General Practice FAQs
What is your attendance and cancellation policy?
Consistency is key to getting the most out of services, but life and emergencies happen. If you need to cancel or reschedule, you may contact Golden Oak Speech Therapy at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment to avoid a late cancellation fee. For Monday appointments, we ask that you cancel by 12:00 p.m. on the previous Friday so we can adjust the schedule accordingly.
Is an evaluation required prior to services beginning?
Yes. Evaluations allow us to assess and gain insight into your child’s current level of functioning, strengths, and areas of need within the context of your child’s total development. The results of the assessment will drive the recommendations.
Do you charge extra for driving to in-home sessions?
No, the speech therapy fee includes travel to and from your home and previously agreed upon community spaces.
What equipment do I need to access teletherapy services?
To access teletherapy, you will need a trusted and secure internet connection, tablet, desktop computer, laptop computer, or phone with working video and audio (i.e., microphone and speakers) capabilities. You and your child will log in to teletherapy sessions using a secure video chat platform with the log-in information that we provide to you. Our secure platform allows us to screenshare, present therapy activities, play fun games, model on our AAC systems, and much more! Some children opt to use headphones during their sessions to reduce environmental distractions, but this is optional and varies from person to person.
What are the benefits of in-home therapy?
In-home therapy allows speech therapy to take place in your child’s natural environment often using items and spaces that are familiar to them such as their toys, technology, or favorite room in the home. In-home therapy may open up more organic opportunities to embed therapeutic strategies with easily accessible items from the home or community space. In-home therapy also provides space for more naturally occurring conversations and communication opportunities between the therapist, child, and family.
What are the benefits of teletherapy?
Teletherapy is easily accessible to many more people and reduces barriers to speech therapy services such as access to reliable transportation. Additionally, in-person speech therapy sessions aren’t right for everyone. Teletherapy provides a convenient way to participate in speech therapy sessions from the comfort of your space (e.g., home, community space, etc.). Teletherapy can enhance parent and caregiver participation and engagement which may lead to the development and use of skills that can be practiced outside of speech therapy and incorporated into different aspects of the day. Teletherapy also allows us to observe behaviors, skills, challenges, and sometimes interactions in the child’s natural setting. Teletherapy is an efficient service delivery model that allows for more flexibility in scheduling, increased support, reduced travel time, and improved attendance.
Do I need a referral for speech therapy?
Parents and caregivers may self-refer for a speech and language evaluation for their child if they are having concerns about their child’s speech, language, and communication skills. Some insurance companies require that families seek a referral from their child’s pediatrician if they are planning to seek reimbursement for therapy.
Evaluations and Therapy
What ages do you work with?
We are pediatric speech therapists and work with children ages 12 months to 21 years. We service individuals through the ages of 21 because, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities have a legal right to extend their special education services through the age of 21, as needed. As a speech therapist who has served in the public school system for many years, I know that these extra few years are crucial in allowing young people with disabilities to take a bit of extra time learning and practicing job readiness skills and working toward developing independent living skills.
Can you work with my child if they get speech therapy services at school?
Yes. School-based speech therapy services often address goals that are directly related to your child’s access to the curriculum, school-based social and recreational endeavors, and educational performance. Our speech therapy approach is holistic in nature and allows for creativity and flexibility in delivering highly personalized and individualized speech therapy that builds on the skills that your child is learning at school and brings those skills into your home and/or community environments.
My child did not qualify for EI/School-based services, can you still work with them?
Yes. School-based speech therapists utilize multiple criteria to determine eligibility for school-based speech therapy. The first criterion is whether the child has a speech or language delay or disorder, and if so, if this delay or disorder has an adverse impact on the child’s educational performance because of the disability. Lastly, this multistep process asks if specially designed instruction and related services and supports (e.g., Speech Therapists) are needed to support this student with making progress in school and in the general education curriculum. These criteria can feel narrow, and do not capture the range of ability levels that we often see in children who need a bit of extra support to experience success at school, in the classroom, and in the community.
Will you collaborate with my child’s other therapists?
Yes. Golden Oak Speech Therapy believes that therapy is a highly collaborative process. While we are experts in speech, language, communication, executive functioning, and assistive technology, etc.; Occupational therapists are experts in supporting your child’s sensory needs, environmental access, seating and positioning, activities of daily living, etc.! Physical Therapists are experts in movement, physical participation, etc., and YOU are an expert in your child! We will rely on your input and input from other therapists and medical and education professionals throughout the delivery of speech therapy services. Collaboration allows for better outcomes and generalization of learned skills for the children we serve and can increase the effectiveness of each of our services.
How often do we come to therapy?
Speech therapy can be conducted one time per week, two times per week, bi-weekly, or monthly. Frequency (how often you come) and duration (how long you and your child will attend) of services are recommended during the final phase of the evaluation process. At that time, we will decide frequency and duration of services based on the results of the assessment, child and family goals, and more.
What should I expect during the evaluation process?
Our evaluation process consists of a few components. As a part of the initial intake process, we will send you a medical and developmental history questionnaire for you to fill out and return to us. This questionnaire will also ask you to describe your concerns and goals for your child. The initial part of the evaluation will include reviewing your responses to this questionnaire and the therapist participating in appropriate (e.g., toys, conversation, games, play based activities, etc.) rapport building activities with your child. Based on this interaction and your responses, appropriate assessment tools (e.g., observation, questionnaire, formal assessments, etc.) will be selected and utilized by the master clinician to help identify strengths, growth areas/areas of need, and present levels of functioning. Results of this assessment will be used to make a determination around the need for services and to provide subsequent recommendations.
Can I be present for my child’s sessions?
Definitely! A key component of many of our therapy services is working with members of the child’s family and community during the sessions so that they feel empowered to incorporate parts of our therapeutic practices around daily activities. This helps to ensure that the therapy is functional and meaningful and is being practiced outside of our time together.
Billing, Insurance, & Payment
What is your payment policy?
We require full payment at the time of your appointment. We accept Cash, Check, or electronic payment via Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App. Please contact us if you have any questions about this policy.
Do you accept insurance?
Golden Oak Speech Therapy is considered an out-of-network provider. We do not bill private health insurances directly. If you wish to seek reimbursement from your private health insurance company, we will provide you with a superbill. A superbill is essentially a detailed receipt that includes key information required to submit health care claims to payers/health insurance companies. These receipts include patient information, billing codes, and associated fees. *A superbill does not guarantee reimbursement from insurance.
Do you accept Medicaid?
Golden Oak Speech Therapy is not a contracted provider with Medicaid.
Can I use my Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for services?
Yes. We are happy to provide invoices, receipts, or monthly statements.