Voz | Blog

Therapy Insights & Resources

Sensory Processing Disorder In Children: How Occupational Therapy Helps

Speech Therapy For Hearing Impaired Children: What Parents Should Know

Fine Motor Skills In Children: Milestones, Delays, And Occupational Therapy

Causes Of Adult Stuttering And How Speech Therapy Can Help

How Cleft Lip And Cleft Palate Affect Speech, Language, And Feeding

Why Some Kids Struggle With Handwriting And How Occupational Therapy Helps

Frequently Asked Questions About Autism

Speech Therapy For Fragile X Syndrome

What Causes Developmental Delays In Speech And Language

How Can Speech Therapy Help With Hyponasality?

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Evi C.

Super helpful and effective. Recommend!

kevin J.

Lee Morra is an outstanding speech therapist. He has been working with my teenage son for over a year now and we have seen great strides.

My son recognizes his stutter and Mr. Morra has helped him to embrace it and be able to explain it to others. Through Mr. Morra's encouragement and teaching, my son can engage better with classmates, friends, family, and even strangers. My son recognizes the words and phrases that he has issues with and can use the exercises he has learned from Mr. Morra to be more confident in expressing himself. He is also more confident at telling others about his speech and encourages them to be patient with him as he speaks.

Before seeing Mr. Morra, my son got his encouragement from Redditt. Mr. Morra has instilled confidence in him that is helping him become a leader in school, at home, and among his friends.

I wholeheartedly would recommend Mr. Morra to anyone looking for someone that can understand, and work with their stutter or speech impediment.

Caroll V.

My familiy is eternally grateful to Dr. Jaramillo for her comprehensive and thorough care for our son and daughter. Our children have thrived and excelled in achieving develomental milestones related to communication in English and Spanish. My daughter also participated in their summer program and had an amazing time. Her day was filled with fun learning activities, stories, and fieldtrips which she then shared with us. This practice is outstanding and one of a kind.

Chantal P.

Ana-Maria began working with my daughter at 14 months and made sure my 2020 baby met all of her milestones related to speech. She’s professional, punctual, intentional, caring, and went above and beyond to give me all the tools I needed to succeed outside of the office. Ana-Maria didn’t hesitate when I asked her to coordinate with my daughter’s teacher so we were all on the same page about her expectations. When I needed advice on 2-year-old tantrums as a first time mom, she would send helpful articles and coach me through them. Above and beyond is actually an understatement. My daughter looked forward to her weekly visits to VOZ and was always greeted with a smile. She’d ask about Ana-Maria daily at times which is how I knew she was in good hands. On her last day I actually asked for advice on how to break the news that she no longer needed to visit the practice. Thank you so much for supporting my family through the most crucial time of her speech development! I couldn’t imagine having been on this journey without Ana-Maria and her wonderful team.

AFN

I worked with Skylar for several months, focusing on affirming my voice. She was incredibly patient, and worked towards my goals. It was a pleasure working with her, and I would happy work together again!

Lisa Mathias J.

We worked with Skylar at Voz and she was amazing! My son started with her in October 2024 to help with his autism-related speech disorder. At 2.5 years old, he was speaking in single words and had a lot of babble. Over the months while working with Skylar, his speech blossomed. He’s now speaking in full sentences, speaks with unprompted, original thought, and is more understandable all-around. We’re very grateful for the work that Skylar and the team at Voz put in to help my son. We highly recommend them.

Kendra M.

Man oh man where do I start first of I want to thank Voz institute for first making me feel safe enough to trust them with my daughter I’m an mother of 5 and this my first time really knowing about my daughter diagnosis I was scared hurt shocked and lost and honestly I didn’t know what to do I really didn’t know where to turn but Voz took all my worries away and my daughter loves them and she’s thriving my daughter has been diagnosed as level 3 ASD and she’s nonverbal if you see my daughter at her appointments you will think twice about her being diagnosed but with the help of Voz and also me no giving up and putting my work in my baby has surprised me everyday with something new I respect Voz services so much I have my youngest daughter receiving services from them now so I have my 2 year old and 1 year old who’s thriving and I wouldn’t change nothing I’m honestly an pleased and happy mom of 2 daughter who receives services from them if you unsure please just trust me they offer OT,Feeding,PT,and speech go check them out

Mrs. D.

