Luba Patlakh Kaplun is ready to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her business, Kidology, Inc. in May 2025. She has much to celebrate. It has been a decade of expansion and growth for Kidology. All signs point to continued success for the Philadelphia and Bucks County-based business. 

Since 2015, Kidology Inc. has offered a wide range of interventions for children who require extra support in their early years. As the director and head speech-language pathologist at Kidology, Luba’s number one goal is supporting as many families as possible to ensure the developmental success of children. 

“As a pediatric early intervention agency, we service families of all needs,” Luba said. “We support the autistic and developmental needs communities, as well as all needs in speech, behavioral,  occupational therapy and physical therapy.” 

The Beginning of Kidology

Starting with an initial office in Bucks County, Kidology expanded to a second location in Northeast Philadelphia in 2021. 

“The demand for our services required a second location,” Luba said. This Northeast Philadelphia location of Kidology allowed Luba to bring to life her dream of building a state-of-the-art sensory play gym, Kidology Playspace. 

“It has become a favorite spot for both kids and their caregivers,” Luba said. “I always wanted a safe, indoor space for children to play and for parents and caregivers to feel comfortable. That’s exactly what this is.” 

Luba expanded her presence in Bucks County by closing her first office and launching  Kidology, Inc. in Southampton, which also has a jungle gym playspace. 

This year, Kidology’s offerings include the addition of a mobile therapy bus that will travel to locations like Center City Philadelphia, Montgomery County, and Bucks County beyond Southampton. 

“It is all very exciting,” Luba said. “The goal is to be accessible to a greater number of children who may need help. This bus will allow us to further expand our reach.”  

Kidology, Inc., a Parent and Patient Advocate

Empowering parents to know what services are available for their children has always been one of the main goals of Kidology. 

“Early intervention is crucial in this industry because a lot of parents are under the impression — or have been told over time — that their children will ‘grow out of something’ if they notice what may potentially be a developmental delay,” Luba said. “It’s not the truth and there’s no reason to wait. Every child is entitled by the state to an evaluation to assess if there is a need for services.” 

The benefit of early intervention establishes the pathway to success because the patient is essentially getting necessary skills earlier or on time, versus waiting until after, according to Luba. Early intervention by state standards starts as soon as birth, with some newborns, for example, having issues such as trouble properly suctioning a breast or bottle while feeding. 

New parents can sometimes feel overwhelmed, so Luba and her team pride themselves on providing support. “We follow mile markers and milestones,” she said. “We want parents to know they have an advocate and someone who is looking out for their child’s progress.” 

Kidology Playspace is a Safe Place to Be a Kid

Kidology Playspace, the therapeutic, sensory gym play area, was something that Luba deemed essential when she was building her Southampton location. 

“Overall, I wanted the kids that we work with to feel included and to have a place that was for them,” Luba said. Sometimes trampoline parks or even crowded outdoor parks can be overwhelming and overstimulating for children that have different needs, she explained. 

Kidology Playspace is a boutique, indoor play gym that allows kids to play in a more relaxed environment. A jungle gym, giant ball pit, slides and soft play mats provide easy play for kids ages 0 through 8. Imaginative play is encouraged in the “tiny town” play area, which is complete with a fire station, restaurant, and police station. 

In addition to the children receiving services at Kidology, the Northeast Philly indoor play gym is also open to the public. Weekly, Monday through Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm,  Kidology Playspace provides a much-needed option for parents and caregivers to bring young children to play. 

On the weekends, the play area is closed to the public and is reserved for private birthday parties. Luba is rolling out structured classes run by Kidology instructors in 2025. “Open play is great, but some parents have expressed interest in having more structured classes, and we want to provide that,” Luba said. 

Kidology Mobile Therapy Bus

Since the beginning days of Kidology, Luba has always made it a priority to do outreach in her neighboring communities. When Kidology’s mobile therapy bus hits the road this year, they will get a clearer picture of the needs in the communities they’re currently not servicing. 

“We are figuring out now where the referrals are coming from, and that’s where we’ll go with the bus,” Luba said. “If we come across a community where we have a lot of evaluations for the bus, then we’re likely going to look to open a clinic there.” 

Kidology will announce on its website and social channels where the mobile bus will be so that parents can set up evaluation appointments for their children. If there is a child with a need, Kidology will arrange to return weekly to address those needs through services. 

“We welcome daycares, religious schools, pediatricians, and orthopedic pediatricians to reach out to us to bring the bus to evaluate kids,” Luba said. “We simply want to help as many kids as possible with our services.” 

Photography by Ivory Tree Portraits, as seen in the All Kinds of Kids Guide.
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