Frequently Asked Questions
what are speech/language therapy sessions like?
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With Infants & Toddlers:
For children under the age of 3 years, caregivers generally stay in the therapy room. Any and all caregivers are welcome, and frequently see moms, dads, nannies, grandparents, aunts and uncles at therapy sessions. The more, the merrier! Toddler sessions are completely play-based and child-led. This means we will play with whatever your child is currently most excited about and interested in. You can expect to see Miss Emily sitting on the floor with your child, playing and interacting the whole time. Expect to learn some strategies to practice at home, as well as observe Miss Emily modeling those strategies for caregivers. Sample Toddler Therapy Session: 9:00-9:05 - transition into the therapy room, take off shoes, hang up coat, hand sanitizer/wash hands 9:05-9:55 - bounce around to various activities your child enjoys, such as bubbles, babies, shape sorters, balls, puzzles, play food, cars, blocks, etc. 9:55-10:00 - transition out of the therapy room, find shoes, put on coat, find car Preschoolers & School-Aged Children: For children 3 years and older, therapy is typically done without the caregiver in the room, although Miss Emily is always happy to be flexible if needed. Caregivers are welcome to stay - the waiting area is an excellent place to listen to our whole session without being a distraction to your child. Depending on the child's needs and therapy goals, therapy sessions can look really different - aside from the first and last 5 minutes of our session (when we transition in and out of the therapy room), the structure of therapy sessions can vary quite a bit. Miss Emily's #1 goals are to make sure that your child makes the fastest progress as possible AND loves coming to therapy, which means accurately practicing the targeted skills as much as possible. Miss Emily will adjust the structure of therapy as needed and as kids mature.
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HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD NEEDS THERAPY?
Check out our Resources page for some information that could help you.
A great first step is to schedule a screening with Miss Emily. Those are typically around an hour, and the goal is to address the following:
A note from Miss Emily: First of all, I would encourage you to listen to your gut. If you have concerns about your child, it's very likely there is a reason to be concerned. I have worked with thousands of caregivers in my career, and in my experience, nearly 100% of those caregivers had concerns that WERE legitimate and warranted concern.
As parents, we run into many well-meaning professionals, teachers, family members and strangers in our lives that might have different perspectives and encourage you to "wait and see what happens", "wait until they are ____ years/months old," "don't worry so much," "just relax," etc. However, unless that person is also an speech-language pathologist that is experienced in working with children of similar age/needs as your child, then they may not be giving you the best advice for your child at that moment.
You are the expert on your child, and if you are worried, I would recommend that you just go ahead and schedule a screening with an experienced speech-language pathologist and move forward with answers to your questions. You will walk away from that screening with 1 of 2 outcomes:
A great first step is to schedule a screening with Miss Emily. Those are typically around an hour, and the goal is to address the following:
- What are the child's strengths and areas of improvement related to speech/language skills?
- Is there a speech/language delay or disorder and if so, how severe?
- What are the best next steps moving forward? We always talk about strategies to try at home, and we would also discuss whether therapy is warranted at this point, and if so, area options for receiving therapy, what goals might be and some of your other questions and concerns.
- With screenings, you do not typically receive a formal report, although you may receive some handwritten notes and/or handouts home about the skills we discussed, strategies for home and next steps.
- We charge our typical therapy rate for screenings (starting at $110/hour for office visits - contact Miss Emily about more info regarding therapy rates).
- If you would prefer a formal evaluation that renders a comprehensive evaluation report that you can share with your child’s school and/or medical teams, a full speech and language evaluation starts at $650 and generally requires 2-3 visits. These render a detailed evaluation report, generally 10-25 pages long.
A note from Miss Emily: First of all, I would encourage you to listen to your gut. If you have concerns about your child, it's very likely there is a reason to be concerned. I have worked with thousands of caregivers in my career, and in my experience, nearly 100% of those caregivers had concerns that WERE legitimate and warranted concern.
As parents, we run into many well-meaning professionals, teachers, family members and strangers in our lives that might have different perspectives and encourage you to "wait and see what happens", "wait until they are ____ years/months old," "don't worry so much," "just relax," etc. However, unless that person is also an speech-language pathologist that is experienced in working with children of similar age/needs as your child, then they may not be giving you the best advice for your child at that moment.
