Speech Therapy in Apple Valley, CA
Compassionate Speech & Language Care, From the Optimum Family
Comprehensive Speech & Language Services
Speech evaluation, articulation, stuttering and fluency, childhood apraxia, executive functioning, and IEP or 504 help in Apple Valley, CA.
Compassionate Speech Therapy From a Practice You Already Trust
Optimum Speech is a new pediatric speech therapy practice in Apple Valley, CA from the team behind Optimum Audiology — led by Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP, who has supported children and families for 20 years.
The compassionate care, expert service, and personalized planning behind Optimum Audiology's 250+ five-star reviews are the same values we bring to every child.
From a toddler's first words to a student's classroom confidence, we meet every family with patience and expertise.
Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP
Owner & Clinical Director
Expert Speech Therapy in Apple Valley, CA
Meet the Optimum Speech Team
Founded by speech-language pathologist Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP, and backed by the trusted Optimum team, our practice delivers personalized care for children and teens.
Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP
Owner & Clinical DirectorMarilee Henderson is a licensed speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience supporting children, families, and school communities — 18 of those years in California, plus two years serving students in Washington public schools. She founded Optimum Speech on the belief that every child has unique strengths, and she builds individualized, engaging, evidence-based therapy that helps students reach their full potential. Strong partnerships with families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams have always been at the heart of her work.
Beyond direct care, Marilee has spent the past four years in leadership roles within her school district and five years supervising graduate student clinicians, mentoring the next generation of speech-language pathologists. After two decades in the field, she still finds her greatest joy in celebrating each child's progress — a first word, a burst of confidence, a long-term goal finally met.
Dr. Kristi Mendoza, Au.D.
Chief Executive OfficerDr. Kristi Mendoza is the CEO of Optimum Speech and the owner of its sister practice, Optimum Audiology, where she has helped Californians communicate and connect since 1991. With more than 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Mendoza built her practice on a simple belief: every patient deserves compassionate care and five-star service. As CEO, she brings that same philosophy and operational backing to Optimum Speech — while the practice's day-to-day speech-language care is led by its owner and clinical director, Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP.
Speech and Language Care Built Around Your Child
Our speech-language pathologist cares for children and teens across the High Desert — articulation and speech clarity, stuttering and fluency, and childhood apraxia of speech.
We also go beyond speech sounds with executive functioning evaluation and therapy, plus IEP and 504 consultation from someone who has spent 20 years inside school systems.
Can't make it in? We offer teletherapy and after-school hours that fit around your family's week.
Compassionate Care and Five-Star Service for Every Family
At Optimum Speech, therapy is built around your child and your family's schedule. Every plan begins with an unhurried speech evaluation and a clear path forward — no pressure, no rushing. We handle the insurance billing for you and offer CareCredit financing so cost never delays care. And because family calendars are full, we offer after-school appointments and teletherapy for children across Apple Valley and the High Desert.
What Families Say
Families who've worked with our team share what speech therapy has meant for their children's progress.
Find Your Child's Voice — Start With a Speech Evaluation
Compassionate, personalized speech and language therapy for children across Apple Valley and the High Desert.
Serving Apple Valley & the High Desert
Visit Us in Apple Valley
Our Apple Valley clinic offers speech-language therapy for children — from articulation and fluency to apraxia and executive functioning — with after-school hours that fit your family's life.
- Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) care at every step
- Backed by the Optimum team — serving California since 1991
- In-office & teletherapy options available
- Caring for children and teens across the High Desert
- After-school hours — therapy that fits your family's schedule
- Insurance billing handled for you — CareCredit accepted
“From the very beginning, she created a supportive, encouraging environment where he felt safe to learn, make mistakes, and build confidence. Marilee's knowledge, patience, and encouragement have helped him make progress with his speech, improving his clarity, pronunciation, and overall communication skills.”— Parent of a speech therapy patient · Apple Valley, CA
Optimum Speech
Speech Therapy Clinic17768 Wika Rd #102, Apple Valley, CA 92307
| Monday | By Appointment Only |
| Tuesday | By Appointment Only |
| Wednesday | By Appointment Only |
| Thursday | By Appointment Only |
| Friday | By Appointment Only |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Speech Therapy FAQs
Answers to common questions about pediatric speech therapy at Optimum Speech in Apple Valley, CA — scheduling, your child's first evaluation, insurance, the services we offer, and who we help.
Getting started is easy. Call or text us at (760) 350-1800, or request a callback using the form on this page, and a member of our team will help you find a convenient time.
We see children by appointment at our Apple Valley office, with after-school-friendly hours for families juggling work and classroom schedules. Teletherapy is available when getting in isn't practical. We'll also verify your insurance benefits ahead of time so there are no surprises before the first visit.
Your first visit begins with an unhurried conversation about your concerns, your child's history, and the goals you have for them. Our speech-language pathologist then completes a comprehensive evaluation to identify the specific speech, language, fluency, motor-speech, or executive-functioning concern.
From there, we explain the findings in plain language and build an individualized treatment plan matched to your child's needs and your family's schedule. There's no pressure — just an honest picture of where things stand and a clear path forward.
Yes. We accept insurance from many companies and handle the billing paperwork for you, so you can focus on your child's progress instead of forms. We also offer CareCredit financing, and we accept all major credit cards.
Because every plan is different, call or text us at (760) 350-1800 and our team will verify your specific speech therapy benefits before your visit and walk you through any out-of-pocket costs in advance, so you can plan with confidence.
Optimum Speech provides six core speech-language services for children and teens — comprehensive speech and language evaluation, articulation therapy, stuttering and fluency therapy, and therapy for childhood apraxia of speech.
We also offer executive functioning evaluation and therapy for the classroom skills students need — attention, working memory, organization, and planning — along with IEP and 504 consultation for families navigating school services. Additional adult speech services are planned as our clinical team grows. Call (760) 350-1800 to find the right fit for your child.
We care for children and teens across Apple Valley and the wider High Desert — preschoolers working on early sounds, elementary students building speech clarity and fluency, and older students who need support with organization, attention, and follow-through at school.
Families navigating an IEP or 504 plan get something rare in private practice: guidance from a speech-language pathologist with 20 years inside school systems, including four years in district leadership. Wherever your child is in their journey, we'll meet you there.