech therapy and private speech therapy can look different because they’re designed to do different jobs. A school speech-language pathologist focuses on communication needs that affect a child’s education and school participation, while private speech therapy can address a child’s speech and language needs more broadly.
Some children do well with school speech therapy alone. Some benefit from private speech therapy. And some receive both.
The important question isn’t “Which one is better?” It’s “What does my child need?”
Swipe through for a simple breakdown of school speech vs. private speech therapy.