Speech & Language Therapy FAQs

A speech therapist, also sometimes called a speech-language pathologist (SLP), can assess, diagnose, and provide treatment for different communication differences and disorders for you or a loved one at any point in their life.

Speech therapy treatments are called interventions.

At Forte Speech and Language, we recognize, appreciate, and build on our clients’ strengths to facilitate growth and foster positive self identity.

Speech teletherapy is very effective for helping with a wide variety of communication disorders.

But, the effectiveness will depend on the client, the nature of the challenge they are seeking help for, how diligently they continue their exercises outside of sessions, the severity of their symptoms, and more.

One example of this is one child might need months of speech therapy for a speech sound disorder, while another might need weeks.

We have an article where you can read more about it and the most frequently asked questions about speech teletherapy.

Sessions typically range from 45 to 60 minutes.

But there’s no easy answer to how often you’ll need speech therapy sessions.

This can depend on whether it’s pediatric speech therapy or adult speech therapy, the severity of symptoms, the specific speech or language disorder present, and more.

The general recommendation is to attend speech therapy sessions once or twice a week for 45 to 60 minute sessions.

Multiple sessions, along with diligently continuing the treatment plan at home, will improve the effectiveness of the therapy and may shorten the overall length of time required.

Your speech-language pathologist will let you know what to expect after your assessment.

It can be hard to know if your child needs speech therapy.

This is because every child is different, and develops at their own pace.

But, there are general speech and language milestones.

Our licensed therapists will evaluate your child and recommend the best course of action for them.

If you have concerns, consider getting an initial assessment by a speech therapist at Forte Speech & Language Therapy.

RELATED: Speech Therapy for Developmental Disorders

While it is possible for your child to grow out of their speech or language delay or disorder, this is not always the case.

For example, if your child has a lisp, they may outgrow it by the time they’re five years old.

But they also might not – it’s hard to say without an assessment.

If your child does have symptoms that may indicate a speech or language disorder or difference, early intervention speech therapy will be crucial for helping your child develop.

RELATED: Speech Therapy for Speech Sound Disorders

Pediatricians often take a “wait and see” approach.

Sometimes, they don’t have the training required to recognize if your child needs to see a speech-language pathologist.

Even if your pediatrician isn’t worried about your child’s progress, it’s still a good idea to see a speech therapist.

Usually, they’ll write you a referral if you inquire about assessment and or services.

But remember, you don’t need a referral to see a speech therapist.

You can book an appointment with Forte Speech & Language Therapy today to set up an evaluation.

Parents are an integral part of a child’s speech therapy treatment.

You’ll be invited to observe your child’s sessions, and you’ll also have the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, what was covered during the session, and be given a home program to continue their growth.

As a parent, you spend more time with your child than anyone else. So your support is one of the most important factors in your child’s development.

There are two important educational components your speech-language pathologist has obtained in order to provide speech therapy.

The first is a master’s degree from a reputable university.

The second is that your speech therapist must be licensed to practice by the state in which they practice.

Many SLPS also hold a certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

You can check on the current status of your speech-language pathologist by checking your state’s public registry.

You should always verify that the professional you’re working with is licensed to practice. Our team of therapists are all licensed to practice within the state of California.

After obtaining licensure, speech-language pathologists are required to take a certain number of CEUs (continuing education units) each year to keep their knowledge current and to implement best practices.

CEUs may relate to a wide range of different topics, including on:

• Speech therapy for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or ADHD
• Speech therapy for neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease
• Speech therapy for expressive and receptive language disorders
• Speech therapy for fluency disorders like stuttering and cluttering
• Speech therapy for motor speech disorders like childhood apraxia of speech
• AAC speech therapy support
• New techniques, activities and information for different disorders
• And many others

We require 24 hours’ notice to make any changes or cancellations to your appointment.

Remember, a late cancellation for your therapist is time that could have been used seeing another patient.

Because of this, patients who give less than 24 hours’ notice or miss their appointment without notice will be charged a cancellation fee to their card on file.

Our cancellation fee is 50% of your session’s fee.

Our clinic accepts:

• Debit card
• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Discover card

Most of the time you do not need a doctor’s referral in order to see a speech therapist.

However, some insurance plans may require the referral for reimbursement.

You can schedule an evaluation with Forte Speech & Language Therapy any time without a referral if you think you or your child might need speech therapy.

We don’t take insurance directly because we are considered an out of network provider.

But, we do provide super bills with treatment and diagnosis codes for you to submit directly to your insurance provider for reimbursement.

Like many other questions, this one is difficult to provide an easy answer for.

This is because each insurance policy is different and covers different amounts for treatment.

If your policy covers speech therapy, the initial evaluation will probably be covered.

Then it depends on how much your plan will cover each year for sessions.

But make sure to double check your plan because many insurance companies stipulate that speech therapy must be restorative in nature.

This means that the focus of the therapy is to restore a speech function that has been reduced due to an accident or illness.

If your plan is like this, then many conditions associated with children will be excluded from your coverage because the treatment is not considered restorative in nature.

If you’re not sure about your plan’s coverage, please contact your insurance company to determine if they will provide reimbursement for speech therapy.

We’ll do everything ethically possible to provide an appropriate diagnosis to allow for your treatment coverage.