About Us
A Speech Therapy Practice Built Around Your Child
Optimum Speech is a new speech therapy practice in Apple Valley, CA, founded and led by Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP — a licensed speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience helping children build the communication skills and confidence they need in and out of the classroom. She is backed by the trusted team behind Optimum Audiology, caring for California families since 1991, with Dr. Kristi Mendoza, Au.D., serving as CEO.
Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP
Owner & Clinical DirectorMarilee Henderson is a licensed speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience supporting children, families, and school communities — 18 of those years in California, plus two years serving students in Washington public schools. She founded Optimum Speech on the belief that every child has unique strengths, and she builds individualized, engaging, evidence-based therapy that helps students reach their full potential. Strong partnerships with families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams have always been at the heart of her work.
Beyond direct care, Marilee has spent the past four years in leadership roles within her school district and five years supervising graduate student clinicians, mentoring the next generation of speech-language pathologists. After two decades in the field, she still finds her greatest joy in celebrating each child's progress — a first word, a burst of confidence, a long-term goal finally met.
Dr. Kristi Mendoza, Au.D.
Chief Executive OfficerDr. Kristi Mendoza is the CEO of Optimum Speech and the owner of its sister practice, Optimum Audiology, where she has helped Californians communicate and connect since 1991. With more than 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Mendoza built her practice on a simple belief: every patient deserves compassionate care and five-star service. As CEO, she brings that same philosophy and operational backing to Optimum Speech — while the practice's day-to-day speech-language care is led by its owner and clinical director, Marilee Henderson, CCC-SLP.
Comprehensive Speech & Language Services
Speech evaluation, articulation, stuttering and fluency, childhood apraxia, executive functioning, and IEP or 504 help in Apple Valley, CA.
What Families Say
Families who've worked with our team share what speech therapy has meant for their children's progress.



