Voices Unheard: The Silent Struggle of Women in Speech Therapy
Check out this episode of the Soma Says podcast to explore women’s issues as it relates to Speech Therapy.
EPISODE DESCRIPTION-from Soma Says website
What happens when the healthcare system decides your child's feeding struggles aren't serious enough — or that the therapy your doctor recommended isn't covered? And what does it cost a woman to spend decades not knowing she's autistic?
In this episode of Soma Says, Dr. Soma Mandal sits down with Ashlyn Lelej, speech-language pathologist and founder of Speech Matters Clinic in Charlotte, NC. Since opening her doors in 2009, Ashlyn has built a practice rooted in the belief that every person deserves the right to communicate, connect, and thrive — on their own terms.
Together they pull back the curtain on a field that is quietly foundational to women's and children's health, yet chronically underfunded, undervalued, and misunderstood. From insurance denial playbooks to the sensory roots of pediatric feeding, from late autism diagnoses in women to the neuro-affirming therapy debate — this conversation is equal parts practical and paradigm-shifting.
If you've ever been dismissed by a system that should have been listening, this episode is for you.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
Why insurance coverage for speech therapy is wildly inconsistent — and where the biggest gaps are right now
How missed or late autism diagnoses in girls and women ripple into school services, mental health, relationships, and self-understanding
What neuro-affirming therapy actually means — and why it's still controversial in some clinical circles
A step-by-step playbook for fighting insurance denials (including the call scripts, manager escalations, code nuances, and grant options most families never hear about)
Why maternal concerns about pediatric feeding are so frequently dismissed — and what parents can do right now
The sensory–feeding connection that changes how we think about picky eating and feeding disorders
How the female-dominated nature of speech-language pathology contributes to the field's chronic undervaluation
What AI means for the future of speech therapy — and why Ashlyn has concerns
How to access Speech Matters Clinic in Charlotte, NC — including how to get evaluated without a physician referral