Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Will speech Therapy take?
This is my most frequently asked question and the most difficult to answer! The duration of speech therapy varies from person to person. Without knowing the extent of your needs and goals, it is difficult to predict how long you will need speech therapy. I can give you a better estimate after your assessment, but please note that each case is different. Your motivation and commitment to practicing outside of speech sessions will greatly impact how quickly you make progress.
WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION POLICY?
CANCELLATIONS
If you need to cancel your session, please do so at least 24 hours in advance. Your appointment is reserved for you alone, and this notice allows time to offer the appointment to someone else. There is a $50 late-cancellation fee when 24 hours notice is not given.
SICK POLICY
All clients are expected to cancel their appointment if severe symptoms (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, fever, unexplained rash, strep throat) have occurred within the last 48 hours. In the case of illnesses, late-cancel fees may be waived at the provider's discretion.
CONSISTENT ATTENDANCE
Each time a client misses an appointment without providing proper notice, another client is prevented from receiving treatment. If attendance records show that you are cancelling or re-scheduling frequently, you may be asked to find a different day/time for your appointments or to put your therapy on pause until you can attend regularly.
If you need to cancel your session, please do so at least 24 hours in advance. Your appointment is reserved for you alone, and this notice allows time to offer the appointment to someone else. There is a $50 late-cancellation fee when 24 hours notice is not given.
SICK POLICY
All clients are expected to cancel their appointment if severe symptoms (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, fever, unexplained rash, strep throat) have occurred within the last 48 hours. In the case of illnesses, late-cancel fees may be waived at the provider's discretion.
CONSISTENT ATTENDANCE
Each time a client misses an appointment without providing proper notice, another client is prevented from receiving treatment. If attendance records show that you are cancelling or re-scheduling frequently, you may be asked to find a different day/time for your appointments or to put your therapy on pause until you can attend regularly.
WHAT ARE THE PAYMENT OPTIONS?
Wildflower Speech Therapy accepts health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and private payment (credit cards). Please contact me for current rates.
CAN I SEND YOU A VIDEO of my child AND GET YOUR OPINION?
If only it were that simple! As a speech pathologist, I provide recommendations with very careful consideration. I am not able to provide accurate recommendations via recording or phone call. When I assess a client, I probe for speech patterns across a variety of lexical, phonological, and cognitive contexts. I also collect a thorough case history to gain the most holistic view of the client’s communication. If you are concerned at all about your child's speech, I highly recommend scheduling an evaluation to determine whether your child has a speech or stuttering disorder and whether s/he would benefit from speech therapy.
If you are looking for general information, you can read about speech/language milestones here and stuttering risk factors here. If you are simply curious as to how your child compares to same-aged peers, a good place to start is with your pediatrician, teacher, or daycare provider.
If you are looking for general information, you can read about speech/language milestones here and stuttering risk factors here. If you are simply curious as to how your child compares to same-aged peers, a good place to start is with your pediatrician, teacher, or daycare provider.
HOW DOES SCHEDULING WORK?
We will determine your session schedule after your evaluation. Most clients schedule a recurring appointment. For example, every Monday at 3:30. Some of my adult clients prefer a more flexible schedule. In these instances, we book 1-2 sessions at a time based on our overlapping availability. (Typically, after-work and after-school appointments go to recurring clients as they are in high-demand.)
CAN PARENTS ATTEND SESSIONS?
I typically have parents wait in the waiting room and join us toward the end of the session. However, you are welcome to do whatever makes you comfortable. In my experience, I've found that children tend to behave differently with parents in the room, which can impact evaluation results and/or therapy sessions.
Update March 2020: Services are now being offered virtually. My answer is similar. Parents are welcome to remain in the room during sessions, but are encouraged to refrain from interjecting or speaking for their child during a session. Time at the beginning or end of a session may be allotted for parent conferencing.
