Learn to love your voice. District Speech & Language Therapy can help.

Offering 

speech therapy in Washington DC

 for children and adults.


Providing Speech & Language Therapy Solutions For:

If you or your child has a speech difficulty, count on District Speech to help. Our speech therapists work with people of all ages, helping with a variety of different speech difficulties, including:

Do you have a child who is showing signs of speech or developmental difficulties? If so, your pediatrician may suggest you take a “wait and see” approach. However, this approach can end up doing a long-term disservice to your child.

The longer a speech or developmental issue goes on, the more work you’ll need to do to dismantle it. Down the line that may include having to involve an occupational therapist or physical therapist. Bring your child in to District Speech and we’ll help you determine the best course of action.

For many transgender people, the road to transitioning is a long and challenging one. When it comes to modifying your external appearance to match your identity, few things cause as much dysphoria as one’s voice.

Whether you’re a transgender man, woman, or a non-binary identity, District Speech can help. Your speech therapist will work with you to access your different vocal abilities, teaching you to sound more like how you’ve always felt you should

If you have a stutter, you might find it difficult to get your message across when communicating. This can cause setbacks in your career and personal life, influence your self esteem, and make life more frustrating than it should be. If your stuttering is holding you back from doing what you want to do, it can feel hopeless. But it isn’t.

We’ll uncover the root cause of your stutter, and put together a treatment plan designed to address it. The goal is cleaner, clearer speech, and a less frustrating life.

Have you or your child always had difficulty breathing through your nose? Do you have an overbite, underbite, or another dental abnormality? Do you have trouble closing your lips to swallow, or do you have trouble stopping yourself from drooling? If so, you might have an orofacial myofunctional disorder.

That phrase might seem like a mouthful, but it just means you have abnormal movement patterns in your face or mouth. It can cause a number of issues, but there is help. Alongside other health professionals, a speech therapist can teach you to overcome these issues.

If you have a young child who seems like they’re falling behind in developing speech and language abilities, it’s possible they have a learning or reading impairment. And if you’re an adult who’s always struggled with reading or communicating, you yourself may have one that was never diagnosed.

There is a number of different learning impairment, and you might not always recognize what the signs are in yourself. An untreated learning impairment can cause trouble later in life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Book an appointment with District Speech – we can help.

Do you have a newborn baby with a cleft lip or a cleft palate? If so, there are a number of treatments available. A reconstructive surgeon can repair the cosmetic damage, but there’s more to it than that.

Children with cleft lip or cleft palate often face unique speech challenges. District Speech can help. We offer speech therapy services for children with cleft lip or palate. With early intervention, it’s possible for your child to enjoy as much ease in their speech as a child born without this condition.

About District Speech & Language Therapy

Do you have a speech difficulty that’s holding you back from what want to do?

Do you find yourself avoiding certain social or professional situations because you’re embarrassed of your stutter?

Have you found people have difficulty understanding what you’re trying to say?

If so, District Speech can help.

Founded in 2015 by clinically certified speech language pathologist Jennifer Branchini, District Speech works with speech issues from all ages.

“I founded District Speech with the goal of helping people of all ages improve their quality of life,”

says Branchini.

“Improving your effective communication skills can make an incredible difference.”

A speech difficulty can be frustrating and heartbreaking, but you don’t have to suffer alone.
People who seek speech therapy come from all walks of life.

Maybe you’re a recent immigrant struggling to be understood by the people in your new home.

Maybe you have an issue with stuttering. Whether it’s a new development or you’ve faced it your entire life, it makes it more difficult to get your ideas across.

Maybe you’re a parent whose child isn’t using words yet, has a cleft palate, a lisp secondary to tongue thrust, reading difficulties or another speech concern.

Or maybe you’re transgender, and feel the sour pinch of gender dysphoria every time you speak.

Whatever it is that’s holding you back, District Speech can help.

We strive to provide the best in evidence-based speech and language therapy services in Washington DC and Arlington VA.

Have a speech concern? District Speech can help. 

Contact us today to find out how.

Our Speech & Language Therapy Services

District Speech offers a number of different speech therapy solutions depending on your unique needs.

There are a wide range of different speech concerns adults may face. You may have developed them early in life, or much later. They may manifest themselves in many different ways, but one of the most consistent issues is that of communication and self esteem.

