When a child has trouble speaking, they will most likely benefit from speech therapy. This kind of therapy is provided by a speech-language pathologist, which is commonly referred to as a speech therapist. The goal of a speech therapist is to help their patient improve communication.
If you would like to better understand speech therapy, here are the answers to four frequently asked questions.
1. When Is Speech Therapy Necessary for Children?
If your child is not meeting communication milestones, you may want to consider having them evaluated by a speech therapist. If your child is a toddler, some signs they might need speech therapy include:
All of these signs might indicate a speech disorder. Common speech disorders that require speech therapy include childhood apraxia of speech, speech sound disorders, stuttering, and selective mutism. Children with ADHD, autism, cleft lip, and brain injuries might also benefit from speech therapy.
2. How Much Speech Therapy Is Necessary?
Not every child needs the same amount of speech therapy. The amount largely depends on the severity of the speech and language problem or what diagnosis they have. For example, children with brain injuries may need much more speech therapy than a child with a mild speech impediment.
Some children will only need speech therapy for a few weeks while others would benefit from a few years. It's typical for children to go to speech therapy once or twice a week. After your child is evaluated, a speech therapist will be able to provide a better idea of how long your child might need speech therapy.
3. Where Is Speech Therapy Provided?
Speech language pathologists work in a variety of settings. Some of these settings include:
Some speech language pathologists also work independently.
4. Does Insurance Cover Speech Therapy?
One session of speech therapy can cost anywhere from $48 to $215. This cost adds up quickly when several speech therapy sessions are needed. The good news is, most health insurance plans cover speech therapy.
Depending on your insurance plan, you may have to meet your deductible before benefits kick in. Some insurance plans may require a copay for each session. Medicaid usually covers speech therapy as long as it is for an approved diagnosis and they deem it medically necessary.
For more information about speech therapy, contact a local professional, like Speech Language and Hearing Associates.
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