Mrs.Anna Vanta is amazing. She has been working with my son for almost a year. Her methods really keep him engaged and focus. Which we also use at home and have seen a huge improvement in his communication.

Connor C.

I had an excellent experience at Voz Speech Therapy while undergoing myofunctional therapy to address my tongue thrust. I appreciated that the staff was professional and truly invested in my progress. My therapist, Skylar, was knowledgeable, flexible, and made sure I fully understood each exercise and its purpose.

Over the course of my sessions, I noticed significant improvements not only in my tongue posture but also in my swallowing habits. It's difficult to change habits as an adult, but Skylar made sure I continued to progress at my own pace a was a great coach.

With easy scheduling and hands-on instruction, I recommend Voz to anyone interested in myofunctional therapy or hoping to address their tongue thrust.

Juan C.

This an amazing opportunity to be with the best!

Jenna G.

I could not recommend Voz Speech Therapy enough!!! The entire team is exceptional at their jobs and the level of care they provide is unmatched! I came to Voz for myofunctional therapy and was paired with Anastacia. From my first appointment, I knew that I was in good hands — Anastacia was caring, patient, punctual and went above and beyond to ensure my success and provided me with abundant tools to use at home. Both her and the owner Ana-Maria are incredible and have a deep wealth of knowledge that made navigating a myofunctional disorder, as an adult, much less daunting. I looked forward to my appointments each week and am so grateful for my time at Voz!!! I would recommended this practice time and time again!!!

Jaylon C.

This place changed the course of my life for the better. Without the beautiful and accepting heart of Skylar in particular, I would have not I have been comfortable, finding my true voice

Delonda W.

Dr Ana-Maria jaramillo is awesome and she’s the best speech therapist I ever seen with working with my son. My son was talking completely jargon at the age of 2 Dr.Ana-Maria jaramillo got him talking and expressing himself.

Nora Margarita Melendez R.

Estoy muy satisfecha con The Voz Institute ya q para mi niña a sido de mucha ayuda con su tartamudeo y en especial trabajar con Anastacia gracias por el apoyo Dios les Bendiga y recomiendo esta Institución.

Berenice P.

Our experience with Voz Speech Therapy, particularly with Anastacia, has been nothing short of exceptional. Anastacia isn't just a speech pathologist; she's a beacon of expertise, patience, and genuine care. She's become an integral part of my son's language journey and, quite honestly, a cherished part of his life.

Anastacia possesses an incredible blend of patience, savvy, and knowledge that makes every session productive and enjoyable. Her ability to connect with my son and tailor her approach to his unique needs is remarkable. But what truly sets her apart is her warmth and fun-loving nature. My son's highlight of the week is going to speech therapy, and that speaks volumes about Anastacia's remarkable ability to create a positive and engaging environment.

Not only has Anastacia helped my son make remarkable progress in his speech, but she's also instilled confidence in him and fostered a genuine love for learning. As a parent, seeing my child excited about speech therapy is beyond rewarding.

If you're searching for a speech pathologist who is not only highly skilled but also genuinely cares about the well-being and progress of your child, look no further than Anastacia at Voz Speech Therapy. Trust me; you won't be disappointed. She's simply the best!

Cierra N.

My family has been with Voz almost a year now. I love them!! Everyone in the office is so nice and pleasant even on difficult days. Our speech therapist, Anastacia is nothing short of AMAZING!! She is so understanding and she provides excellent care! She meets my girl where she is and give very helpful tips for out family to use at home. Along with Beth our OT as well. My family just started working her and she is wonderful to work with she is so compassionate and helpful. My daughter’s growth over the last few months is really because of our care team at Voz. I love them and will always recommend them. Our house manger approves💚

Yadhira S.

My daughter has been part of the Voz for almost a year, there’s no words to explain the amazing work from Anastasia and Gabriela, I love how patience and dedicated they are, I can definitely see the big progress my daughter has made this year, we could not be more grateful with them.

Gabriel F.

Ms. Anna fixed my daughter's lisp in a matter of weeks. She was a joy to work with and I cannot recommend her highly enough. I feel lucky we got to work with her and my daughter's speech has been fixed.

Hosaena G.

I really recommend Voz speech therapy they’re so nice especially Anastacia my daughter really loves her and she so nice thank you…🤗❤️

Rewina H.

