SPEECH SOUNDS • OROFACIAL MYOLOGY • LATE TALKERS • ELIMINATING ORAL HABITS
Pediatric Speech & Myofunctional Therapy in Montgomery County, MD
Thrive Speech & Wellness serves families in Montgomery County and surrounding areas, including Chevy Chase, Cabin John, and Bethesda, MD.
Welcome to Thrive Speech & Wellness!
We’re here to help you find the root cause of your child’s challenges.
At Thrive Speech & Wellness, we understand that a child’s breathing, sleeping, eating, and speaking skills are all interconnected. That’s why we look beyond speech challenges to address the full picture of your child’s overall health and development.
Life-changing therapy takes a team, so our speech and myofunctional therapists work alongside parents and other health professionals every step of the way. Together, we’ll give your child the support they need to truly thrive, in childhood and beyond.
Individualized Speech Therapy for Kids in Bethesda, MD
ARTICULATION • PHONOLOGICAL DISORDERS • APRAXIA • MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS
Speech Therapy for Speech Sound Disorders
Empowering children to speak clearly and express themselves with confidence.
TODDLERS • PRESCHOOLERS • LATE TALKERS • AUTISM • DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS
Speech Therapy for Late Talkers (2-4 years)
Helping little ones understand what they hear and use words to communicate.
OMD • TETHERED ORAL TISSUES • TONGUE THRUST • LISP • ORAL HABITS • & MORE
Myofunctional Therapy & Oral Motor Therapy
Optimizing muscle function for breathing, sleeping, eating, and speaking.
Meet Your Speech & Myofunctional Therapist
Welcome! I’m Elizabeth Hafer, M.A., CCC-SLP, COM
I’m a certified speech therapist and orofacial myologist in Bethesda, MD, with more than 20 years of experience as a pediatric dental hygienist. My background across these fields shaped my understanding of the connection between oral function, airway, speech, and swallowing.
My path eventually led me to move beyond the dental operatory, where I earned my certification as an orofacial myologist (COM) through the International Association of Orofacial Myology. Following that, I completed my master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology through Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Before launching my own practice, Thrive, I gained valuable experience working within the Montgomery County Public School system.
I know how overwhelming it can feel when you’re searching for answers about your child’s development. My goal is to help you connect the dots and feel confident that we’re addressing the why behind your child’s challenges, not just the surface-level symptoms.
For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than helping children eat, speak, sleep and genuinely thrive! I look forward to showing your family how life-changing speech therapy can be.
Advanced Training & Certifications
IAOM-COM Certified Orofacial Myologist (2022) • Feed the Peds (2026) • The Myo Method (2022) • Myo Masterminds through the Breathe Institute (2021-2022) • MyoMentor (2019) • Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (2019)
Ready to Get Started?
Thrive Speech & Wellness serves children and families in Montgomery County, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Potomac, and Rockville. Here’s the process for getting started with our pediatric speech and orofacial myofunctional specialists:
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Interested in scheduling or learning more? Thrive is accepting new families and would love to connect with you to learn about your individualized needs.
Please book a free consult call or complete our contact form. We will respond to your inquiry within 48 hours.
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Whether you’re concerned about your child’s speech, language, breathing, oral habits, or other myofunctional challenges, our evaluation process will get to the root cause.
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If therapy is recommended, we will work together to develop a therapy plan that will help your child achieve their goals.
Progress will be monitored and shared with you regularly. I will also provide home practice to keep the progress moving between sessions.
Insurance & Billing
Thrive Speech & Wellness is a private pay practice specializing in speech and myofunctional therapy for children in Bethesda, MD. We can provide clients with a detailed invoice to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Click here to learn more!
Looking for a “pediatric speech therapist near me?” You’re in the right place!
Thrive Speech & Wellness, located in Bethesda, MD, specializes in pediatric speech and myofunctional therapy for articulation and phonological disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, late talkers, tongue-tie, and myofunctional disorders.
Serving Montgomery County, Maryland suburbs including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Potomac, and Rockville; Washington, DC, NW and Northern Virginia suburbs including Tysons, McLean, Arlington, and Falls Church.
Telehealth services for residents of Maryland and Washington, DC are available as deemed appropriate for selective services.