Do you suspect that your child may have a speech and/or language delay? Has your child’s teacher or paediatrician expressed concerns that your child is not meeting his or her speech/language developmental milestones? Here are some steps to take for finding the right help:
1. Do your own research
Become familiar with what the expectations are for a child’s speech and language developmental milestones. If you simply go on the internet and Google “developmental milestones” or “speech and language milestones”, there are many websites, charts, and handouts you can find that map out the chronological age that your child should be meeting each milestone. Be sure to gain knowledge about your child’s development from credible resources. This will give you a good idea of whether or not you think it’s time to seek speech therapy.
2. Find a speech therapist and schedule an evaluation
Find a local speech therapist (try to find one that a friend recommends or a doctor refers you to) that is in network with your insurance, unless you are willing to pay private pay. Some therapist accept clients even if they are out of network- ask your therapist if they accept out of network clients and if they are able to provide you with a Superbill for insurance reimbursement. Find out how much your insurance covers for the initial evaluation. Do your research when choosing a speech therapist and ensure that whoever you choose is qualified (the speech therapist should be licensed in your state and have a M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology). He/she may also have CCC’s, which means the therapist is certified by ASHA (the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association). Pricing for therapists differs depending on the specific skills of the therapist, level and extent of experience, and geographic area. Keep in mind there are many different settings in which your child may receive services, such as in a clinic, at school, or right in your home. Call the clinic or therapist when you are ready to schedule your appointment. Typically, you will be asked for some general background information about your concerns over the phone.
3. Fill out intake form
Prior to your evaluation, you will likely be asked to fill out an intake form either online or in-person right before your appointment. This intake form will include questions about your child’s speech and language development, pertinent medical history, progress in school, social development, and your primary concerns. Be as detailed as possible in your explanations and expressing your concerns. The more detailed you are, the more it will help your speech therapist select the appropriate tools for assessing your child’s speech and language. It is important to specify whether your child’s problems are with speech (incorrect pronunciation of sounds, such as “sop” for “stop”), or with language (difficulty following directions and identifying objects/things, limited language output). You may also be asked to fill out and sign contracts/paperwork for your speech therapist to keep on file. This will outline the services that will be provided, methods of payment (i.e. insurance, private pay), and what’s expected of the therapist as well as the parents and child.
4. Evaluation
On the day of your evaluation, make sure your child is well-rested. You may bring snacks and toys that your child likes–this will encourage more talking, and will give the clinician a better evaluation of where your child’s speech/language is in development at this time. If your child is sick, it is better to cancel and reschedule for another day. Let the clinician know if something is going on with your child that is out of the ordinary on that day (it’s important for the clinician to get a clear snapshot of what your child’s speech/language is like on a typical day). Bring something to entertain yourself or keep yourself occupied! An evaluation can take anywhere from 1-1.5 hours. You may be asked to leave the room if the child is distracted (some children do better when they have their parent in the room to interact with, and some become more distracted–this all varies from case to case). Remember: formal assessments are very strict with the amount of “clues” the clinician is allowed to give, so during the formal assessment portion of the evaluation, try not to interject (this may impact the results, and we want the most accurate results).
5. After the evaluation
The evaluation may take from a couple of days to a week to go over, score, and generate a report and plan of care– do not expect the results right away. However, usually, the clinician discusses his/her general impressions right after the evaluation so the parent/client has an idea of how they did on the test (especially since part of the evaluation is informal observations). You may set up a time to meet in person or over the phone to discuss results as well–make this appointment ahead of time. The therapist may suggest referrals to other disciplines, such as behaviour therapy, occupational therapy, or physical therapy. If speech and/or language therapy is recommended, the clinician will write up a plan of care that includes the type of services that will be provided as well as a list of the goals for your child. This will also include the duration and frequency (how long the plan of care will last for before we consider discharge from therapy or re-evaluation, and how many times a week and how many minutes your child will be seen).
Once this is approved by the doctor and/or insurance company, you can schedule your first session!