Great experience with my Son Occupational and speach therapy . They are dedicated and they care about him .

Cleotilde B.

It’s almost been a year that my daughter has been attending in The Voz Institute and I’m very grateful since she’s started her journey with Gabriela and Anastasia they really have made a powerful impact in my daughters speaking during her time with them she really has shown improvement they both also communicate very well to me on how I can help my daughter improve.

Lvly A.

Ms. Anna Vanta is an excellent speech therapist. She's a very patient and kind person and did wonders for my daughter.

Beth D.

My daughter has received therapy here for over a year and it has been an incredible experience watching her growth. She went from a small vocabulary and only using one word utterances to speaking in sentences and with a huge vocabulary. She LOVES to go - both Ana and Jessica have shown such great attention to her needs, positive reinforcement, making the sessions fun, and building strong bonds with her. They have also been great at coordinating services as we worked through the IEP process.

Conor C.

I’ve worked with Lee since September 2024 and he has introduced me to new strategies that have been very helpful thus far. He truly empathizes with his patients and I look forward to continuing to work with him.

Adonay M.

La mejor experiencia que he pasado Anastacia la mejor terapeuta trato ami hijo con toda la paciencia y amor y le enseño a decir las palabras correcta Anastacia tiene la especialidad para ayudar alos niños es una persona increíble yo estoy muy agradecida lleven a sus niños a voz y les recomiendo a Anastacia la mejor

Liliana O.

My daughter has been attending speech therapy at VOZ with Ms. Gaby for some time now—an absolutely remarkable experience—and has recently begun occupational therapy with Ms. Logan. From the very first session, Ms. Logan demonstrated exceptional expertise and professionalism. She quickly identified my daughter's unique needs and tailored goals to support her progress.

Thanks to Ms. Logan's caring and skillful approach, my daughter looks forward to every OT session and consistently leaves feeling happy, regulated, and proud of her accomplishments. It's rare to find a therapist who blends dedication, compassion, and deep professional knowledge with such warmth and sincerity.

I cannot recommend VOZ and Ms. Logan highly enough!

Joanna S.

Working with Mr. Morra has been one of the most transformative and healing experiences of my life. As someone navigating the challenges of stuttering, I couldn’t have imagined a more
compassionate, intuitive, and gifted therapist. From the very beginning, he cultivated a space where I felt completely safe to show up as I am—bold, uncertain, vulnerable—and where I felt
genuinely seen, heard, and honored, not just as a client, but as a whole person.
He is someone who meets you exactly where you are, gently sits beside you in your hardest
moments, listens without judgment, offers unwavering kindness, carries your emotions tenderly—never as a burden—and welcomes your rawness with deep compassion. What’s truly remarkable is not only his ability to bring clarity and calm to even the most overwhelming moments, but also the way he walks beside you as you rediscover what was never broken.
His approach is collaborative, flexible, and deeply attuned to both emotional and clinical needs.
He listens carefully, responds thoughtfully, and always meets you with full presence—offering guidance with zero pressure to perform or urgency to “fix.” He never asks you to rush; rather, he
trusts your timing, honors your truth, and helps you build a relationship with yourself that feels more rooted, loving, and free.
Because of our work together, I have grown in ways I never thought possible—gaining not only speech tools, but a deep and lasting sense of peace, confidence, and purpose.
Simply put, Mr. Morra embodies everything you could ever hope for in a therapist—both personally and professionally. With him you will never feel alone, not even in your heaviest
moments.

Mali

My daughter sees four of the therapists at Voz for speech, ot, and feeding therapy. Literally every person in the center is such a delight. Anything you could be looking for is there! The professionalism, the versatility, the kindness, the patience, and the just all around experts. My daughter loves going and asks every morning if it's a day to go to the Voz institute. In the 3 months since we've started I've noticed so much growth in her speech and self-regulation. Literally could write pages! Thank you guys so much for showing up at 100% everyday 🫶🏾❣️❣️❣️

Elise S.

Voz speech therapy is a practice lead by knowledge, experience and professionalism. My daughter worked with Anastacia and she was absolutely wonderful! She was able to identify her speech impediments immediately and create a plan tailored to her learning style and personality. She showed us how to incorporate at home what she was working with our daughter . My daughter’s speech blossomed under her direction. It was a joy and relief to find Voz speech therapy.

