

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frances Frias.
Hi Frances, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist began when I was 15 years old. I worked after school as a file clerk at a doctor’s office, where I had my first meaningful encounter with someone who had a communication disorder. One afternoon, I noticed a man trying to speak with a nurse, but his speech was difficult to understand. I remember feeling a strong desire to help him communicate more effectively. That moment stayed with me. Three years later, I chose to pursue a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I went on to earn both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field from Florida State University in 2009.
While an adult inspired my career path, I have always had a passion for working with children. From 2010 to 2015, I worked at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where I gained extensive experience treating a wide range of communication disorders in a clinical setting. After relocating to the Orlando area, I continued my work by providing home health services to children and families in my community.
In 2017, my family moved to Fleming Island, and I made the decision to step away from my career temporarily to focus on raising my daughter as a full-time stay-at-home parent. A year later, my son was born three months premature and spent two months in the NICU. After his discharge, he required ongoing support through occupational therapy, physical therapy, and feeding therapy.
Navigating his care gave me invaluable insight into the challenges families face when supporting a child with complex needs. This experience ultimately inspired me to open my own mobile-based practice in 2021—driven by a renewed passion to support children and families with empathy, expertise, and personalized care.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting my private practice was full of challenges. I launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was still uncertain and safety was a daily concern. I struggled to find a way to offer in-person services to children and families while also protecting my own—especially my daughter and my immune-compromised son. Managing childcare while seeing clients added another layer of difficulty. My husband worked full time, and we had no family or close friends nearby to help. It was an isolating and stressful time. But over the years, we’ve built our village—a network of friends and a community that now surrounds and supports us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Max Potential Therapy is a mobile-based business specializing in pediatric therapy services. We help children and teens develop essential communication and feeding skills. Our focus includes supporting infants, children and teens with tongue and lip ties, providing expert care to address oral-motor challenges and promote confident, effective communication and feeding abilities.
We specialize in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, a treatment designed to correct muscle dysfunction of the face and mouth. This therapy focuses on improving tongue posture, chewing and swallowing patterns, and nasal breathing, helping to support optimal oral and overall health.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We offer services in English and Spanish!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maxpotentialtherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max_potential_therapy/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FranFriasSLP#