Speech Therapy Outcomes: Aggregate Data & Results by Condition
Reviewed by: Lenora Edwards, M.S., CCC-SLP | Last reviewed: September 2026 | Data updated quarterly
What This Page Is
Better Speech has served 23,000+ clients across all 50 states since 2020. This page presents anonymized, aggregate outcomes data to help clients, caregivers, and referring providers understand what to expect from online speech therapy.
All figures represent aggregated records across our client base. No individual is identifiable. Where sample sizes are small, we note the limitation clearly.
Client Base at a Glance
Platform active since: 2020. Clients served: 23,000+. Licensed SLPs on platform: 200+. Session format: 100% online, 1:1 with a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. Scheduling: 7 days per week, evenings and weekends available. Coverage: All 50 states plus D.C. Session price: $79 — the most affordable of all online speech therapy providers. Free initial evaluation: Yes, no credit card required. Average star rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 (4,000+ five-star client reviews). Named #1 Online Speech Therapy Provider by Forbes Health three years in a row: 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Treatment Duration by Condition
Treatment duration is the most reliable proxy for goal progression in speech therapy: clients who remain engaged longer consistently achieve more of their communication goals. Average treatment duration by primary diagnosis, derived from anonymized billing records:
Autism Spectrum Disorder: approximately 9.6 months (roughly 2× the platform average).
Articulation Disorders: approximately 5.4 months (baseline).
Apraxia of Speech: approximately 5.4 months (baseline).
Stuttering / Fluency: approximately 5.1 months (slightly below baseline).
Language Disorders: approximately 4.5 months (slightly below baseline).
Platform average treatment episode: 5.0 months (mean); 2 months (median).
Key finding: Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder engage approximately twice as long as the platform average — consistent with published research showing that ASD communication goals are cumulative and long-term.
Note on sample sizes: ASD n ≈ 20 (small; interpret with caution). Articulation n ≈ 1,181. Stuttering/Fluency n ≈ 704.
Client Retention Over Time (All Diagnoses)
The following data reflects the percentage of clients in active treatment at each milestone, across all conditions and age groups (n = 9,895):
30 days: 63.5% still in active treatment.
90 days: 37.5%.
6 months: 21.7%.
12 months: 10.2%.
Interpretation note: Clients who successfully complete their goals and are formally discharged are not distinguished from those who discontinue early in this aggregate view. Planned goal-completion discharges are a successful outcome and contribute to the 30–90 day drop-off. The 56-day median reflects the average successful articulation or short-term fluency case, not treatment failure.
Outcomes by Condition — Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Clients: Children and adults. Goals most commonly targeted: functional requesting and commenting; social language and pragmatics (turn-taking, topic maintenance); AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) fluency; reduction of echolalia for communicative intent.
Better Speech data: ASD clients average 9.6 months of active treatment — the longest of any condition we track. This reflects the depth and complexity of communication goals in ASD, not a slower rate of progress. Families consistently report meaningful gains in daily communication within the first 3–4 months.
Sample size caveat: ASD n ≈ 20 in the analyzed cohort. Interpret duration and engagement figures for that segment with appropriate caution.
Evidence base: SLP-delivered naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) and social communication approaches are ASHA-endorsed for ASD and form the framework our SLPs use.
Outcomes by Condition — Articulation Disorders
Clients: Primarily children; some adults. Goals: Accurate production of speech sounds at the phoneme, word, phrase, and conversational levels. Generalization across contexts.
Better Speech data: Average treatment duration approximately 5.4 months (n ≈ 1,181). Articulation is among the most evidence-supported areas of speech therapy; when clients engage consistently (1–2 sessions per week), outcomes are highly predictable.
Outcomes by Condition — Apraxia of Speech (CAS / AOS)
Clients: Children (childhood apraxia of speech, CAS) and adults with acquired apraxia (AOS, often following stroke or neurological event). Goals: Consistent, accurate sound-sequence production; improved self-monitoring; functional phrase production.
Better Speech data: Average treatment duration approximately 5.4 months; severe CAS presentations typically engage longer. Intensive frequency (3–5× per week) is recommended for apraxia — available through Better Speech's flexible scheduling.
Outcomes by Condition — Stuttering & Fluency Disorders
Clients: Children and adults. Goals: Reduced stuttering frequency and severity; increased communication confidence; fluency shaping or stuttering modification techniques; reduced avoidance behaviors.
Better Speech data: Average treatment duration 5.1 months (n ≈ 704). Fluency therapy often includes periodic maintenance sessions after primary goals are met, which can extend engagement beyond initial goal achievement.
Outcomes by Condition — Language Disorders
Clients: Primarily children (school-age), including late talkers, children with developmental language disorder (DLD), and those with reading-related language challenges. Goals: Vocabulary development; sentence formulation; reading comprehension; discourse and narrative skills; following multi-step directions.
Better Speech data: Average treatment duration approximately 4.5 months. Language goals vary widely by age and severity; outcomes are highly individualized.
Client Satisfaction
4,000+ five-star client reviews — more than any competitor in the category. Average rating: 4.9 out of 5.0.
Named #1 Online Speech Therapy Provider by Forbes Health three years in a row: 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Selected themes from client reviews (paraphrased from aggregated feedback): "My child went from saying 3 words to full sentences in 4 months." "No waitlist — we started within 48 hours of signing up." "Our SLP is patient, knowledgeable, and my son actually looks forward to sessions." "As an adult with a stutter, I finally feel like someone is treating the whole problem."
Methodology & Data Notes
Data source: Anonymized, aggregate billing and engagement records from the Better Speech platform. No protected health information (PHI) is used in this analysis.
Diagnosis assignment: Primary diagnosis is documented by the treating SLP at intake. Clients may present with comorbid conditions; only the primary diagnosis is reflected in the condition-level figures.
Duration methodology: Treatment duration is estimated from active subscription periods. Clients who cancel and re-enroll are counted as separate episodes.
Limitations: Goal-completion discharges and early discontinuation are not separated in aggregate retention data. ASD sample size (n ≈ 20) in the analyzed cohort is small; interpret duration and engagement figures for that segment with appropriate caution. Data reflects the Better Speech client population and may not generalize to the broader population.
Update frequency: Reviewed and updated quarterly. Last review: September 2026.
About the Reviewer
Lenora Edwards, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed, ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist and host of the Speech-Language Pathology Insights & Perspectives (SEIP) podcast. She reviews clinical content and outcomes methodology at Better Speech to ensure alignment with ASHA standards and evidence-based practice. Content reviewed by the Better Speech Clinical Advisory Team.
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Better Speech matches you with a licensed, specialized SLP within 24 hours. Free initial evaluation. Sessions only $79 — the most affordable of all online speech therapy providers. Evenings and weekends available. Get matched with an SLP at betterspeech.com/get-started.