Brittany F.

I and my daughter see Ms. Anna and she's great! I've improved my executive function skills greatly. I'm able to keep up in group conversations and I don't become avoidant.

Samuel Ansong I.

Skylar Hamblen was truly exceptional. From the start, her patience, thorough preparation, clear communication, and kind-hearted approach made the entire experience feel positive and uplifting. What initially felt like an intimidating or even embarrassing step became something I looked forward to, thanks to her support. I can’t think of a single complaint—only high praise. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone considering speech therapy.

Alicia G.

They are a group of professionals who focus intensely on each child to gain their trust and thus be able to help them.

Rey G.

I worked with Skylar Hamblen for trans affirming voice therapy and absolutely LOVED HER! She is so willing to meet you where you are at and take direction for whatever your personal voice goals are. She is so personable and makes a point to make sessions fun and tailored to your personality and interests. I would recommend her to anyone looking to change their voice and who wants someone reliable to be a part of their transition journey <3

Jennifer S.

I highly recommend Voz Speech. Anastacia has been working with my daughters for several months (pre & post tongue tie release and tongue thrust/lateral s speech issue). She is wonderful and impactful. We have had a positive experience and are thrilled with our outcomes.

Alexis S.

I can't say enough good things about Voz Speech Therapy. My son went from struggling to communicate with us to a complete chatterbox and we couldn't be happier! He was barely speaking one or two words and now is using complete sentences, singing along to things we listen to on the radio and asking more questions than we can answer. We have Dr. Jaramillo and Voz Speech Therapy to thank for this. She comes to our daycare and works with him independently and in the classroom setting which has been great for him to have ST in a space he is familiar with already. We cannot thank Dr. Jaramillo and Voz enough for everything that they have done to help our son and our family!

ashley C.

I can’t say enough great things about Anastacia from VOZ! My son has made incredible progress with his speech since working with her. When he first started, he struggled to express himself clearly and often got frustrated trying to communicate. Now, he speaks with so much more confidence and clarity—it’s truly amazing to see the difference!

Anastacia is patient, kind, and knows exactly how to engage children in a fun, encouraging way. She makes every session something my son looks forward to, and she always takes the time to explain what we can do at home to keep supporting his growth.

I’m beyond grateful for all the effort and care she’s put into helping him reach his speech goals. VOZ is lucky to have her, and I highly recommend Anastacia to any parent looking for real, lasting improvement in their child’s communication skills!

Synta K.

**A Life-Changing Find for Our Family**

Three years ago, a psychologist friend recommended Voz Institute when I was struggling to find speech therapy for my then-nonverbal child. It turned out to be one of the best recommendations we’ve ever received.

Voz Institute is conveniently located in the heart of downtown DC, steps from Metro Center (Blue/Silver/Orange/Red lines), making it incredibly accessible for DC families. This is in addition to multiple garages and even outside bicycle stand parking.

**Speech Therapy with Anastacia**

Anastacia has been working with my child since he was two years old, and the transformation has been remarkable. Under her skilled, patient care, my son went from silence to words to full sentences. She approaches each child from a perspective of possibility and great potential, which has made all the difference for us. Anastacia carefully explains her methods and provides practical tips we can implement at home and school. As a bilingual therapist (English/Spanish), she brings important cultural competence to her work. My child sees her as family, and she has been instrumental in his progress.

**Occupational Therapy with Dr. Logan**

Dr. Logan brings tremendous enthusiasm and expertise to our OT sessions. She clearly explains developmental areas my son needs to practice and provides detailed, actionable feedback. Her knowledge and understanding have helped us address challenges we didn’t even know how to articulate.

**Feeding Therapy with Maddy**

Mealtimes were a significant struggle until Maddy joined the team. She has helped my child open up to healthier food choices and worked through my child’s blocks around eating. In just a few sessions, we’ve seen easier mealtimes and a much more varied, nutritious diet.

**Why Voz Institute Stands Out**

Finding such an exceptional, diverse team of therapists under one roof is incredibly rare, especially for families navigating neurodivergence. Having multiple services in one location allows for co-treatment and integrated care, which not only enhances outcomes but makes life much more manageable for families juggling complex schedules.

