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City of Ottawa

Speech therapy for kids in Ottawa

In Ottawa, free preschool speech and language services are called First Words, delivered through Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, with CHEO as the Children's Treatment Centre and four school boards for school-aged kids.

In Ottawa the pieces are First Words (Ottawa Renfrew Preschool Speech and Language) (Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre) before school, CHEO Children's Treatment Centre for rehabilitation to age 19, CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) for hospital clinics, and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the other local boards once a child is in school. Ottawa is one of the few regions where French-language preschool speech services are built into the lead agency, so families can ask for assessment in either language.

Speechie plans virtual appointments for Ottawa families once CASLPO registration is confirmed. Until then, this page maps what is free today.

Free and public options in Ottawa

  1. 1

    Before school: First Words (Ottawa Renfrew Preschool Speech and Language)

    Run by Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre. Free, parent self-referral, birth to school entry. Call 613-737-7600 ext. 2500.

    First Words publishes a free online Communication Checkup screening tool and offers services in English and French.

  2. 2

    In school: 4 boards

    Ask the teacher for a referral to the board's speech-language pathologist.

    • Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
    • Ottawa Catholic School Board
    • Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
    • Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est

    French-language: Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario and Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est.

  3. 3

    Any age: CHEO Children's Treatment Centre

    CHEO Children's Treatment Centre serves City of Ottawa to age 19 and is the SmartStart Hub entry point; families refer directly. CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) takes physician referrals for specialty clinics, and Ottawa Public Health runs early-years programs.

Services finder Full Ontario guide

What is different about Ottawa

First Words covers Ottawa and Renfrew County and is one of the better-resourced preschool programs in the province for online self-help: its Communication Checkup screening tool and e-learning modules are free and are used by Ottawa Public Health and EarlyON centres as a first step before referral. Families can complete the checkup online and then refer directly.

CHEO's Children's Treatment Centre has sites on Smyth Road, in Kanata, in east Ottawa on Thurston Drive, in Renfrew and in Cornwall, so school-aged rehabilitation does not always mean a trip downtown. CHEO also houses specialty clinics, including the cleft lip and palate team, that take physician referrals.

Ottawa's four school boards, two English and two French, each have their own speech-language pathology staff, and the University of Ottawa trains speech-language pathologists in French. For a bilingual household the practical question is which language the child is strongest in; the bilingual guide on this site explains how assessment handles both.

Hospital

CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario)

Free storytimes

Ottawa Public Library / Bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa

French-language boards

Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est

Private speech therapy in Ottawa

OHIP does not cover private clinics in Ottawa; typical 2026 rates are roughly $110 to $180 per hour and $300 to $600 for an assessment (toward the higher end in Ottawa). Verify any clinician on the CASLPO Public Register, then see the cost guide and questions to ask.

Start at home, today

Questions Ottawa families ask

How do I get free speech therapy for my child in Ottawa?
Before school, parents refer directly to First Words (Ottawa Renfrew Preschool Speech and Language), run by Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre (613-737-7600 ext. 2500): no doctor referral, no diagnosis, no fee. Once in school, ask the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board or Ottawa Catholic School Board for a speech-language referral, or refer to CHEO Children's Treatment Centre directly.
Which hospital in Ottawa has a speech-language service for children?
CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) is the hospital route in City of Ottawa; specialty clinics such as feeding, cleft or voice need a physician referral. For most speech and language concerns the community program (Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre) or CHEO Children's Treatment Centre is the faster door.
Does OHIP cover private speech therapy in Ottawa?
No. OHIP does not pay for private speech-language pathology in Ottawa or anywhere in Ontario. Many extended health plans cover part of it, and fees paid to a CASLPO-registered speech-language pathologist qualify for the medical expense tax credit.
Will Speechie offer appointments in Ottawa?
Speechie plans virtual appointments for Ottawa families once the clinician's CASLPO registration is confirmed. Until then, use Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre and join the waitlist to be notified.

Nearby cities

Kingston

Frontenac County

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Need help now? Ontario has free options.

Children not yet in school can self-refer to the Preschool Speech and Language Program. No doctor, no fee.

Find your local program