FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I think I have waited too late to get speech therapy for my child. Why should I start now?
It is never too late to see positive changes in your child’s speech and/or language abilities. It always best to start as early as possible, but with consistent practice and intervention we see great results and progress in patients of all ages!
My child already gets therapy in school why should we do more therapy?
School therapy is wonderful but usually in school the kids are seen in a group setting. Here at SpeechBuilders we tend to see faster progress because your child is seen individually.
My child is not talking but I think he/she will outgrow it, won’t he?
Every child that is not talking by age two or three does not necessarily have a language delay. But in many cases with consistent intervention and practice at home, we are able to stimuluate the child’s language system nd see great results. We recommend that if you have any question or suspicion of a language delay-it is best to bring him/her in for an evaluation. The evaluation gives you a clear picture of your child’s language abilities.
We spend hours every night doing homework- my child does not seem to “get it” can you help me?
We find that many times when a child has difficulty with reading comprehension or processing information; there is a language deficit. If the child’s language system is weak or delayed-concepts like letter sounds, reading comprehension, math story problems and following multiple step directions are extremely difficult.
How long will speech therapy take?
No two children are the same so it is impossible to say how long it will take for your child to make progress. We have had patients see tremendous progress in 6-8 months and others have taken 1-2 years. But there are some things that will speed up the process: (a) Come to therapy on a consistent basis and (b) Regular practice at home.
My doctor has given me a referral for speech/language therapy but I don’t think he/she needs it. Why should I come?
We have had many parents come in for an evaluation with the thought that nothing was wrong and it turns out that the child in fact had a delay. We have also had parents come in with the thought that there was a problem and after the evaluation we discovered that the child had language skills in the normal range. At SpeechBuilders we believe in giving our parents the information they need to help make their child a success. Getting a Speech Language evaluation is the first step to getting that information.
My child stutters sometimes, is that normal?
Many children between the age of two and six stutter occasionally. This stuttering may last for months, get better and then return. If your child is showing any behaviors when talking such as facial and body tension, disruption in breathing, blocks and grimacing, then it is recommended that you see a speech-language pathologist as soon as possible.
Is it my fault my child has to come to speech therapy?
There are many reasons why a child needs speech therapy-none of which are you. Give yourself a break. If you are on this website-I am guessing that you are parent that cares deeply about your child’s success.
Isn’t speech therapy expensive? Will insurance pay for therapy?
Insurance coverage has changed over the years, but many insurance companies still cover speech/language therapy. Give us a call or email us and we are more than happy to check your insurance coverage before you come in.
Won’t speech therapy make my child self conscious about his/her difficulty?
This is a common concern that many of our parents have. But our goal is to make the child aware of the difficulty and then give them the tools that they need to make a change. There is a huge difference between making a child aware and making a child self-conscious. Making a child self-conscious usually involves teasing and belittling. We don’t believe in that. Making a child aware empowers them to make changes.