Thank you to the entire Voz team for the profound difference you’re making in my child’s life. We’re grateful every day that we found you.

Esthela R.

En Voz Speech nos encontramos con la mejor terapeuta que mi hija pudo tener la terapeuta Jessica fue muy amable siempre con mi hija y le tuvo la paciencia que mi hija necesitaba , voz speech es lo mejor en terapias

Oscar V.

Outstanding practice that is family centered and takes time to develop relationship with patients. Dr. Jaramillo and her team has evaluated and treated our children and we are grateful to have found such an amazing practice. We have noted significant improvement in their socialization and communication skills and strongly recommend this practice to any parent who is concerned with speech & language development.

James K.

My Grandchild Actually Looks Forward to Voz!

As a grandfather firsthand watching my grandchild’s journey at Voz Institute over the past two years, I’m impressed by the exceptional care and progress I’ve witnessed.

The team at Voz has created an environment where my grandchild is genuinely happy to go to therapy. That alone speaks volumes. The whole staff is truly people-oriented, which makes all the difference.

Having multiple therapies in one convenient place has been a tremendous support for our family. The results speak for themselves: a child who has grown from nonverbal to conversational, developed important skills for life, and overcome challenges we weren’t sure how to address.

Voz Institute is doing remarkable work. Highly recommend to any family seeking quality, compassionate care for their child.

Pierre H.

Excellent speech therapy for child. Learned in ton in just a few months. Very engaging activities.

Julie K.

Prior to seeing Jessica, my 7-year old was terrified of reading and would use every avoidance tactic in his little tool belt to avoid it. And so began my tireless efforts to seek DC/VA/MA for a dyslexia specialist. I can say, without reservation, that we absolutely won the lottery when we found Jessica Nolasco.

In the past, we have used fun instructors who would play lots of games but provided very little value in terms of substantive improvements. But Jessica has an incredible gift of knowing just the right amount to push and challenge him. For parents, she also offers a lot of feedback about the sessions, exercises to practice at home, tips on which books to read, and games to play. She is also incredibly receptive to my questions and allows me to have input based on issues that I've seen crop up with our other support tutors. This has allowed me to give my kid the best wrap-around service that coordinates with his other services.

She has been working with my 7-year-old and even within the first short few weeks, we have seen dramatic changes. To truly understand how magical she is....you must understand that we gave her the monumental task of teaching him after a long day of school - when he is completely depleted. But he absolutely loves her. She has managed to gamify reading exercises in an effective way. As most 7-year-olds, he does not suffer fools gladly. If someone came in with a fake singsong-y way, he would turn them away. Thankfully, they have a wonderful and genuine connection. Jessica miraculously managed to break through and get him excited about reading. He actually runs to see her. I repeat, runs to see her.

Even his newly assigned school speech therapist said, "I can tell immediately, someone has been working with him". Take it from a picky mom and kid, she is the best. What got in the door was her credentials but what has kept us is her incredible ability to connect and work with my son. We love her!

On the business side:
Porche, at the front desk, is incredibly lovely! She is there late in the evenings when we have our sessions. She's super kind and goes out of her way to ensure that our sessions are seamless.
She processes all of our insurance claims and we have never had any issues. While this is often invisible work -- it is only invisible because she is doing such an amazing job. This allows me to focus on my child's progress rather than muck around with the nasty work of insurance claims.

Theresa

We cannot recommend The Voz Institute highly enough. Our son received bilingual speech therapy here, and the progress he made was nothing short of remarkable. Working with Anastacia was a truly wonderful experience — she is not only exceptionally skilled, but also warm, patient, and deeply attuned to our son’s individual needs. As a bilingual family, finding a provider who could support his development in both languages was so important to us, and Anastacia delivered that with expertise and genuine care. If you are looking for high-quality bilingual speech therapy for your child, look no further. We are so grateful for everything The Voz Institute has done for our family.
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No podemos recomendar The Voz Institute con suficiente entusiasmo. Nuestro hijo recibió terapia del habla bilingüe aquí, y el progreso que hizo fue verdaderamente extraordinario. Trabajar con Anastacia fue una experiencia maravillosa — no solo es excepcionalmente competente, sino también cálida, paciente y muy atenta a las necesidades individuales de nuestro hijo. Como familia bilingüe, encontrar a alguien que pudiera apoyar su desarrollo en los dos idiomas era fundamental para nosotros, y Anastacia lo hizo con gran profesionalidad y cariño genuino. Si buscáis terapia del habla bilingüe de alta calidad para vuestro hijo, no busquéis más. Estamos profundamente agradecidos por todo lo que The Voz Institute ha hecho por nuestra familia.

