About

Ali Manahan is a pediatric speech language pathologist, owner of Word Play Speech Therapy LLC and creator of the Word Play Box. She received her undergraduate and graduate degree from St. Louis University in 2010. She is a Hanen Certified & PROMPT trained speech language pathologist. She specializes in working with children with apraxia of speech, phonological delays, social language disorders, articulation disorders and expressive and receptive language delays. She has experience with alternative and augmentative communication devices including LAMP Words for Life and Touch Chat apps. She enjoys working with children of all abilities. She is certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association and licensed in the state of Missouri. She provides in person speech and language therapy services at her home office, locations within 30 minutes of O'Fallon Missouri or teletherapy to children throughout the state of Missouri. She previously taught Speech Sound Disorders at Maryville University and has supervised over 30 graduate student clinicians over the course of her career.

Ali believes in the power of teacher/caregiver collaboration and play. She practices child led, strengths based, neuroaffirming therapy. She founded her private practice in 2022 to incorporate these ideals. Therapy sessions with Ms. Ali are full of fun activities your child loves - books, sensory play, puzzles, games, bubbles, swings, trains and lots of learning! 

In addition to providing private speech and language therapy services, Ali created Word Play Box to help caregivers feel empowered to make a difference in their own child's communication at home. She firmly believes with the right information and tools, family members can be the greatest agent of change in a child's life.

Ali lives in O'Fallon Missouri with her husband, Jim, two beautiful daughters, Ruby & Millie, two dogs and a cat.