Update March 2020: Services are now being offered virtually. My answer is similar. Parents are welcome to remain in the room during sessions, but are encouraged to refrain from interjecting or speaking for their child during a session. Time at the beginning or end of a session may be allotted for parent conferencing.
Are there any exercises we can work on at home before beginning speech therapy?
The short answer: It's really tough to start practicing without first having some instruction.
If your child begins practicing without first laying the foundation and learning how to practice, s/he could be reinforcing the errors rather than fixing them. Example: Let’s say your son has a lisp. You could download some worksheets for your son to practice, but without instruction, we can’t expect his lisp to magically disappear simply by saying S-words. He’ll continue to practice those words with a lisp, which may further his level of frustration. Imagine trying to practice running before you’ve learned how to take a step!
My value as a speech pathologist is that I am able to identify exactly what is contributing to the speech errors (e.g., mis-learning, structural factors, phonological factors, or a combination of all) and then create a structured, step-by-step program for your child’s particular needs. We often start at a more foundational level than parents expect, addressing jaw alignment, tongue placement/stability, airflow, etc. Children can typically make these adjustments easily when given proper instruction.
That said, if you are looking for a resource, I recommend http://mommyspeechtherapy.com. You will find lots of free downloads and worksheets. Just keep in mind that if your child truly needs intervention, speech therapy is the best place to start.
If your child begins practicing without first laying the foundation and learning how to practice, s/he could be reinforcing the errors rather than fixing them. Example: Let’s say your son has a lisp. You could download some worksheets for your son to practice, but without instruction, we can’t expect his lisp to magically disappear simply by saying S-words. He’ll continue to practice those words with a lisp, which may further his level of frustration. Imagine trying to practice running before you’ve learned how to take a step!
My value as a speech pathologist is that I am able to identify exactly what is contributing to the speech errors (e.g., mis-learning, structural factors, phonological factors, or a combination of all) and then create a structured, step-by-step program for your child’s particular needs. We often start at a more foundational level than parents expect, addressing jaw alignment, tongue placement/stability, airflow, etc. Children can typically make these adjustments easily when given proper instruction.
That said, if you are looking for a resource, I recommend http://mommyspeechtherapy.com. You will find lots of free downloads and worksheets. Just keep in mind that if your child truly needs intervention, speech therapy is the best place to start.
do you treat adults?
Yes! My caseload is split between pediatric and adult clients. You can read more about my adult services by navigating to Adult Stuttering, Adult Speech, and Accent Reduction.
AS AN ADULT, IS IT TOO LATE TO MAKE CHANGES TO MY SPEECH?
No. Teenagers and adults actually bring forth unique advantages when they enter speech therapy. They tend to approach speech therapy with a high degree of motivation and commitment, which greatly impacts therapeutic success. Cognitively, they are also able to discuss and understand speech therapy techniques on a higher level and therefore pursue more advanced approaches. Some of my adult clients are the quickest to integrate techniques.
WHAT IF I DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR SERVICES IN THE SCHOOL?
Schools have very exclusive eligibility criteria. When I worked in public school, I was not allowed to enroll any student who scored above the 7th percentile. That leaves out A LOT of students who would benefit greatly from speech therapy services. Unfortunately, the same often goes for insurance coverage. Many plans only cover cases that are medically necessary or severe.
Wildflower Speech Therapy does not require such strict eligibility criteria. If your evaluation reveals a speech or stuttering diagnosis, you are welcome to pursue speech therapy with me even if it is a mild or moderate case.
Wildflower Speech Therapy does not require such strict eligibility criteria. If your evaluation reveals a speech or stuttering diagnosis, you are welcome to pursue speech therapy with me even if it is a mild or moderate case.
do you provide home visits or school visits?
I do not currently provide home or school visits. Update: As of March 2020, I have transitioned away from in-person clinic sessions and now offer exclusively virtual sessions. Please contact me to learn more.
how do i access the client portal?
You can access the client portal by visiting https://wildflower-speech.clientsecure.me/home.