Cognitive-Linguistic Therapy
Cognitive-linguistic therapy or speech-language therapy involves the treatment of a diagnosable medical impairment. Speech-language impairments, or communication disorders, adversely affect an individual’s ability to perform acts of daily living. These may include language impairment, speech-articulation impairment, stuttering, or a voice impairment, among many others. Regarding children, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines speech and language impairments as a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or voice impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
Academic Support Services
Academic support services (“tutoring”) involve intervention to target academic deficits that exist separately from a speech and/or language impairment. Although some academic skills may be affected by a speech-language impairment, intervention in this area is not strictly addressed by a speech-language pathologist and may be addressed via tutoring in reading and math.
Accent Modification
It is practically impossible to "erase" an accent. The work of accent modification is intended to provide those who are interested with an additional accent that they may choose to use when desired. Please, don't hesitate to reach out if you are curious about learning more.
Diagnostic Evaluations
Diagnostic assessments typically include:
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Administration of a standardized diagnostic instrument
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Oral mechanism evaluation
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Motor speech assessment
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Clinical observation
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Communication-language sample
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Clinical analysis of all observational and diagnostic results
Diagnostic reports are provided. These typically include:
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Diagnostic statement indicating the presence or absence of a disorder, delay, or impairment
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Complete client-history, including but not limited to the birth process, developmental milestones, medical history, service history, educational history, and social-emotional development
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Complete rendering of the client’s diagnostic test results, including standard scores, composite scores, percentile ranks, and standard deviations, as appropriate; a statement of validity of findings
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Summary of results
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Statement of prognosis
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Recommended goals and objectives designed specifically for the individual
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Referrals, as needed, e.g., orofacial myology, laryngology (ENT), occupational therapy (OT)
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Plan of care agreement
After the client has received the report, SpeakEasily SLP will always provide an opportunity to meet to discuss the findings by telephone or video conference, free of charge. There is no time-limit to this or other meetings; a typical meeting may require 30 to 90 minutes to review the report in full. How little or how long is often at the discretion of the client.
Consultation
SpeakEasily SLP PLLC and Michael-Jean Zinni, M.C.D., CCC-SLP are available for clinical consultation services and advocacy. These may include review or completion of documentation for legal claims, expert witness support, and more. Charges are to be assessed for the duration of the event itself and/or the completion of related documentation. You will never be charged for pre-planning and/or post-event discussions, whether over the phone or in person.
Virtual vs. In-Person
Wait! Don't leave. I have something very
important to say about working virtually with kids
(see down below for adult services)
1-to-1 is not the same as 1-to-25
Yes, it may seem obvious, but I've had a lot of parents tell me that their child didn't do well working online with their teacher. I'm here to say that's apples and orangutans. Here are some of the biggest differences.
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Your child didn't have me - a veteran with 15+ years experience working with children, trained at the graduate level, a former teacher, curriculum designer, and person who also grew up with dyslexia and a language disorder. Basically, I'm not your average teacher.
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Because school is an all-day affair, virtual school had to mirror normal class. Classes were excessively long and painful - our sessions simply won't be that long.
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Virtual school required your child to try harder and pay more attention to something they already were having a hard time with. Our sessions are designed to be at the level of instruction for your child to learn, i.e., they are going to be engaged because they know what's happening.
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I don't have an agenda. If things aren't going well, boom, we take a break and play a game (one designed to simultaneously and surreptitiously target the same exact goals we're working on, so that most kids don't even notice, or they don't care because it's fun). Teachers don't have that luxury.
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No distracting distraction. I won't have to fuss at one kid to turn his camera on. I won't have to fuss at another to focus on the task. I won't have to tell anyone anything because there won't be anyone else. Less time lost makes for a more engaged student.
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I'm fun. Period. Nine times out of ten, (I'm proud to say) kids are asking when they're going to see me again. It's the best kind of endorsement.