Maria P.

I am very grateful to Voz Speech Therapy, especially to the therapist Jessica, who with her dedication and professionalism, patience and excellent work that she did in each therapy session that she dedicated to my daughter with a lot of love, she was able to overcome and now she speaks in a surprising way. . Thank you very much, I will forever be very grateful.

Rachele Penn M.

My daughter receives speech therapy service from Anna Vanta. We have been extremely pleased with the improvement my daughter is having with her speech. My daughter was having issues with stuttering and repeating the last syllable of the word at the end of the sentence. It was causing her not to engage in school or talk with people outside of her family circle.
After a few month with Anna, my daughter was volunteering to read out loud in class and feeling confident enough to engage with people outside of her circle.
Anna takes the time needed to gain the child’s trust. She engages the child in various activities that will help them develop or improve their speech. Anna provides thoughtful and informative feedback to parents. In addition she gives families and the child tasks and tips they can use to practice the skills they learned in the session.
Anna has the ability to draw the best out of a child and encourages them to try skills that may be difficult but not impossible.
Thank you Anna for restoring the confidence in my child!

Karin K.

My son currently works with Logan & Lee Morra, they are amazing. We absolutely LOVE the entire VOZ institute team. Highly experienced, passionate and organized .. Definitely recommend!

Michael G.

Working with Lee Mora at Voz Institute has been the best therapy experience I’ve had. He helped me build confidence and feel more in control of my voice. I’m grateful for the progress I’ve made and highly recommend him.

Kofi E.

As a father, clinician, and nutrition researcher I knew how to help others obtain the resources they needed to support their children and family. That same wealth of knowledge and resources became difficult when trying to address the specific needs of my child. After running into many challenges while searching and calling a number of practices in the DMV region, we were finally referred to Voz Therapy and got connected to Dr. Ana-Maria.

We spent the last year with Dr. Ana-Maria, and we have nothing but amazing things to say about our experience. Her comprehensive care model went above and beyond what we expected.

Diagnosis: Dr. Ana-Maria conducted a thorough speech and feeding evaluation with my child. These extensive evaluations used a combination of history taking from our family’s experiences, physical exam techniques, and relied on evidence-based tools that assisted her in identifying the root cause and disruptive patterns in speech and feeding. Not only did her diagnosis provide insight but she also was able to communicate the concerns and plan of care with great detail and clarity for our entire family. Dr. Ana-Maria has built a collection of specialized subspecialists we were able to connect with to rule out any other concerns that may have been contributing to the challenges my child was having.

Management: Dr. Ana-Maria has an amazing and organic way of connecting with young
children and it put our whole family at ease. We would watch Dr. Ana-Maria interact with our
child and see them come to life and gain confidence in his speaking and feeding. She applied just the right amount of pressure to ensure our child could continue to excel each and every week. We also received step by step homework strategies to practice at home. Dr. Ana-Maria was also highly trained utilizing advanced speech and feeding skills include myo-functional therapy and the SOS feeding therapy protocols.

Intangibles: After just a few weeks of therapy we began noticing drastic changes in my child’s speech and feeding challenges. Now after a year of therapy we have graduated from Voz therapy. We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with such a caring, skilled, and effective speech therapist and hope others can benefit from her practice as well.

If you are looking for a practice that provides high quality, evidenced based, family centered approaches to treating young children with speech and/or feeding challenges. If you desire access to a group of therapists that emphasize and advocate for equity in and out of their practice in speech services. If you desire a practice that truly cares about our youngest children and invests the time, effort, and care to detail, look no further than Voz Therapy. You won’t be disappointed!

Heidi M.

The team at VOZ is absolutely amazing. Anastacia was so patient and so kind with my child. She always provided examples on Spanish and English during the sessions. We truly feel so much better about our son's speech. She was very helpful and provided additional tips to follow each week at home in between therapy. If you are considering Voz speech therapy then go for it. You won't regret it.