You are the expert on your child, and if you are worried, I would recommend that you just go ahead and schedule a screening with an experienced speech-language pathologist and move forward with answers to your questions. You will walk away from that screening with 1 of 2 outcomes:
- you learn that your child needs some extra help, and learn some ideas for strategies and next steps that will best fit your family's schedule and financial situation. Many parents share things like "I feel better so much better knowing", "I finally feel validated/understood," "I knew it! I knew I wasn't crazy!"
- you learn that your child is doing just fine and you can cross this off your to-do list and move on with life ;)
HOW IS THERAPY AT HIGH 5 SPEECH THERAPY different FROM...
- How is therapy at High 5 Speech Therapy different from Early On (Michigan's early intervention program)?
- How is therapy at High 5 Speech Therapy different from my child's school speech therapy?
- How is therapy at High 5 Speech Therapy different from the local hospital outpatient clinic?
- How is therapy at High 5 Speech Therapy different from the local private therapy clinic?
WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU OFFER THERAPY?
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Miss Emily typically sees clients at her office in Holland, Mondays through Fridays.
The majority of clients start with 1-hr sessions, 1x/week, typically at the same/day time every week. If Miss Emily or caregivers feels that a change in frequency is appropriate at any time, adjustments can be made to either increase or decrease therapy sessions. Miss Emily operates her schedule on a semi-permanent basis, meaning she will see you at the same date/time every week unless your family needs a schedule change or until your child graduates out of therapy. Schedules are updated/adjusted 2x/year (beginning of summer & beginning of the school year in the fall) to adjust to the normal schedule changes that most families have. Miss Emily primarily does office visits, where she has many, many (MANY!) fun toys, crafts and games, as well as a comfortable and separate waiting/work/play area for caregivers and siblings who choose to stay during therapy sessions. The office is set up so the caregiver can hear the whole session, observe therapy when they want, but are not within direct eyesight of the child, so it's not distracting for the kiddos. Families are also welcome to drop off, or I can do drop off/pick up in the parking lot if there are siblings in the car. Holland Office Location: 291 W. Lakewood Blvd Holland, MI 49424 If you prefer home visits: Miss Emily currently travels to see clients in the Lakeshore and Grand Rapids area, including the areas listed below. Note that availability for home visits in certain areas may be dictated by schedule availability at that time.
Please contact Emily to discuss options for your services. |
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What’s the best place for my child to receive therapy?
As a speech therapist in private practice, Miss Emily feels so lucky to be able to see clients in many different settings. She has delivered therapy services in client’s homes, schools, daycare centers, grocery stores, swimming pools, parks, trampoline parks and in her own office. Each setting has some advantages and disadvantages. As a therapist and parent, Miss Emily would like to share some thoughts with other parents who are considering the pros and cons of the various therapy settings for their child.
So, therapy at home or in my office? There’s no black or white answer here. There are many variables to consider when deciding whether your child should receive his/her therapy services in your home or in my office. Miss Emily is happy to chat with your about your specific situation to determine what the best fit for your family might be.
- Focus: Depending on your child’s age and personality, some children are more focused outside their home and thrive from the structure of therapy in the office setting. It is harder for a child to "escape" to his/her room or to the kitchen when in the therapist's office. On the other hand, some children initially may be distracted by the office setting or may open up more in the comfort of their own homes. Siblings present at home also can become a distraction, depending on their age and interests. If siblings are present, Miss Emily may sometimes try to involve them in a session to help prevent them from distracting the client and/or to encourage the client to participate/stay motivated, but the feasibility of this depends on many factors. Sometimes, it's better for siblings to be out of sight.
- Convenience and Carryover: Certainly, it can be more convenient for you and your child to receive speech services in your home as you don't have to worry about the logistics involved in driving to the therapist's office. Furthermore, it tends to be easier to carry over skills learned in an everyday natural environment. It's also easier for most parents to participate in therapy sessions at their home. Many young children are comforted by a parent's presence, which also enables the parent to learn how to reinforce the lessons with their child when the therapist is gone. If parents do not want to participate because their child is older, they have other things to do, need to watch other children in the home or believe they may become a distraction to the child, they still can be within earshot of the room. At the office, the parent is welcome to wait in a nearby waiting area or drop off.
