Many of the children we see here at Connect The Dots for speech therapy are also receiving similar therapy services through their school. While the goals they are working on may be the same, there are some differences between these settings.
School speech therapy:
- Qualifying for services: Children are often required by law to qualify for services based on specific test scores. This can result in some children who may be considered “borderline” to go without receiving services.
- Scheduling: School speech therapy is often built into your child’s school routine. Their therapist may come to their classroom to provide therapy, or pull them into a separate room for their session. A parent does not need to worry about scheduling these visits.
- Type of therapy provided: Sometimes school based therapy is provided in groups with other children who have similar goals. These groups often range from 2-5 children. This is a great way for a child to have exposure to others with similar targets, but can decrease the amount of time they are receiving direct therapy.
- Cost: School speech therapy is free.
- Parent involvement: Some therapists will provide updates to parents regarding their child’s progress on a regular basis. More often, a parent will receive a quarterly progress note detailing their child’s goals and how they are doing with those goals. There will also be an annual, in person, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting with your child’s teacher and special education team to discuss their goals for the next school year. Other than these meetings and progress notes, a parent experiences little involvement with their child’s therapy in the school setting.
Private practice speech therapy:
- Qualifying for services: Clinicians will use standardized assessments to determine the severity of a child’s disorder, identify goals, and help measure progress. However, a specific score is usually not required to qualify for services. If a clinician’s clinical opinion is that services are medically necessary (and in the case of billing insurance can articulate that to an insurance company), a child can receive services. Additionally, a child can also receive services via private pay even if insurance will not pay for services.
- Scheduling: Private practices are usually open later than schools and during school breaks. This allows for children to continue receiving services over summer and winter breaks. Keep in mind, if a clinic sees a high volume of children, after school availability can be difficult to come by.
- Type of therapy provided: In most cases, private speech therapy is provided on an individual basis. Meaning your child is receiving direct, one on one therapy.
- Cost: Many private practices work with a variety of insurance companies to cover services. However, copays and deductibles may be a factor when determining the cost of services. At CTD, we accept OHP insurance, most commerical plans, and self pay!
- Parent involvement: Parents are encouraged to be an active participant in their child’s therapy. To get the most out of therapy, parents are encouraged to paricipate in sessions and be actively involved in their child’s treatment and home exercise program (HEP) to meet the goals set forth! This increases generalization of skills resulting in and faster progress with therapy.