Luba Patlakh Kaplun – Kidology

Q: Tell me about yourself and your family: 

My name is Luba Patlakh Kaplun. I’m 37 years old and currently live in Holland, PA. I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia before moving to Long Island, New York, where I attended Hofstra University. I earned my undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism and later pursued my master’s in Speech-Language Pathology.

Growing up, we were a family of four—me, my parents, and my brother Mike. My mom unfortunately passed away almost three years ago from pancreatic cancer at just 62 years old. It was incredibly hard to lose her, she was always my biggest cheerleader. She taught me so much and inspired me to be the strong, entrepreneurial person and dedicated mom I am today.

I’m married and a proud mom of three kids: my oldest, Dylan Tobias , will turn nine in April; my middle child, Fiona Nava, will be seven in February; and my youngest, Donald Julian, just turned three.

My husband and I used to live in Southampton.  During COVID, we started looking for a new house. The housing market at the time was crazy. We spent 7–8 months looking, but every time we made an offer, someone would outbid us by $25k, $50k, or more. It was so frustrating. Since we couldn’t find a house, we decided to take a different route. My husband is a real estate developer, primarily focusing on larger projects in Center City, like multifamily buildings. Residential single-family homes aren’t their usual work, but we found a piece of land in the Council Rock School District and decided to build our dream home.

It was such an exciting project. We designed a beautiful black-and-white “tuxedo” house, and my husband managed the development while I handled the interior design. Watching it come to life was incredible, and now we’re in Holland, a place we absolutely love.

This August will mark 10 years of marriage and 12 years together. Funny enough we lived in the same community at different points in our lives, but we didn’t know each other back then.

After we both left home and returned to the Bucks county area, we were each coming out of long-term relationships. His niece worked in an attorney’s office and we were connected to some of the same people. One day, after I became single, she suggested I go on a date with her uncle. 

At first, I was like, “Your uncle?!” I thought, “Is he, like, super old or something?” But she assured me that he wasn’t. So, I decided to give it a shot. We first saw each other at a big holiday event at a club, but we didn’t interact much there. Then, for New Year’s, we both ended up at the same party. At one point, I went over to say hello and apparently he was impressed by me. When midnight came, we toasted with our separate groups. Afterwards he came over and asked me to dance. From that moment, we were inseparable.

Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. 

I am the owner and director of Kidology Inc., a pediatric early intervention and private care company with two brick-and-mortar locations. We provide OT, PT, and sometimes speech therapy in a dynamic, play-based gym environment. Each clinic also features the Kidology Play Space, a boutique play gym concept that integrates with therapy services. As a bilingual speech pathologist fluent in Russian and English, I focus on offering multilingual speech services.

Before starting Kidology, I initially pursued a career in broadcast journalism. I’ve always loved connecting with people and making a difference. I studied broadcast journalism and linguistics, graduating in three years. However, in my last semester, I discovered my passion for speech pathology and wondered if it was too late to change paths.

After college, I moved to Manhattan and worked in media. I was a production assistant at Good Morning America on weekends and worked at Oxford University Press during the day while hosting at restaurants at night—true New York hustle. I even got my name in the credits for Olympic coverage of Michael Phelps. Despite the excitement, I felt overwhelmed and missed having a balanced life. Eventually, I left New York, moved back to the suburbs, and pursued my master’s degree in speech pathology. 

While completing my master’s, I worked as a special instructor, providing one-on-one speech therapy and education in schools. I also worked as a coordinator, gaining experience in case management. Ten years ago, I took a leap and started my own business. It has been an incredible journey ever since!

At Kidology, we serve children from birth to 21 with autism, speech delays, and various developmental needs. Our services range from articulation correction to complex cases like stuttering and swallowing disorders. We also offer physical therapy for children needing support with walking, muscle strengthening, and post-surgical rehabilitation.

In addition to therapy, we have a growing behavior division that has been in place for three years, offering families a comprehensive, “one-stop shop” experience for evaluations and therapy. We collaborate with state programs to provide personal care aides (PCA) and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), further expanding our services.

We recently launched a pilot adult program in partnership with the Office of Developmental Programs under our sister company, People First, to support individuals over 21. Our team has grown to 12 administrative staff members and 56 providers, with plans to expand to 70 providers this year.

One of our most exciting offerings is the Kidology Play Space, available in both our Northeast Philly and Southampton locations. Open daily from 9:30 AM to 6 PM, the space welcomes both clients and the community. On weekends, people can reserve the space for private events as well. Families really love the exclusivity and safe environment. For our therapy clients, the play gym is seamlessly integrated into their sessions, making therapy engaging and fun.

Looking ahead, we’re expanding further with the introduction of a mobile therapy bus to serve new areas like Center City, Ambler, and Northeast Philly. The bus will provide therapy to families who cannot reach our main locations and double as an interactive space with slides and activities at festivals and events.

The past decade has been an incredible journey, and I’m excited for the future as we continue to grow and innovate in pediatric therapy services!

Q: What’s your favorite part about what you do?

I truly love connecting with people. I’ve always been passionate about helping families, and even as we grow, I still make time to talk to parents. My goal is to provide not just therapy but support—being a reliable hand for families who feel overwhelmed. We helped 600 families last year, and it’s incredibly rewarding to make a real impact in their lives. It’s not just about therapy; it’s about giving families the tools to thrive.

