What started out as a private speech therapy practice in a one-room barn behind the home of Nicole Raso, a Hammonton-based speech-language pathologist, has become a community-centered space for children to find their voices.
There, they learn language and articulation skills through play-based therapy, and work on issues such as developing speech sounds, building their vocabulary, improving social communication and developing oral motor skills.
“One of the things that makes speech therapy unique is that no two sessions look exactly alike,” says Raso. “Every child comes to us with different strengths, challenges, interests and goals, so every therapy plan is individualized to meet their specific needs. Each activity is thoughtfully selected to help them make progress in a way that is meaningful and motivating.”
Founded in March 2020, The Speech Barn came to fruition after Raso’s husband encouraged her to fulfill her dream of opening her own private speech and language therapy practice in the small barn behind their home. While the timing of the center’s opening was not ideal, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, she began offering teletherapy sessions to local families and built up a steady client base.
“At The Speech Barn, we use a play-based approach because children learn best when they are engaged and having fun. Rather than sitting at a table completing repetitive drills, our therapists incorporate toys, games, pretend play, books, movement activities, sensory experiences and crafts into each session,” she explains. “For example, a child working on the ‘r’ sound might practice it while racing toy cars, reading a favorite story or playing a game filled with target words. Another child working on language skills may build a farm, create an obstacle course or act out a pretend restaurant while practicing conversation, answering ‘wh’ questions and expanding sentences.
“Our goal is to make therapy feel like play while intentionally targeting each child’s individualized goals. By following a child’s interests and embedding learning opportunities into engaging activities, we create an environment where children are excited to participate, build confidence and develop communication skills that carry over into everyday life.”
The Speech Barn in Hammonton has grown from a one-room private practice into a welcoming, play-based therapy and community space where children can strengthen their communication skills and families can connect. “We’re building relationships while help- ing children find their voices and empowering families along the way,” founder Nicole Raso said.
Raso, who holds a BS in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology and a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, previously worked in private practice, teletherapy and public schools throughout South Jersey, and has a passion for working with children and their families to make them successful communicators.
“We encourage parents to be active participants in their kids’ therapy sessions and help guide them using various strategies and visual supports that can also be used at home,” stresses Raso.
In addition to the speech therapy sessions, she offered “Mommy and Me” music classes and social skills programs outside on the lawn of her home, creating opportunities for children to learn and connect through play. Children learned how to take turns, share items, wait patiently, greet peers, follow group routines, ask for help, use kind words and how to initiate and maintain interactions with other children. These programs quickly became popular with local families.
“These early experiences also helped children build confidence participating in a group, expressing their ideas and developing friendships,” says Raso. “The activities were intentionally designed to make these interactions happen naturally. Children participated in story time, music and movement, crafts, sensory play, pretend play and other hands-on activities that encouraged communication and collaboration. Rather than teaching social skills through direct instruction, we created engaging opportunities for children to practice them in real-life situations with gentle guidance and encouragement from adults.”
As the practice expanded, Raso’s sister, Tiffany Love, who previously worked as a special education teacher for fifth-grade students and, like Raso, holds a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, joined the team and played an instrumental role in growing their client base and expanding their programming.
Working together, the sisters helped establish The Speech Barn as a trusted resource for families throughout the community, laying the foundation for the practice’s continued growth and eventual expansion.
With increasing demand for speech therapy and play-based services, The Speech Barn soon outgrew its original space. In June 2025, the practice relocated to a larger, multi-purpose space a few miles away, allowing the team to continue providing individualized speech therapy sessions, while introducing a spacious indoor play area designed for children ages 1 to 8.
Raso and Love wanted to create a therapy center that feels more like a second home than a clinic. The Speech Barn has a welcoming waiting room styled as a French café, a party room for classes and special events and the open play space, where children participating in speech therapy are welcome to play before and after their sessions.
“The idea for the Little Berries open play space grew from seeing a need within both our practice and the community. While it certainly provides a welcoming place for siblings to play during speech therapy appointments, the vision was always much bigger than that. We wanted to create an inclusive space where all children could learn, play and build meaningful connections in an environment that supports development through play,” says Raso.
The Little Berries Play Space offers drop-in open play sessions, Mini Maker craft classes, sensory and social skills classes, yoga, Pilates and music classes. Open play sessions operate on a simple drop-in model. Families pay a flat admission fee of $15 per child, which includes one accompanying adult, and they’re welcome to stay and enjoy the space during that open play session. Memberships are also available, and special events are offered throughout the year to give families even more ways to enjoy the space.
“Play is one of the most powerful ways children develop communication, social, cognitive and motor skills,” says Raso. “Little Berries was created to give families a place where those opportunities happen naturally while also providing a welcoming community for parents and caregivers to connect. With the addition of the play space, the kids are able to get their therapy and have some play time, moms are able to connect with other moms who are going through the same issues, and people are building friendships – both children and adults. It’s been really nice to watch that growth and help it flourish.”
The sisters, along with the additional clinicians who work at the therapy center, specialize in a wide range of communication challenges, including speech delays, speech apraxia, articulation disorders, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delays and receptive expressive language issues. They offer one-on-one therapy, group sessions, speech evaluations and screenings for children aged 15 months to 18 years.
“Our goal is to give kids a voice, whether it’s an actual physical voice or through a different form of communication, like an AAC [Augmentative and Alternative Communication] device. We’re giving kids the ability to be able to communicate with everyone and articulate their wants and needs, which is essential to their growth and development,” Raso stresses.
Gina Cassidy began bringing her 2½-year-old daughter to The Speech Barn in February when she became concerned about her speech delay.
“I started out taking my daughter to a music class at The Speech Barn, and when she wasn’t talking as much as we expected her to around age 2, we decided to give speech therapy a try,” says Cassidy. “We loved the welcoming, family-focused environment there and it was an easy transition for our daughter. Whenever I tell her we’re going to The Speech Barn for speech, she’s always excited and happy to go.”
Cassidy also appreciates the opportunity to be included in her daughter’s therapy sessions so she can learn the techniques the therapists are using and carry the lessons over in her home.
“The therapy sessions are largely play-based and age-appropriate,” she says. “They’re teaching my daughter as she plays with different objects and having her name different colors, shapes and animals, teaching her sounds and encouraging her to master each activity by using her words before she can move on.”
Cassidy also takes advantage of the open play space for her 4½-year-old son, which makes it even more convenient for her family.
“I love the fact that I can take both of the kids there and they feel comfortable there. It’s a great spot to drop in to if it’s really hot outside or if it’s raining. The kids can run around and play and meet other kids, and they never get bored.”
Raso’s goal was to create a place where kids are comfortable and families feel supported, whether it’s teaching kids how to communicate or providing a space where people can get out in the community and interact with each other.
“We’re building relationships while helping children find their voices and empowering families along the way,” she says. “There’s nothing more rewarding than hearing your child say their first words or finally being able to communicate their wants and needs. That’s what we enjoy the most.”
The Speech Barn is located at 897 12th St., Unit 101, Hammonton, NJ 08037. For more information call 609-878-0892 or visit www.speechbarnllc.com.