- Materials for Therapy: When you come to my office, Miss Emily will generally have all the materials needed for that day's session at my fingertips, or can print them if needed. When therapy is provided in your home, Miss Emily will bring whatever she anticipates needing for that day's session; however, if the session takes an unexpected turn, she may need to improvise and/or use your family's items (if that's ok with you), which has its own set of associated pros and cons. However, when we are in your home, Miss Emily may get a better sense of the vocabulary and language that is necessary for daily communication in your world. Additionally, she may be better able to determine appropriate and functional goals.
- Budget: This is probably the main deciding factor for many families when considering the location of therapy. Non-office therapy visits do occur additional travel charges, as well as a higher hourly therapy rate. Please reach out to Miss Emily with additional questions about current therapy rates.
So, therapy at home or in my office? There’s no black or white answer here. There are many variables to consider when deciding whether your child should receive his/her therapy services in your home or in my office. Miss Emily is happy to chat with your about your specific situation to determine what the best fit for your family might be.
Who will be my child's therapist?
Miss Emily will be your therapist. You can rest assured that there is no "turnover" because Miss Emily is a sole practioner. The relationship your child builds in speech therapy will be maintained over time, and you will never have to "start over" with a new therapist.
High 5 Speech Therapy is a sole practioner speech therapy clinic, meaning that it is run and operated solely by Miss Emily, who is a single, independently licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP). Miss Emily is the only clinician operating the business, handling all client appointments, billing, and the majority of administrative tasks, and there are no other therapists employed. Occasionally, administrative tasks, cleaning and/or social media responsibilities are handled by other professionals, but all clinical responsibilities with clients will be solely handled by Miss Emily.
Occasionally, Miss Emily mentors graduate-level speech-language pathology students through GVSU or other area SLP master's programs. You can see more information about that here.
High 5 Speech Therapy is a sole practioner speech therapy clinic, meaning that it is run and operated solely by Miss Emily, who is a single, independently licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP). Miss Emily is the only clinician operating the business, handling all client appointments, billing, and the majority of administrative tasks, and there are no other therapists employed. Occasionally, administrative tasks, cleaning and/or social media responsibilities are handled by other professionals, but all clinical responsibilities with clients will be solely handled by Miss Emily.
Occasionally, Miss Emily mentors graduate-level speech-language pathology students through GVSU or other area SLP master's programs. You can see more information about that here.
What do you charge for therapy?
Please contact Emily to discuss rates for your specific situation. Office rates start at $110/hour and home visits start at $150/hour, based on your location and needs.
Occasionally, "scholarships" with discounted rates are offered based on a client's need and financial status.
Occasionally, "scholarships" with discounted rates are offered based on a client's need and financial status.
how can i pay for therapy?
Payment is due at the end of each session unless other arrangements have been made.
The following forms of payment are accepted:
*note that it is your responsibility to ensure the services for which you are billed are "allowed" on your FSA/HSA plan
The following forms of payment are accepted:
- HSA/FSA cards*
- Credit/Debit cards
- Cash
- Venmo
- PayPal
- Square Cash app
*note that it is your responsibility to ensure the services for which you are billed are "allowed" on your FSA/HSA plan
Do you bill or accept insurance for feeding or speech therapy?
No, High 5 Speech Therapy does not directly bill insurance for any therapy services provided.
In regard to insurance coverage, High 5 Speech Therapy is considered an "out-of-network provider," which means that you pay High 5 Speech Therapy directly. We cannot directly bill for insurance payments at this time. If insurance reimbursement is an option you’d like to investigate, we recommend first calling your insurance company to find out if you are eligible for out-of-network therapy and/or evaluation reimbursement. There is an excellent "Cheat Sheet" available from Miss Emily that can guide you through that phone call and help you learn all relevant information and details about your insurance plan as it relates to speech/feeding therapy.
The reason High 5 Speech Therapy is able to charge significantly less for therapy services than other area therapy clinics and outpatient hospital clinics is because we do not directly bill insurance, which means we do not have to pay a specialist to do our insurance billing.
