Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Help?

This can be a difficult question to answer because kids progress and develop at different rates and the need for speech therapy depends on many factors. However, it's this same reason that it can be easy for a parent or pediatrician to overlook atypical communication development and the need for speech therapy. The reality is that speech, language, and feeding problems are not uncommon in children. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) are specialists in this area and use a variety of tools to determine the need for therapeutic intervention. As a parent or caregiver, you are the expert on your child, and your caregiver intuition is the first step in the referral process. If you believe your child may need to see an SLP, share those concerns with your pediatrician. At the very least, he or she will provide a referral for a speech-language and/or feeding evaluation by a speech-language pathologist.

Below we have included links to outside resources including a communication screener and developmental norms. These may help you in gaining a complete picture of the expressive and receptive language skills your child should demonstrate.

There is no substitute for a formal speech and language evaluation or feeding evaluation performed by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. A full evaluation is always the best choice for the most accurate depiction of your child's skills.

Which Insurances Do You Accept?

We are currently working to become in-network providers with multiple insurance companies and will provide that information as soon as we have it. Until then, we offer private pay services. A prompt-pay discount is offered when insurance does not provide coverage for therapy or if there is a deductible higher than $5,000.

We accept all other insurances when the plan includes out-of-network benefits. Once we receive your intake form and an appointment is scheduled, we will contact your commercial/private insurance carrier and provide you with a detailed report of your insurance coverage, as it specifically relates to speech therapy. This report will outline what your insurance will cover and what you will be expected to pay based on your policy, and it will be sent after your appointment is scheduled.

Will My Insurance Cover These Services?

No two insurance plans are the same even when issued by the same insurance company. It's important to remember that many plans cover evaluation and treatment based on medical necessity. As a team we have to work to answer the question, "Is skilled therapeutic intervention medically necessary?" Justifications might include: the child doesn't have the speech or communication skills to clearly communicate their thoughts, wants, needs, and ideas with others in their daily environment; the child doesn't understand language to independently participate in age-appropriate activities or follow directions in emergency situations; if not treated their deficits may result in further social and cognitive delay; the child has a limited food inventory that doesn't support a balanced diet without long-term dependence on supplements; etc. Many commercial/private insurance carriers exclude developmental diagnoses (i.e., articulation disorder, developmental delay, etc.) but will cover services due to an accident or injury (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc).

Ultimately, coverage depends on your chosen insurance plan. We will guide and support you in clarifying what your coverage includes. When insurance does not cover services needed, we can offer a prompt pay discounted rate for evaluation and/or therapy.

What is Needed Before the Evaluation?

To ensure we can use our time efficiently, we require the following information prior to evaluation:

A prescription from your primary care physician for evaluation and treatment. Fax to ____________ (leave blank for now)
An intake form that is thoroughly completed in order to guide the evaluation session.
A copy of your insurance card.
Copies of previous evaluations (speech-language, audiological, psychological, etc.) and Individualized Education Plan (IEP), if applicable.
Responsible party’s identification card.
An appointment deposit of $35.

Once all of these items are received, we will contact you within 48 hours to schedule your initial visit.

Why Do You Charge a Deposit?

There is a great deal of work that occurs behind the scenes and leads up to the day of your first visit to ensure you receive quality service. If you choose us as your provider, we want to ensure your initial visit runs smoothly from the moment we meet for the first time until your insurance claim is processed. The non-refundable deposit is our effort to ensure that our clients are aware of and considerate of the time we spend in preparing for their appointment.

How Long is Your Waiting List?

There is currently no wait for evaluations or for therapy. We can serve you right away!

How Long Will my Child be in Therapy?

The length of time needed to achieve speech, language, and/or feeding goals depends on many factors, including the severity of the disorder, presence of additional diagnoses, intensity of intervention, and parent/caregiver involvement. We like to say the magic really happens when families carry-over strategies and home-programming learned in therapy sessions into their natural environment. It can significantly shorten the time needed for a child to reach their goals. Therapy typically requires weekly appointments (usually one to two times per week) for three to six months at a time. At the end of that period, depending on your insurance, a re-evaluation may be required to determine progress and justify the continuation of therapy.

What if My Child Receives School-Based Services?

Depending on the insurance carrier, there may be some limitations to receiving private therapy and services in school. However, schools and private clinics can work together to provide the best possible services for your child. With parent permission, therapists in both settings can share goals and progress to ensure optimal care. In cases where a child's needs obligate a greater intensity of services than the school can provide, we make that justification to insurance so that we can work on similar skills. In cases where a child has many needs in areas of speech, language, and feeding, we can coordinate with school therapists to avoid redundant goals. We are dedicated and passionate about collaboration in order to ensure your child's communication and feeding is best supported in all of their daily environments ranging from home to school and everywhere in between. You always have the option to continue receiving services by paying privately, and we offer a prompt pay discount.