The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for August is Hometown Speech Connections in downtown Antwerp, Ohio. The business can be found at the new Main Street Business Center at 112 S. Main Street.
Hometown Speech Connections is a child-led play based speech therapy clinic that provides comprehensive speech/language/fluency evaluations and treatment sessions for children of all ages and abilities. The business is owned and operated by Jennifer (Womack) Smith, MS, CCC-SLP.
Jennifer previously worked as a pediatric Speech Language Pathologist at Community Memorial Hospital for 8 years. When the hospital closed in early 2024, Jennifer was devastated for her patients and their families as there are not many options for speech services in our area without experiencing a long wait time. Jennifer seeing the need for these services made her dream a reality as she sought to provide a convenient option for families in the Antwerp and surrounding communities. Her concerns of running her own business were overcome and she pushed out on her own and made the best of a sad situation not only for herself but for the children and families that she had grown so close to while working at Community Memorial Hospital.
Jennifer is known for building strong and meaningful relationships with her clients and their families. She truly believes that children will take more communication risks and are more motivated to work on difficult tasks if there is a strong relationship foundation. She uses a child-led and play based approach to her task and many times she finds herself on the floor the entire session so her clients feel as if they are equals. She loves to see them having fun and working toward goals in a way that just feels like playtime for them.
Flexibility is a key word in today’s society. Jennifer is determined to make each treatment plan fit the needs of the child and their family. Sometimes there are boundaries that must be overcome, but she will try to find a creative way to use in person treatments and home programs to allow the child progress. Her clients continue to seek her out because their children enjoy the sessions and they see them making progress in expected and unexpected ways.
Hometown Speech Connections provide services for Antwerp and all surrounding communities. Convenience is key and a willingness to drive for quality speech sessions for children in need. Jennifer is most proud of the time, thought and work she has put into opening her business and making it a space that is comfortable and inviting for children.
When a customer walks into her business they can expect to be greeted with a smile first and then asked about life outside of therapy. “I want to them to know that I care about more than targeting our goals” states Jennifer. One of the unique things about Hometown Speech Connections and Jennifer is her “away from the table” approach to speech therapy. She seriously spends more time seated or crawling on the floor than she does sitting in a chair.
What stands out about Jennifer is her approach to her craft. She is not a traditional “clinic” setting. She wants her clients to feel like they are in a play room instead of at the doctor. She tries to accomplish this by dressing more casual and making sure that there is a variety of easily accessible toys and games.
Jennifer is most passionate about giving children a way to communicate better with ones they love by whatever communication method suits them best. She is very encouraging and has been known to
cheer very loudly during a session when a child does something new. Be prepared to hear some noise!
To prepare for a visit with Jennifer, prepare a list of questions and concerns for that first appointment. It can be very easy to forget things when you are having a long discussion about a child’s strengths and areas of need. You can reach Jennifer at 419-210-1822.
The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Hometown Speech Connections in the growth of Antwerp and the surrounding community.
