MANSFIELD — Amanda Kulka said she wants to greet her patients with a “friendly, clinical feel” at her speech therapy office.
“I want to have a calming, friendly environment that’s clean, welcoming and relaxing,” she said.
“Right when you walk in, I have a toy shelf and I literally can hear every kid come in because that’s right where they go. I want every single kid, every single family to feel like they belong here.”
Kulka opened Mansfield Pediatric Therapy at 1 Marion Ave. suite 107 in September. She previously worked at Akron Children’s Hospital and OhioHealth in pediatric speech therapy.
Kulka has been a speech therapist since graduating from Kent State University in 2012 with her master’s degree. She is also a certified lactation counselor.
“I’ve always wanted to open my own practice,” she said. “I thought it would be neat to do and good for the area. With my own practice, I’m also able to really focus on my specialties — eating and dyslexia.”
Mansfield Pediatric Therapy serves clients from babies to teenagers. Kulka helps children develop feeding skills, literacy, communication and cognitive abilities.
Her current youngest client is about 5 months old.
“A lot of times with babies, they’ll have a hard time accepting bottles, or they might have dysphasia, which is a swallowing disorder where they would need thickened liquids,” Kulka said.
“I work with teaching them how to use straws or take solids. We can do training for pre-language skills too, like smiling back and playing peek-a-boo.”
Kulka said some signs parents or caregivers should look for that might indicate a need for a speech therapist are difficulty taking a bottle, heavy breathing or loud gulps during feeding. She also works with children who are struggling to transition to cup-drinking or solid foods.
“If your baby isn’t babbling, or responding to different people and sounds, that’s a sign to contact a speech therapist,” Kulka said.
“Or when a toddler can’t articulate different words and they’re getting frustrated, it never hurts to make a call and ask.”
Mansfield Pediatric Therapy serves babies, teenagers & in between
Kulka said her younger brother went to speech therapy as a child, and she had friend at The Ohio State University who was studying speech therapy.
“I thought it would be a neat field to go into,” she said. “I like working with kids, helping people and practicing in my hometown.”
Kulka said she was inspired to found her own practice in part due to long waitlists at other speech therapy offices. She said most of her clients have come to her via word of mouth or doctor referrals.
Kulka said her proudest moments as a therapist are when her clients accomplish their goals.
“Even on the babies, you can see how proud they are of themselves,” she said. “Any time you see a kid realize they can do something — that’s the end all be all.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s dyslexia, feeding or anything. That’s the best — when they realize their potential.”
Kulka also said she’s happy to hear her clients are interacting with their siblings, that their family members can understand what they’re saying or that babies are sleeping through the night.
“I have a patient who has been refusing liquids and even some solids, so he was getting dehydrated,” she said. “We found a cup that worked for him, and his mom texted me that they finally slept through the night. Things like that are really great.”
“Any time you see a kid realize they can do something — that’s the end all be all. It doesn’t matter if it’s dyslexia, feeding or anything. That’s the best — when they realize their potential.”
— Amanda Kulka, speech therapist and founder of Mansfield Pediatric Therapy
Kulka hopes to grow Mansfield Pediatric Therapy in the future
“I’ve never not worked on a team that includes occupational and physical therapists, and I really value that,” she said. “I think it would be awesome to eventually grow and have occupational and physical therapists in the same program. We could service school programs and things like that.”
Kulka is working on getting credentialed through major insurance companies and some Medicaid plans. She also accepts self-paying clients and has resources on the Mansfield Pediatric Therapy website.
“I only have a few more spots and it’s only been a couple months,” Kulka said. “I’d like to grow in the future.
“I feel like the kids in Mansfield deserve high-quality speech therapy services. I want kids and families in Mansfield to be able to stay in the city and get the services they need here instead of having to travel.”
Mansfield Pediatric Therapy is located at 1 Marion Ave. suite 107, open by appointments between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon Fridays. The office phone is 419-989-1416 and email is mansfieldpediatrictherapy@gmail.com.