Speech concerns can hold you back from achieving your full potential in your professional and personal life, but there is hope. Contact District Speech to find out more.

Naturally, every child communicates a little awkwardly at first. It’s part of the process of learning a language. If your child isn’t growing out of it, though, or your doctor has expressed concerns with your child’s speech and language, we can help.

From cleft palate to tongue thrust, dyslexia to auditory processing concerns, speech deficits can impact your child’s self esteem and social development. The speech therapists at District Speech can help.

Does your baby have a stiff neck that seems to cause them trouble with moving? Is their head beginning to take a strange shape, either flattening or stretching out? Did you give birth to a premature baby and are concerned about the health repercussions they may face?

For these, and many more issues, pediatric physical therapy can help. The pediatric physical therapy treatments offered at District Speech are geared toward addressing the most common pediatric and developmental issues, with the goal of giving your baby the best shot at life.

Have you or a family member been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, or another neurological disorder? Does your child have behavioral issues or are they struggling in school?

Occupational therapy is a unique form of therapy geared toward helping people overcome the barriers that stand in the way of their various occupations in life. The main focus of occupational therapy is to understand the barriers standing in the way of your various occupations, and to either remove them or find a way around them.


Our Clinic Location

Come visit our clinic on H Street in historic downtown Washington DC, minutes from the White House and the National Mall.

Your voice is unique and beautiful. Learn to fall in love with it once more.

Contact District Speech today.

