Our Approach
At Speak & Play, we’re not just another parenting app. Our platform is built on decades of clinical expertise, U.S. government–funded research, independent clinical validation, and cutting-edge AI.
That means families, partners, and investors can feel confident this is the real deal — science-backed, evidence-based, and patent-protected.
Why Our Approach Works
Built on real family moments and clinical research to deliver accurate, actionable insights for every child.
Parent-Led, Child-Friendly
Parents record natural conversations and simple play moments (imitating, calling name, pretend play).
AI-Powered Analysis
Our system analyzes voice and communication features — pitch, tone, rhythm, word use — together with parent surveys to reveal communication strengths and areas for growth.
Actionable, Non-Diagnostic Reports
Families receive clear, multilingual reports showing how their child’s communication compares to typical development, plus practical boosters to use at home.
Real-Time Parent Support Tools
Beyond reports, families get immediate help through activity boosters, a non-speaker sign-language helper app, a 24/7 chatbot trained on co-founder Matthew Guggemos’s expertise, and a supportive parent community.
Secure and Accessible
Built to be safe, HIPAA-compliant, and available anywhere, anytime.
Supported by U.S. Government Research
Speak & Play is built on research that has been funded and endorsed by the U.S. government — the same agencies that back breakthroughs in medicine, space exploration, and advanced technology.
Our co-founders, Lois Brady and Matthew Guggemos, have been awarded more than $1.2 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Why This Matters
Extremely selective : Fewer than 15% of applicants receive SBIR funding, making it one of the most competitive research programs in the U.S.
National credibility : NSF and NIH fund only projects with the potential to make a major public impact in health, education, and technology.
Proven investment : These grants allowed our team to test early prototypes in schools and clinics, refine AI-driven tools with families, and build the foundation for what is now Speak & Play.
For Parents
This isn’t just another app. The same government programs that funded life-changing health innovations also funded the research that powers Speak & Play.
Patent-Pending Innovation
Speak & Play holds a U.S. and international patent pending on our multimodal AI methodology. This protects our unique approach in the world’s largest healthcare markets and ensures that families, clinicians, and partners can trust we are the secure, recognized leader in this space.
Backed by Independent Clinical Trials
In 2025, researchers in South Korea conducted a landmark clinical study published in npj Digital Medicine. The goal was to test whether an AI-powered, parent-led approach could outperform traditional autism screening tools.
Scale: 1,242 children across 9 hospitals
Method: Parent recordings + surveys + play-based tasks
Accuracy Improved
70% → 94%
with AI integration
Risk Differentiation
85%
Risk vs Confirmed
ADOS-2 Agreement
80%
Proven Standard
Clinical Expertise Meets AI Leadership
Speak & Play brings together the best of both worlds:
Lois Brady & Matthew Guggemos
Licensed speech-language pathologists, co-founders, and recipients of $1.2M+ in U.S. government research funding.
Rohan Hall
Technology innovator with deep expertise in AI and emerging technologies, having led major projects for Fortune 500 companies and global enterprises including HP, Capital Group American Funds, Oracle, Honda, Corning, and others. Author of multiple books on AI and the future of technology.
This unique blend of clinical credibility + AI leadership ensures that Speak & Play is not only scientifically sound but also designed to scale globally, securely, and responsibly.
Why This Matters
For Parents
Feel confident your child is supported by tools built on science, validated by trials, and backed by research funding.
For Clinicians
Use evidence-based technology that complements gold-standard assessments.
For Partners & Investors
The science risk is gone. The approach is validated, government-funded, and patent-protected — with the team to execute.
Speak & Play is not just another app. It’s a research-backed, government-supported, patent-pending platform designed to give families everywhere access to trusted, science-based communication support.
Speak & Play helps parents support their child’s communication with simple, research-backed tools. Built by parents and experts, our HIPAA-compliant platform provides friendly insights, practical strategies, and a safe space to celebrate every child’s unique voice.