Why should I pay for private speech therapy?

There are many reasons you may consider private speech therapy. Many insurance plans offer a limited number of sessions, if any. Paying as you go allows you to schedule breaks in service when it is best for you and your child.

My child already gets free speech therapy at school. Why should I get more?

Your child may indeed be doing just fine at school. However many children may benefit from extra practice, or working at home could increase generalization across environments.

My child can talk, but he’s just lazy (or stubborn, or stupid, or some other reason)

For most children after the age of two, talking is the easiest way to get their wants and needs met. A child who is using gestures, grunting, hitting, or screaming is using less effective, highly ambiguous ways to communicate, which leads to higher levels of frustration for everybody involved.

The School wants my child to use a iPad to communicate, but I want him to talk.

Research suggests the school is right in this case! Students may begin talking more, and stop using their device because they have developed sufficient oral speech to meet their wants and needs. But this stage is determined by the child. Withholding an AAC device practically guarantees speech development will not occur in a typical trajectory.

How can I improve my child’s English when we speak French, Arabic, or Polish at home? Should we speak English instead?

A child who attends daycare, preschool, or grade school in the US will typically develop English in addition to the language heard at home. This is typical sequential bilingualism. If your child is exposed to two languages simultaneously, there do not appear to be any harmful effects, and if fact bilingualism is normal in many places.

What is the difference between speech therapy and tutoring?

Tutoring is defined as an activity that any person would benefit from. For example, at the gym a personal trainer helps people meet fitness goals, regardless of that person’s level of fitness. Speech Therapy is designed for students who are impaired; those who have skills far below what would be expected for their age.

 Are you neurodiverse friendly?

All professions have buzzwords and jargon. Speech Pathology is no different. Neurodiversity is a term that means different things to different people. I am not a behaviorist, and do not believe in one size fits all solutions. Neurodiverse terminology is sociological in origin, not medical.

Why don’t you take insurance?

Therapists who take insurance can not set their own rates, and typically have to spend additional time on billing, HIPPA compliance in record keeping, and Medicare/Medicaid audits. Running a boutique service allows individuals to obtain service who might not qualify due to severity of medical impairment.