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Digital Perks. I saved the best for last. Virtual services are not the same as in-person. In some ways, they're better. Think about all the tools I have at my disposal, not least of which is good-old screen-sharing (that's where I choose a window on my computer to share with you to see on your screen). How does this help? Take, for example, someone at the early stages of reading, when letter-size really matters. In real life, I can only encourage them to look more closely at the page (pretty weak) or find large print books. On the computer, I can zoom in 1000x to help them see the part I want them to see. For some kids, noticing the difference between "d" and "b" isn't going to happen unless it's as big as a billboard right in front of their eyes. I can drag a pointer or make a thick, red line run under the part of the word I want to show them. Not to mention, I can type/delete/copy/paste much faster on my computer than I can write on a hand-held whiteboard. This is only the start! I'm happy to give more examples. Just ask!
Virtual vs. In-Person (Adults)
Now for you adults. I haven't forgotten 'bout y'all. You didn't have the hell-on-wheels experience that most kids had with school, but you did have (duh-duh-duh)... meetings. So let's talk about the elephant in the Zoom.
You already know some of the perks:
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Cost savings. You won't have to drive anywhere, spend money on gas and time in the car, traveling back-and-forth. And, you probably won't be late.
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Fewer cancelations. Minor illnesses, inclement weather, public health events, can't get in the way of our sessions.
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Learning opportunities. Your family can view and learn from sessions, which is great, especially if there's something they can be doing to help.
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Flexibility. Working virtually allows me to be nimble. Got a birthday party? Staying late at work? We can easily reschedule our session for another day and time when we're working online.
How Do Virtual Sessions Work?
Easier than you think
Here's everything you'll need:
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a computer, tablet, or phone
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the internet
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an open mind (this one's optional)
Here's how it works:
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I make an event on Google Calendar.
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You get an invite sent to your email.
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On the day of the session, you click on the link in your email; it automatically opens a browser window, and you click to join.
If you have Gmail and/or Google Calendar, it'll automatically go to your calendar. You can bookmark the link as a shortcut if you want. GoogleMeet does work best with Chrome as your browser but it's not required.
Still not sold on the idea? Check out this article written by an SLP who reviewed some of the research. CLICK HERE.
What About Insurance?
SpeakEasily SLP does not accept insurance. Directly contracting with insurance companies would prevent us from offering rates which are often lower than your typical insurance co-pay.
Certain services may be
eligible for reimbursement
by your insurance company.
Your insurance may request a super bill. A super bill is an itemized form used by healthcare providers that reflects services rendered. A super bill is the main data source for the creation of a healthcare claim, which you can submit to payers (i.e., the insurance company, funds, programs) for possible reimbursement.
Why not use my insurance?
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If you have a plan with a deductible, there's a good chance you'll be paying out-of-pocket well-before the insurance even kicks in.
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I learned from my time working in hospitals, most insurance companies greatly limit the number of sessions you can have within a certain period; for example, you might be limited to only 12 sessions a year (that's only 3 months if you meet once a week).
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In some situations, an insurance company might cap how much they'll payout for a particular service. In other words, you could get cut-off before the therapy is complete.
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In some situations, an insurance company might indicate that they'll reimburse you for the service, but later challenge the SLP's diagnosis as not medically necessary (such as in the case of dyslexia). This leaves it on the SLP to present you with a large (and unexpected) bill.
It's always recommended that you do your own research to find out if utilizing your insurance plan is best for you and your unique situation. Please note that the information above reflects my personal opinion and should not be interpreted as financial advice and/or a medical recommendation.
No Surprises Act &
Good Faith Estimates
Beginning January 1, 2022, if you’re uninsured or if you opt for self-pay (i.e., not going through your health insurance), health care providers like me must provide you with an estimate of the expected charges before you get an item or service. This is called a good faith estimate (GFE).
Providers and facilities (like mine) must provide you with a GFE if you request one, or after you’ve scheduled a service. It should include the expected charges for all items or services that are provided as part of the same scheduled experience. The provider must provide a list of all items and services associated with your care.
For more information, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website at www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
A Note on Privacy
Nothing is more important than your privacy, especially when we're working online. That's why SpeakEasily SLP follows the strictest of guidelines. In accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), SpeakEasily SLP and Google have jointly signed a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This bars Google from data mining emails, files, and GoogleMeet video conferencing. Your private information will never be shared with anyone outside of SpeakEasily SLP.