WELCOME TO THE SPEECH INSTITUTE
Speech & Language Therapy
The Speech Institute is a premier speech therapy service in Los Angeles, specializing in personalized, high-quality care for children. Our expertise extends to bilingual therapy in Armenian, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Gestalt language processing—setting us apart as a leader in innovative and inclusive therapy approaches.
We are dedicated to helping children build essential speech and communication skills while empowering parents with the tools they need to support their child's development. At The Speech Institute, our commitment to excellence ensures that every child receives compassionate, effective therapy tailored to their unique needs.
ABOUT ME
Rena Mkhitaryan M.S. CCC-SLP
Rena was born in Yerevan, Armenian and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 8 years old. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from California State University Los Angeles, and a master’s degree of science in speech language pathology from Nova Southeastern University.
Rena has extensive experience working with infants, toddlers and school-aged children with a variety of communication delays/disorders and other medical diagnosis. She has experience working with children in a variety of settings including: in clinic, in home and in the classroom. She has experience working with the Glendale Unified School district.
She values building relationships with her clients and families. She believes that therapy should focus on functional communication, self-advocacy, promote the clients’ cultural traditions/values and most importantly be play based and fun!
Rena is fluent in Armenian. Rena has extensive experience working with bilingual children and children who use a variety of AAC including: low tech communication boards, and a variety of devices.
OUR SERVICES
Individual Therapy Sessions
Bilingual Therapy
Feeding Therapy
Social Skills Group
Parent & Me Classes
Speech & Language Evaluations
Feeding Evaluations
Speech & Language Screenings
Individualized Speech & Language Evaluations & Therapy
Individualized therapy and evaluations are designed to meet each person’s unique communication needs, strengths, and goals. Evaluations provide a comprehensive understanding of speech, language, and related skills to guide appropriate support and intervention.
Therapy is tailored to the individual, using evidence-based strategies to promote meaningful progress in communication across home, school, and community settings. Sessions are collaborative, goal-driven, and adjusted as needs evolve to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Bilingual Evaluations & Therapy (Armenian)
Bilingual evaluations and therapy in Armenian are available to support children and families in their preferred language. Services are designed to assess and address communication skills in a culturally and linguistically responsive way, ensuring accurate evaluation of language development across both Armenian and English.
Therapy focuses on building functional communication skills through individualized, family-centered support while honoring each child’s linguistic background.
Feeding Evaluations & Therapy
Feeding therapy and evaluations support individuals who have difficulty with eating, drinking, or trying new foods. Evaluations assess oral-motor skills, sensory preferences, and mealtime behaviors to better understand each individual’s needs.
Therapy is individualized and may include evidence-based approaches, including AEIOU certification–based strategies, to build safe and positive mealtime experiences, expand food variety, and improve feeding skills. Families are also provided with practical strategies to support carryover at home.
Groups
We offer engaging small-group programs designed to support communication, confidence, and connection. Our Parent & Me Classes help caregivers learn strategies to encourage speech and language development through fun interactive activities. Social Skills Groups for children and adolescents focus on conversation, friendships, teamwork, emotional regulation, and problem-solving in a supportive peer setting. Groups are available virtually and in the community, including parks, libraries, and other local spaces, and are led by a licensed speech therapist.
Speech & Language Screenings
We provide low-cost speech and language screenings for preschools and schools in local communities to help identify students who may benefit from further evaluation or support. These screenings are designed to be efficient, informative, and accessible for educators and families.
If your school or organization is interested in scheduling a screening, please reach out—we would be happy to connect and support your community’s needs.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
What Parents Say
Jody A.
Rena was my son's speech therapist at his daycare ages 2.5-3. She literally saved our whole family. Within a month, we were able to communicate better with our son and he changed overnight in using his words and speaking and he was able to have great days at school instead of incident reports! She is kind and would reach out to parents. Rena gets an A+
Stephanie R.
Miss Rena is an amazing speech therapist Leah my daughter she was a preemie baby and we needed services and luckily, we got to meet her and she has helped her so much. She still thinks about her till today. We absolutely loved her. She was amazing with Leah she had so much patience, caring, and understanding. I hope that any family that gets to meet her. You guys will love her. Your baby will learn everything that they need to learn from her and today my daughter can talk amazingly so thank you Miss Rena.
Saba R.
One of the kindest, sweetest, and most compassionate speech therapists. She always arrived with a beautiful smile that lit up the entire room. My kids were genuinely happy with her and learned so much from their time together. I would highly recommend her -- she is truly empathetic and wonderful to work with.