Upon request, we can provide you with a weekly/monthly/yearly invoice or "superbill" of paid services for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Upon request, you can be provided with the following resources to help you with insurance submission. These resources include:
*The caregiver is responsible for communicating ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION that insurance requires PRIOR to beginning any services. This documentation can not be provided after therapy services or evaluations have been completed.
**Please note: Some insurance companies require specific components to be a part of progress notes, and some insurance companies also require a treatment plan. We will happily supply you with notes/plans in the format required by your insurance company if you supply this in advance (treatment plans are included in evaluation reports but are an additional cost if a formal evaluation + evaluation report was not previously paid for). However, it is the parent’s or patient's responsibility to determine what these formats and specifications are.
In regard to insurance coverage, High 5 Speech Therapy is considered an "out-of-network provider," which means that you pay High 5 Speech Therapy directly. We cannot directly bill for insurance payments at this time. If insurance reimbursement is an option you’d like to investigate, we recommend first calling your insurance company to find out if you are eligible for out-of-network therapy and/or evaluation reimbursement. There is an excellent "Cheat Sheet" available from Miss Emily that can guide you through that phone call and help you learn all relevant information and details about your insurance plan as it relates to speech/feeding therapy.
The reason High 5 Speech Therapy is able to charge significantly less for therapy services than other area therapy clinics and outpatient hospital clinics is because we do not directly bill insurance, which means we do not have to pay a specialist to do our insurance billing.
Upon request, we can provide you with a weekly/monthly/yearly invoice or "superbill" of paid services for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Upon request, you can be provided with the following resources to help you with insurance submission. These resources include:
- Hand-written progress notes from each session*
- Electronic and/or printed monthly invoice
- Current ICD-10 coding
- Current CPT coding
- Therapist state and national license information and certification information
*The caregiver is responsible for communicating ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION that insurance requires PRIOR to beginning any services. This documentation can not be provided after therapy services or evaluations have been completed.
**Please note: Some insurance companies require specific components to be a part of progress notes, and some insurance companies also require a treatment plan. We will happily supply you with notes/plans in the format required by your insurance company if you supply this in advance (treatment plans are included in evaluation reports but are an additional cost if a formal evaluation + evaluation report was not previously paid for). However, it is the parent’s or patient's responsibility to determine what these formats and specifications are.
what about insurance-covered speech/language therapy?
To note: For ~80-90% of my clients, insurance will not pay for pediatric therapy services, including those for articulation support or "late talkers." Often, insurance will only cover pediatric speech/language therapy when it is deemed a “medical necessity.” Speech/language therapy is considered a “medical necessity” when there is a medical diagnosis such as autism, cerebral palsy, apraxia, hearing loss, cleft lip/palate, etc.
Miss Emily has an "Insurance Cheat Sheet" that she would be happy to share with if you are not yet sure about your child’s insurance benefits in regard to speech therapy, and you want to research that, it is a great tool for helping you navigate that phone call.
For out-of-network speech/language therapy reimbursement, you will need to check if your insurance company accepts CPT code 92507, and if they require an ICD-10 code (furnished from an evaluation by a professional, e.g. speech-language pathologist, psychologist, audiologist, ENT, neurologist, etc.). If an ICD-10 code is required, High 5 Speech Therapy must provide a complete evaluation (check if your insurance company accepts CPT code 92506 for the evaluation) and the accompanying required paperwork, which begins at $550, with increased rates for home visits. If your insurance requires a predetermination note, discuss this with your pediatrician.
Miss Emily has an "Insurance Cheat Sheet" that she would be happy to share with if you are not yet sure about your child’s insurance benefits in regard to speech therapy, and you want to research that, it is a great tool for helping you navigate that phone call.
For out-of-network speech/language therapy reimbursement, you will need to check if your insurance company accepts CPT code 92507, and if they require an ICD-10 code (furnished from an evaluation by a professional, e.g. speech-language pathologist, psychologist, audiologist, ENT, neurologist, etc.). If an ICD-10 code is required, High 5 Speech Therapy must provide a complete evaluation (check if your insurance company accepts CPT code 92506 for the evaluation) and the accompanying required paperwork, which begins at $550, with increased rates for home visits. If your insurance requires a predetermination note, discuss this with your pediatrician.
