Speech Therapy

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me the ball park rate for a speech and language evaluation? Insurance won't cover it. I've called a few places to schedule an appt but they haven't called me back yet. I'm just wondering what I'm in for.

thanks

[Anonymous]

Try some of the speech clinics. U of MD has one:

http://www.hesp.umd.edu/landing/Clinic


GW
http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/speechhearing/center

Loyola
http://www.loyola.edu/clinical-centers/services/speech-language.aspx

Some will range from free to probably $500-1000 depending on the need and provider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try some of the speech clinics. U of MD has one:

http://www.hesp.umd.edu/landing/Clinic


GW
http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/speechhearing/center

Loyola
http://www.loyola.edu/clinical-centers/services/speech-language.aspx

Some will range from free to probably $500-1000 depending on the need and provider.

Thank you for the recommendations---the issue with the school clinics is that they don't even start taking appointments until next semester. I've called all 3 you mentioned, plus Towson. All have told me to call back in Feb to schedule the appointment for sometime later in the semester.

[Anonymous]

We pay $125/hr. Most places we've worked with have billed in 15 increments and have offered us sessions of 30, 45 or 60 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We pay $125/hr. Most places we've worked with have billed in 15 increments and have offered us sessions of 30, 45 or 60 minutes.

I think OP was looking for an evaluation vs. ST sessions.

OP have you gone through early intervention or child find? That would be free.

The university systems are less expensive but not always the best quality. We've had mixed experiences. They also run on a college calendar, so if you're looking for expediency and don't want to wait, you'll probably pay more through a private.

Where are you located? VA, MD, DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We pay $125/hr. Most places we've worked with have billed in 15 increments and have offered us sessions of 30, 45 or 60 minutes.

I think OP was looking for an evaluation vs. ST sessions.

OP have you gone through early intervention or child find? That would be free.

The university systems are less expensive but not always the best quality. We've had mixed experiences. They also run on a college calendar, so if you're looking for expediency and don't want to wait, you'll probably pay more through a private.

Where are you located? VA, MD, DC?

You're correct on all counts--I'm looking for an initial evaluation before getting into therapy. We are scheduled for CF but I'm hoping for a more in depth evaluation then they will do. Maybe the follow on evaluation is more in depth then the initial screening? I'm in MD but willing to travel.

[Anonymous]

We ended up re-doing a speech eval originally done at UMD at the Lab School:
http://www.labschool.org/speechlanguageoutpatient

We've had good experiences with UMD in the past. The graduate coordinator for the elementary age ST doesn't seem very on the ball. (FYI, this is testing service is separate from the preschool there, which is very good.) At UMD, the testing took forever--yes, these things are never quick but the testers were all over the place, and most every subtest was incomplete. Our kid's speech issues were very well documented (actually from UMD and other places), we needed focus on certain things.

In the end the ~$500 we spent at UMD was wasted at spent probably twice as much at Lab but got much more comprehensive results. (It might be different for you and the batch of grad students is always different--no matter where you go, but paying and getting something we could use was well worth the money.)

There are other places too. ITS in Kensington and The Kids' Communication Center in Friendship Heights probably do evals. We haven't used them, but have friends who are really happy with the practices.

[Anonymous]

U of MD is getting out for winter break soon and do not return till late January. Staff is still there so I would see if you can get on the wait list. Remember the university's are on college schedules. It is hit or miss depending on the student clinicians as the pp said. Do you actually need an evaluation or do you need therapy. We only do evaluations for insurance purposes. When we private paid, we just paid for the speech therapy. Then we got our insurance to start covering it and they require periodic evaluations.

National Speech in Bethesda and other locations advertises free evaluations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U of MD is getting out for winter break soon and do not return till late January. Staff is still there so I would see if you can get on the wait list. Remember the university's are on college schedules. It is hit or miss depending on the student clinicians as the pp said. Do you actually need an evaluation or do you need therapy. We only do evaluations for insurance purposes. When we private paid, we just paid for the speech therapy. Then we got our insurance to start covering it and they require periodic evaluations.

National Speech in Bethesda and other locations advertises free evaluations.

If you don't have an evaluation, how do you know if therapy will correct the issue? For my child, it's a language issue, not a speech issue. What no one can tell me without an evaluation is if this is just a delay that will be outgrown or a true issue that will need assistance to work through. Sometimes I think there are expressive issues only; sometimes it seems to be receptive; sometimes it seems like both disorders are displaying; sometimes I think it's because he's 4. In other words, in the absence of a professional telling me what is going on, I have no clue.

[Anonymous]

Our child is 4 and clearly has delays. Until his brain was ready, therapy did not help. When he was ready, it helped. I'd just go in for an initial consultation rather than a full evaluation and if recommended try a few sessions. We knew we need help, so it was a non-issue. The evaluations only confirm what we know. I do not find them helpful except for insurance payment. If you are concerned, get help and worst case you do a few sessions and do find the benefit you stop (we tried several therapists before finding the right one who listened and saw the issue). I would also get a private one for a school IEP.

[Anonymous]

Linda Ifft Jordan at the College Park Speech and Hearing Clinic (a private clinic - no connection to UMD) is excellent and has somewhat more reasonable rates than others for an evaluation. She has worked for 2 years with DD and we have been very happy.

[Anonymous]

^^^^ I think it was $500 2-3 years ago.

[Anonymous]

ST through early intervention is not free in VA. The evaluation is but not the ST.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child is 4 and clearly has delays. Until his brain was ready, therapy did not help. When he was ready, it helped. I'd just go in for an initial consultation rather than a full evaluation and if recommended try a few sessions. We knew we need help, so it was a non-issue. The evaluations only confirm what we know. I do not find them helpful except for insurance payment. If you are concerned, get help and worst case you do a few sessions and do find the benefit you stop (we tried several therapists before finding the right one who listened and saw the issue). I would also get a private one for a school IEP.

I think you're the same PP who posted about using videos too. You really don't know if it was ST or that your kid was just ready. Speech delays are neurological by definition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U of MD is getting out for winter break soon and do not return till late January. Staff is still there so I would see if you can get on the wait list. Remember the university's are on college schedules. It is hit or miss depending on the student clinicians as the pp said. Do you actually need an evaluation or do you need therapy. We only do evaluations for insurance purposes. When we private paid, we just paid for the speech therapy. Then we got our insurance to start covering it and they require periodic evaluations.

National Speech in Bethesda and other locations advertises free evaluations.

If you don't have an evaluation, how do you know if therapy will correct the issue? For my child, it's a language issue, not a speech issue. What no one can tell me without an evaluation is if this is just a delay that will be outgrown or a true issue that will need assistance to work through. Sometimes I think there are expressive issues only; sometimes it seems to be receptive; sometimes it seems like both disorders are displaying; sometimes I think it's because he's 4. In other words, in the absence of a professional telling me what is going on, I have no clue.

Well definitely get an evaluation. Just so you know an evaluation can't necessarily tell you if something is developmental or lifelong when it comes to speech and language.