Reviews From Our Happy Customers

We've been very happy with the speech therapy my 6-year old has been receiving from Marissa! His first appointment was in-person, mostly so they could meet. For logistical purposes, we decided to try virtual and it's been great! She matches his energy and keeps him engaged, they play games together. Also, they don't need to wear masks for the virtual option - helpful for speech. Lastly, they accept my insurance!
Julie P.
Julie P.
Highly recommend District Speech and Language Therapy! I've been coming here for a couple of weeks, and I've already seen improvement. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful as well!
Nicholas G.
Nicholas G.
I love District Speech! The staff is friendly, helpful and very easy to coordinate with. I've been working with Lee and HIGHLY recommend him to people of all ages and abilities. I've already made significant progress in just a couple of months and look forward to the sessions each week.
Mannal H.
Mannal H.
I can honestly say only positive and great things about District Speech and Language Therapy. My son has been getting Speech Therapy there for the past couple of months with Aerial. Ariel is such a breath of fresh air to work with. I truly appreciate her patience and commitment to building a rapport with my son and using fun, interactive, yet structured approaches, in which we’ve seen progress. She also provides resources and materials, which is extremely helpful. Although we may have a long way to go, I’m confident my son will get to where he needs to be with District Speech’s support. In addition, I appreciate that the owner, Jennifer, is very involved in the services that are provided, and I can tell that she is genuinely passionate about the field. I also want to acknowledge Katie, the Office Manager, who has been extremely responsive whenever I reach out for anything related to scheduling/payment/documentation. The sacrifice to commute each week from Northern Virginia for my son to receive therapy there is undeniably worth it.
Tamica S.
Tamica S.
Great experience with Lee on accent reduction. First time I can get to work on my speech weaknesses in an efficient way.Lee is very patient and flexible. I'd recommend him.
Caroline S.
Caroline S.
It was great to have our son with Kate Stangel. She was so supportive and dedicated to improve our son's speech, with clear goals. Also she was so flexible adjusting the schedule whenever needed
Michel N
Michel N
Babette was so incredible at helping me discover my new voice. I had been so anxious about never being able to sound "passable" but Babette made me feel at ease and worked at my pace to help me get comfortable. Could not recommend working with her enough!
Kathrine V.
Kathrine V.
All throughout my work with Babette I felt comfortable and confident in the knowledge we would get results I was satisfied with. I feel so grateful to have worked with her, she gave me the tools to be more aware of my body and voice. I’m very happy with my experience and results
Elizabeth K.
Elizabeth K.
We have been a client of Kate Stangel for over 1 year. Our daughters speech has improved by leaps and bounds. Additionally, as a 4 year old, it is sometimes difficult to concentrate as you can imagine, but Kate makes it so fun and interesting and she has so much patience and warmth. We adore her and we are so happy we found her at district speech.
Marcee W.
Marcee W.
Ms. Kate has been amazing! Our daughter went in with many issues to fix and Ms. Kate has been able to fix most of them in under a year. She is very patient, kind and most important to a 4 year old she is fun! Our daughter really enjoys getting to see Ms. Kate.
Justina H.
Justina H.
My experience with Lee Morra was fantastic! He really helped me to correct my accent, very encouraging and understanding throughout the process. I am much more confident right now with my speech.
Sherry X.
Sherry X.
December 2023 will be a year since partnering with District Speech & Language Therapy. Kate, the Speech-Language Pathologist, is my son’s (age 4) rock - supports him beyond the fun in-person sessions and provides guidance to me by sharing various tips to continue the support at home. Initially, I didn't understand her approach and expected microwavable results, but I'm glad I trusted the process. She is very dedicated, observant, knowledgeable, patient, and a great gentle advocate, even towards me when I was pushing my son too hard. Through it all, my son can now communicate his wants, hold basic conversations, ask and answer questions, and apply learnings from his sessions in other environments. There is lots more I can share about Kat and the others who are working behind the scenes. To them all, you've been a God send - thank you for your genuine support!
Ms. W.
Ms. W.
My daughter has been working with Ms.Kate for almost a year now and we are extremely pleased with our daughters progress. Our daughter has more confidence in her speech and others have even noticed how much her speech has evolved. Ms.Kate creates a comfortable and fun environment for our daughter to focus on improving her speech. She really enjoys working with Ms.Kate and looks forward to her visits with her. We recommend Ms. Kate to anyone who’s looking for an amazing speech pathologist!
Chanel P.
Chanel P.
Lee Morra has been a huge help for my stutter issues. He has created a supportive, and a personalized environment. Thanks to Lee's knowledge I have become more comfortable with my stutter and I have felt that my speech has improved immensely since starting with District Speech almost 3 months ago.I'd highly recommend District Speech and Lee Morra to anybody struggling with their speech.
Robert P.
Robert P.
Lee is amazing! We met on a weekly/ bi-weekly basis for over 9 months. He put thought and care in each session, give me the best tips and tricks that has helped heal my voice back to normal. I would highly recommend Lee to anyone.
Adriana S.
Adriana S.
I have participated in 6th sessions with Lee Mora and I am thrilled with the knoledge and understanding that I have received. Lee was able to identify my main issues and deviced an approach tailored to my needs. More importantly, in our interactions, Lee is very engaging, encouraging, and positive. He is structured and follows through on a timely manner. So overall, my experience so far is A+
Ramon G.
Ramon G.
Dr. Lee is compassionate and enthusiastic about his work. He takes real interest in the well being of our daughter and really cares about her and her progress. It seems crazy to think that one of my child’s favorite activities is seeing a doctor ... but my daughter loves her time with Dr. Lee and looks forward to their weekly sessions.
Lauren M.
Lauren M.
Lee has been a huge help for my speech issues. He is very easy to talk to, very knowledgable about the nuances of stuttering, and very accommodating to adjusting his therapy style to what works best for me (and I assume other patients). Also he's very easy to schedule with and flexible with last minute changes. Highly recommended and he's made a huge difference with my speech and confidence.
Merrill R.
Merrill R.