Growing up as an immigrant from Ukraine, I understand the challenges that families face when they don’t have the resources or knowledge about early intervention. I’m proud to work with a diverse community, including many immigrant families, to break down the stigma around developmental delays and ensure every child gets the support they need.

Q: What are some of your favorite restaurants or local spots?
I have so many favorites!  For Italian food, we absolutely love Uva. You have to try their sacchetti pockets with truffle, gorgonzola, and pear—it’s ridiculously amazing. Everything there is fantastic. Duck Sauce has the best chicken lettuce wraps. If we’re in the mood for oysters and drinks, Rocco’s is always a scene, and we’re big fans of Taromina in Richboro for their Brooklyn pie. Oh, and Bacco Bistro in the same area is great too.

On the fitness front, Club Pilates in Richboro has become my happy place. I started going in June, and it’s the most consistent thing I’ve done. I love Pilates on the reformer—I’m completely obsessed! I took a break recently after being sick, and it feels like I’m missing a piece of my life. I tell everyone, if you haven’t tried it, you absolutely should.

I love spending time outdoors and exploring nature. Churchville Nature Center is one of my favorite spots—especially in the summer when the sunsets over the water are breathtaking. My kids and I enjoy walking there and spotting deer; it has such a peaceful, countryside feel even though we’re not in the country. Another favorite is Northampton Community Park. The playground is amazing, with accessible features like Braille and a communication board as part of the Miracle League. My kids love it, and the park also has great trails, basketball courts, a hockey rink, and soccer fields. For longer walks, I often go to Tyler State Park. There are so many ways to enjoy nature in this area, and I truly love being outdoors, especially in the spring and summer. It’s such a beautiful place to live!

Q: What are some of my favorite movies and TV shows? 

I recently realized just how much I love and miss TV. My husband and I went away to Florida for his birthday last week, and it was so quiet—it gave me a chance to binge-watch a few things. I finally finished Virgin River, which is my absolute favorite show ever.

Sometimes when I find a show I love, I get so into it that I’ll stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. watching. It’s messy, but totally worth it. Right now, I’m rewatching Younger. It’s so good and has plenty of seasons to dive into. 

As for movies, it’s been a while since I’ve really sat down and watched one, but my all-time favorite has to be Selena. I watched it as a kid, and it stuck with me forever. Jennifer Lopez plays Selena, and it tells the story of a talented Mexican-American singer whose life was tragically cut short. It’s a mix of music, family, and heartbreak—so powerful.

Another movie I loved growing up is Stepmom with Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. It’s such an emotional, heartfelt story about family and loss. It really resonated with me and, in some strange way, prepared me for life.

Q: What type of music do you listen to?

I listen to so many different kinds of music! I love Spanish music, Russian music, and house music—especially vocal house. But then there’s also the hippie side of me that loves The Beatles. 

I’m a big fan of anything that makes me want to move—dance, Latin, Russian music, and yes, even some country! When I’m in the mood for hip-hop, you can bet I’ll have Mary J. Blige on repeat. I guess you could say I love music of all kinds—it’s just a huge part of who I am.

Q: What is your favorite place you have traveled and where do you want to go next? 

To this day, my favorite place in the world has to be Positano, Italy. It’s absolutely amazing. We were lucky to spend five or six days there, which is a great amount of time for such a small, walkable place. We stayed on Marina Piccola, and explored everything from there—the views, the boats, and the charm of it all were unforgettable.

I recently went back to Paris for the first time in 20 years, and it reminded me how much I love it there. My kids came along and they begged to go back. Looking ahead, I’d love to visit Bali someday—it’s so far, but it seems incredible. This summer, though, Croatia is at the top of my list. Maybe we’ll spend a couple of weeks there exploring the coast, boating, and swimming in the stunning blue water. I’d also love to rent a villa in Italy or somewhere similar to give my kids a taste of that cultural richness.

Travel is so important to me, especially because I come from an immigrant family. I want my kids to have the chance to see the world, make friends from different places, and grow into globally-minded individuals. They’re already so active—they’re competitive ballroom dancers and athletes—and I want to show them the beauty of the world while they’re still young. One of my favorite memories was taking them to Greece when they were just two and three years old. It was chaotic, but it set the stage for their love of travel. I feel so lucky to create these experiences with them. 

Q:What advice would you give to people?

Get out there and meet people. Especially if you’re young and just starting out—don’t spend all your time sitting in front of a TV, no matter how tempting it is. We live in such an enclosed society now, and meeting people isn’t as easy as just walking outside anymore. But that’s exactly why you need to make the effort.

I miss the days when I could step into a corner bar, strike up a conversation, and hear someone’s story. That connection, that chance to learn something new—it’s so special. And it’s not just for young people; it’s for anyone. Post-COVID, it’s even harder, but don’t let that stop you. Meet someone new, learn something new—it’s the perfect way to grow.

Q: What are a couple of your favorite smells?
Oh, I really love lavender—it’s so calming—and I also love peppermint. I use it here and there, especially in my sauna. I enjoy sandalwood too, but only when it’s not too overpowering. It’s nice when it’s blended with something subtle.

Q: What are a couple words or phrases you think of when you hear the word home?

Love, a crackling fireplace, laughter, and a gathering of people. These are the moments and feelings that truly make a house a home.

Q: Where can people find you or your business? 

@kidologyinc

@lubalove

https://kidologyinc.com/