Language stimulation
Self-Talk vs. Parallel Talk
Two simple ways to model words and short sentences during everyday activities.
Read the tip →Personalized one-on-one speech therapy
Helping Your Child Express Themselves with Confidence
When you're worried about your child's speech, language, or fluency, you don't want to feel rushed into a program. You want someone who listens, gets to know your child, explains what she sees, and builds care around that individual child.
One-on-one care in Charlotte, North Carolina with Uma Kalani Gosu, M.A., CCC-SLP.
Specializing in toddlers through teens, with services available through adulthood.
Where We Play to Learn. For younger children, play is how we create natural opportunities to communicate—not a substitute for clinical goals.
The questions parents actually ask
“Am I Overthinking This… or Should We Have It Checked?”
It is normal to hear conflicting advice from relatives, friends, teachers, social media, and even your own memories of childhood.
A family member may say, “Your uncle didn't talk until he was four and he turned out fine.” Someone else may say, “Boys just talk later.” You may notice that your child understands everything and wonder if the words will simply come with time.
Those are reasonable questions. An evaluation is not an automatic commitment to therapy. It is a way to replace guessing with a clearer picture of your child's strengths, communication pattern, and next step.
“Everyone says he'll talk when he's ready.”
“She understands everything—does that mean she's fine?”
“I can understand him. Why can't his teacher?”
“She repeats words. Is this normal or stuttering?”
“He's bilingual. Could that explain the delay?”
“I don't want to label my child if they don't need therapy.”
Start with what you notice
What We Evaluate and Treat
You do not need to figure out the clinical term before calling. Tell us what you are noticing, and we can help sort out what it means.
💬
Late Talking & Speech Delay
Few words, limited word combinations, or spoken communication developing more slowly than expected.
Learn about late talking →🗣
Articulation & Speech Sounds
Your child talks a lot, but family members or unfamiliar listeners may have trouble understanding.
Learn about speech clarity →🧠
Language Development
Difficulty understanding directions, answering questions, finding words, building sentences, or expressing ideas.
Learn about language →〰
Stuttering & Fluency
Repeating sounds or words, stretching sounds, getting stuck, or becoming tense or worried about speaking.
Learn about fluency →↔
Social Communication
Taking turns in conversation, maintaining a topic, and pragmatic communication in everyday situations.
Learn about social communication →♥
Autism-Related Communication
Individualized support for functional communication and self-advocacy.
Learn more →👂
Auditory Processing Concerns
Difficulty following spoken information, remembering verbal directions, or managing complex listening demands.
Learn more →✓
Speech & Language Evaluation
A focused assessment to answer the question many parents bring us: “What does my child actually need?”
See the evaluation process →
Meet your speech-language pathologist
Uma Kalani Gosu, M.A., CCC-SLP
One clinician. One child at a time. A relationship built around communication.
M.A., Speech-Language PathologyCCC-SLPToddlers–Teens FocusFluency
Uma is the person who evaluates your child, builds the plan, provides therapy, follows progress, and talks with you about what is changing.
The continuity helps because she gets to know what works for your child and where the plan needs to change.
A closer look at communication
An Evaluation Helps Us Understand What Your Child Needs
Sometimes the right recommendation is therapy. Sometimes it is monitoring. Sometimes another professional or a different evaluation is appropriate. And sometimes parents simply need reassurance plus specific things to watch.
The goal is to understand the communication pattern well enough to make an individualized recommendation.
1
Listen
What are you noticing at home, school, or with other people?
2
Evaluate
We look at the communication areas relevant to your concern.
3
Explain
We translate the findings into language that makes sense.
4
Recommend
You leave with a next step—not just a test score.
Where We Play to Learn
For Young Children, Play Gives Us Better Communication Opportunities
Children often feel most comfortable and interactive when they are playing. Play helps them build a natural connection with the person they are engaging with, and that connection and interaction are key elements of effective therapy.
Hidden behind the play are specific clinical targets: requesting, commenting, following directions, expanding language, practicing speech sounds, taking conversational turns, or reducing the effort around communication.
Play is the method. Progress is the purpose
Therapy should be engaging enough that a child wants to participate and structured enough that the clinician knows exactly what skill is being targeted and why.
Practical ideas for home
Tips You Can Use at Home
Simple ideas from Uma to support communication during play, routines, and everyday time together.
Late talkers
Three Ps in Early Intervention
Parallel talk, persistence, and pause—three practical ideas for creating communication opportunities.
Read the tip →Everyday communication
5 Ways to Create Communication Opportunities
Small changes during play and routines that can encourage a child to communicate.
Read the tip →From parents
What Families Say About Working With Uma
Google reviews from families who have worked with Playdate Speech Therapy.
★★★★★
“We started going to Playdate Speech Therapy a month ago and I cannot be happier with the results I am seeing so far. I have identical twin boys who were diagnosed last June with a severe delay in their expressive speech.”
Read full review
We started going to Play date Speech Therapy a month ago and I cannot be happier with the results I am seeing so far. I have identical twin boys who were diagnosed last June with a severe delay in their expressive speech. We followed through with the evaluation by seeing a therapist once a week for three months through the state. We ended up cancelling the services after the therapist left for a position elsewhere and to be honest we were not seeing much improvement in the boys’ speech.
Uma Kalani, our therapist at Playdate Speech Therapy, has been a Godsend. My twins are wanting to talk more and make the effort to form new sounds, which is quite an improvement from where they started a month ago. They love going to her space, playing and learning from her and even have a hard time leaving they love it so much. I find myself learning how to be a better and more confident teacher/guide for my kids at home to help improve their speech.
I can’t recommend Uma and this business enough for all of the wonderful improvements we are seeing in such a short amount of time!
★★★★★
“I highly recommend Ms. Uma for speech therapy. She is so patient and kind with my son. We see amazing results from the therapy.”
Google Review — Jaylene T.★★★★★
“Absolutely wonderful speech therapy sessions with patience and smooth guidance. Uma knows her craft and applied it well every time.”
Google Review — Eric W.Insurance & payment
Know the Financial Side Before You Begin
We are in-network with UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Alliance Health, WellCare, Carolina Complete Health, and Healthy Blue Medicaid.
We provide a superbill with applicable diagnostic and treatment codes for families who wish to seek possible out-of-network reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement vary by plan.
Charlotte, NC
Playdate Speech Therapy
3900 Colony Rd, Suite B, Charlotte, NC 28211
Call or Text Us: 704-912-4622
info@playdatespeechtherapy.com
Serving families from Charlotte, SouthPark, Myers Park, Cotswold, Ballantyne, Matthews, Pineville, Waxhaw, Indian Land, and surrounding communities.
Parent education
Questions You May Be Googling at 10:30 at Night
We built our Parent Resources around the questions families ask before they ever call a speech-language pathologist.
You Don't Have to Decide Whether Your Child “Needs Therapy” Before You Contact Us
Start with the question. Tell us what you are noticing. We can help you determine whether an evaluation makes sense.