We love Kate! My son has progressed so much since we started sessions last summer. The best part is that he loves coming in for his sessions which are productive yet fun. Highly recommend!!!
Tiana B.
Tiana B.
I heartily recommend Catherine Earp and District Speech and Language Therapy. It's difficult enough to find a service for adults, so to find one this excellent was most welcome. Catherine gave clear and thorough explanations. She was very professional while also being personable and relatable. By following her instructions I made terrific progress after just a few weeks. Scheduling sessions was fast and easy.
Scott M.
Scott M.
I’ve been taking my speech delayed son to Kate at District Speech and Language Therapy for the past year. He has made tremendous progress and I couldn’t be more satisfied. Kate does a great job keeping him engaged and encouraging him to succeed. My son looks forward to going to see “Ms. Kate.”The office manager Katie has also been great to work with for all scheduling and billing needs.I highly recommend District Speech.
Cyndi M
Cyndi M
Cannot say enough good things about Ms. Cat (Catherine Earl) who is my daughter Lincoln’s Speech therapist for the past 19 months. Lincoln started her therapy with Ms. Cat when she was 4 years old with a lot of limitations in expressing herself effectively (expressive speech delay), understanding social cues amongst her peers, sitting through a book or “ game” and/or paying attention. We have seen a great deal of improvement since her therapy started. Lincoln is now taking in full sentences, asking questions and using less scripted language in her daily speech. We are so thankful for her.Ms. Cat has help us teach and encourage Lincoln throughout our this journey. Ms. Cat is firm and kind. She has a lot of patients and is amazing at keeping Lincoln engage throughout their virtual sessions. In their sessions with she is respectful, consistent, and patient. Lincoln is alway looking forward to her therapy sessions with Ms. Cat!
Arelis P.
Arelis P.
My 4 year old son has been going to District Speech for a year now, receiving services from Rachel. We knew early on that that he had a speech delay, but because it was pandemic and we did not want to do an in-person session, we delayed his diagnosis and therapy which made it even worse. By worse I mean, by the time he turned 3, he only said two words and mostly communicated by babbling and making sounds. We started seeing Rachel in February 2022 and I was not prepared for the magic Rachel was going to do with his speech. He started saying his brother’s name within a week. This is important to note, because I have tried to help say his brother’s name for like a year. A few months later, with just twice a week therapy, he started to speak in short sentences, and now a year later he speaks very well. Hard to imagine where we were a year ago.In addition, this year, my older son (nine years old), was also diagnosed with speech issue that had affected his reading and comprehension skills. The issue had stayed under the radar until his new school detected and recommended, he gets evaluated. My first thought was to seek another therapist because I was not sure if Rachel was also equipped to work with school aged kids. But because she has done such a good job with my younger son, I decided to give it a try. When I read the evaluation report she prepared, I knew I made the right choice again. Everything she identified was spot on with my child’s phonemic awareness. The report included many words and how he sounds them (incorrect), and I kept agreeing with the whole list and couldn’t believe that I never really paid attention or recognize those as something much deeper. I just thought that is how he pronounces them and sometimes correct him and move on. Nonetheless, he has been seeing Rachel for over a month now, and really enjoys the session.Please do not hesitate to give District’s Speech a try whether it is Rachel or other therapist you get assigned to, as I have heard great reviews from other parents I came across to while visiting the office.
Hawity R
Hawity R
My daughter has been working with Miss Rachel for the past 6 weeks and we have found the process to be very empowering. The initial evaluation session determined that our daughter's clarity of articulation and voicing was delayed. This calmed our concerns but beyond that, the one-on-one sessions with Rachel have encouraged our 3.5 year old to be more focused on her clarity. I feel like much of the work, quite rightly has been on educating myself on how to properly model, but also the attention my daughter receives in these sessions have positively enforced the importance of clear speech to her without any shamming. While her speech development likely would have righted itself over time, we are set to move overseas where she would not be amongst English native speakers, so we felt time was of the essence to establish clear speech before any confusion might set it. I should also say that the Admin at District Speech is top notch and with our insurance, the 25 dollars a week we pay for a weekly session is a solid investment. Much obliged.
Luke B.
Luke B.
Our son has an autism diagnosis and has been working with Rachel for almost a year. He gets excited when we say we're going to see Rachel and always has a good time during his sessions. Recently, we switched insurance and she is working with us through the appeals process to continue coverage for his services. When she described to me the appeals letter she was planning to write it became clear she's not only a good SLP but she is articulate and savvy when it comes to dealing with insurance. Our son has made great strides since seeing Rachel and we're looking forward to continuing working with her.
Sarah W.
Sarah W.
First and foremost, this review is well overdue! My 6 year old son who has a stuttering disorder has been receiving excellent services from Lee for over a year now. Lee is patient, caring, skilled, communicative, fun and provides consistent quality services to my son. I think what I love most about Lee is how he has equipped and empowered my son with knowledge and facts regarding stuttering. Miles is super confident because of Lee and has made great progress. I think it's amazing that Lee is able to attain these results VIRTUALLY with 5 now 6 year old.
Shideka H.
Shideka H.
After working with Lee Morra for less than a year I’ve experienced significant improvements in my stutter beyond what I thought I could achieve in this time frame. I highly recommend working with Lee!
Lucas M.
Lucas M.
As a transwoman, I was consistently misgendered over the phone, which is dysphoria-producing and demoralizing. I contacted District Speech for help and they referred me to Sophie as my vocal coach/therapist. It took only a handful of voice sessions with Sophie to equip me with the tools and ability to find the voice that matched not only my gender, but reflected how I see myself. Sophie is practical and focused and the exercises and tips/techniques she shared were nothing less than transformative. Thank you Sophie for helping me "find my voice!"
Elizabeth G.
Elizabeth G.
Catherine is amazing, I highly recommend!!!I am a professional voice user, and worked for several months with Catherine to address an injury. She gave me effective exercises to use, and solid lifestyle suggestions that have really helped. On top of it, she is a delight.The road to healing hasn't been an easy one, and I am so grateful for her knowledge and support.
Kevin R.
Kevin R.
I just finished my fifth and final coaching session with Sophie and I feel so much more confident in my voice! It has been a delight to learn from Sophie, and she has enabled me both to find my voice and to be excited to use it!
Vivian B.
Vivian B.
I would really recommend Sophie Edwards at district speech for anyone trying to feminize their voice. She was a massive help to me and after a few sessions I had results that I was very happy with. She gave me exercises that really helped with my goals for my voice and gave me feedback that made it much easier to learn. I had tried other resources but having someone giving me feedback on what I was doing right and wrong made a huge difference.
Eva H.
Eva H.
My 3 year old son started at District Speech about 18 months ago to address his language delay. Both of the therapists he worked with, first Anna Carr and then Lee Morra, were excellent. Once he started catching up on language, Lee began addressing his speech delay. He was extremely knowledgeable and gave me great tips and tools to practice with my son at home. My son absolutely loved going to every biweekly session he had with both Anna and Lee, and they both made it a very play-based approach. I was so proud and grateful when his latest assessment showed that he is now hitting all his age appropriate milestones for both speech and language! I also want to call out Katie Nelson, the Operations Manager, who does an amazing job managing all the billing and scheduling. She was always extremely helpful and responsive to all my billing questions and was very responsive and detail-oriented. Thank you District Speech!
Sarah P.
Sarah P.
I worked with Lee Morra to help with my fluency and mumbling. Lee was very clear in explaining the kind of improvements I could expect and where we could make the most improvements.With my clarity, I started to see meaningful improvement after the first few sessions, and major improvements by the end of therapy. The most important skills were learning how to properly emphasize sentences, something I previously gave almost no thought to, and recognizing when I was mumbling and how to break out of it. I've had several people tell me they could tell the difference.Lee also helped me work on my fluency. Since I have a working memory deficiency, I knew it would never be perfect, but I was able to make some pretty big strides. I especially wanted to make progress with speaking in work situations. Using a variety of techniques, I was able to dramatically improve my disfluencies, especially mazes. I've had a significant improvement in how my work meetings go and I feel more confident when speaking.I would highly recommend Lee Morra if you're looking for a SLP!
Wade D.
Wade D.
I went to district speech for transgender voice therapy and district speech set me up with my instructor Sophie Edwards. I had a great time learning from Sophie and feel more confident and knowledgeable in speaking with a more feminine voice. I would recommend her to any trans girl looking to feminize their voice.
Evelyn T.
Evelyn T.
Sophie was very good at helping me gain control of my voice. Our lessons were organic but always honed in on what I needed to work on. In a few short classes I finally gained access to the voice that felt natural to me and allowed me to express myself fully.
Claire R.
Claire R.
My experience with DSLT was exemplary! My sessions with Sophie Edwards in particular were wonderfully helpful, entertaining, and supportive in equal measure. I am incredibly happy I found DSLT and I would highly recommend them!
Morgan B.
Morgan B.
Our 8 year old daughter was very behind on her ability to speak clearly. It had gotten to the point where it was getting in the way of her academic progress - making her less likely to speak up in class, and very reticent to write things out because of the misspellings associated with her pronunciation. District Speech and Language Therapy - and Ms. Catherine in particular - were AMAZING. It turned our daughter's lessons effectively into play-time for her, which made sure she showed up and actively engaged each week. And that was part of an overall plan for her progress that was solid. That has resulted in tremendous progress in mere months, to the point where she is an avid reader/writer now and is now close to her peers on her ability to enunciate words.I can't give this place a strong enough recommendation. Sound overall strategies for success and incredibly effective tactics with the kids at the lesson-by-lesson level. Its totally turned things around for us in the best way possible!
Shawn D.
Shawn D.
We waited almost 12 months on the waitlist at District Speech for our little one who showed early challenges with both receptive and expressive skills. Our expectations were undoubtedly heightened by the fact that we felt our little one fell further behind due to the pandemic. From the onset when we met Tim Flynn, we quickly noticed his passion + dedication + thoughtfulness. Our little one instantly connected with Tim and, although we did not expect miracles, we have seen notable & meaningful improvements in not just expressive & receptive skills, but also overall confidence & sociability.In today’s world, the ability to articulate and communicate effectively is more important than ever. We believe that Tim and District Speech have been critical partners for our family in carving out a better future; one that he may not be able to control fully, but one in which, he can freely & clearly express his intentions and make a change for the better. Kudos to Tim for his endless patience and unbounded enthusiasm for helping kids like ours - we are forever grateful.
Yong K.
Yong K.
I've long dealt with stuttering, but never received therapy as a child or adult. Once I finally sought out assistance from District Speech and Language Therapy, Tim took a methodical approach to educate me, and also help me understand my challenges and how to properly address them in a healthy way. I'm still in therapy and I have seen positive results in my confidence and self esteem.
Alan H.
Alan H.
My experience here was great! I worked remotely with Sophie Edwards, and she was a great teacher! I was seeking voice feminization, and I was very comfortable and happy during our lessons. Additionally, she sent home extensive emails for my out-of-session work, which was immensely helpful. Absolutely recommend coming here for voice training!!
Thea
Thea
Really helped me figure out how to change my voice to be more fem. Loved working with Sophie, it was really fun.
Jade
Jade
I would like to give a big shoutout to, my daughter’s Speech and Language Pathologist, Ms. Jenifer Branchini ! She is amazing! She helped my daughter’s speech improve in a short time frame. Ms. Jen also gave me great tips on learning with her and that repetition is key. We really created a long lasting bond.
Sasha B
Sasha B
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Questions About Speech & Language Therapy?

Curious about speech & language therapy? Wondering if it’s right for you? If so, you probably have some questions.

Below, you’ll find some of the more common ones we here. If you don’t find yours below, feel free to reach out and we can help.

For adults, a speech concern can cause issues with self-esteem and social isolation. These are their own problems, but for children it’s even more critical. When a child has a speech condition, it can be difficult for them to make friends in school or develop socially. This can end up with lifelong repercussions. Either way, whether you’re an adult with a speech concern or the parent of a child with one, it can lead to significant struggles in one’s personal and professional life.

Possibly. Most children have some sort of speech difficulty when first developing their language skills. However, the “wait and see” approach is not a good idea. Research is showing more and more that early intervention in speech and language disorders is critical. To give your child the best chance at a happy, healthy social life, it’s a good idea to enroll them in speech therapy for their speech disorder.

In order to practice as a speech therapist, an individual needs to hold at least a master’s degree in their chosen field. District Speech founder Jennifer Branchini holds a master’s degree in communication disorders from the University of Florida.

No you don’t, but your insurance company may require you to have one in order for them to cover your appointment. Consult with your insurer to find out more.

Most pediatricians don’t have the training or resources to know when to accurately refer to a speech language pathologist. They often recommend that parents “wait and see” until the child grows older. This is where the problem lies. The most crucial time to begin treating a child with speech delays is birth to age 3. If you have concerns but your pediatrician recommends that you wait, call us to get a free phone consultation. We will be able to recommend the best course of action for your child.

Yes, speech therapists in the United States are regulated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.


Speech & Language Therapy Related Articles

To learn more about speech therapy and related topics, check out our blog full of informative articles to help you and those with speech issues to better deal with challenges and find solutions to living a more fulfilling life.

It’s time to enjoy true freedom in your speech. District Speech can help.

Contact us today to find out how.