INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

To get started with the therapy scheduling process, please fill out the Request for Services/Waitlist form. The online link will send it directly to us. Or you may download the PDF and send it to Candace, our office manager, at office@brightstarsspeech.com. When we have an opening that will work with your schedule, you will be contacted. Once we have an opening,  we will need you to fill out some additional forms, which will be sent to you via a secure link. 

Because we may not have the expertise to work with every type of case, it is important for you (and us) to make sure our skills are well-matched. The kind of individual therapy we do requires the child to be able to attend and cooperate with the lessons to some degree. 

We cannot take on children who are physically aggressive with our staff or other children in our waiting room. If your child assaults our staff or other children, we may need to discontinue services. Children who scream often can be very disruptive to the other sessions that are being conducted so may be a better fit for teletherapy or a practice that has a different set-up.

First step: A Request for Services/Waitlist Form.  

(Do not send any additional forms or information until we request it)

Once we are able to set up a schedule for your child, we will request to fill out/send the following via a secure link:
3) Most current IEP if you have one (less than a year old) 
4) Most recent speech-language evaluation if you have one (less than 11 months old).
5) Any related reports, such as from an Occupational Therapist (OT), psychologist or learning consultant.
6) A schedule confirmation 

7) A registration agreement

7) Exchanges of Information: We may request (or you may ask us) to consult with the other specialists who work with your child. In particular, children with autism often receive multiple services, such as occupational therapy, ABA, etc. Working/coordinating services across disciplines is especially important and we hope you will allow us to communicate with your child's other team members!

Your child may have had previous assessments, but perhaps you don't have confidence in the results or feel your child has changed a bit since then. In that case, you may prefer we start with either a comprehensive assessment or some specific targeted testing. 

The other situation we encounter is that previous reports are clinically incomplete or too vague in our eyes. We like data. We like details. We like the inclusion of both standardized tests and clinical analysis.  Sometimes other SLPs don't dive as deeply as we do into the initial assessment, so we will let you know if we feel there are additional tests we'd like to do in order to fill in those gaps. 

We will try our best to use your previous assessments, but new clients typically have 1-2 sessions of some kind of assessment when starting at our office with prior assessments. This allows us to get current baseline data that we can use to measure progress, as well as update goals to create an initial treatment plan. Assessment sessions are billed at twice our usual therapy rate. If you do not have a previous assessment, we will need to start with a full assessment.

We generally reserve our group slots for children who already receive individual therapy at our practice, but at times we do have openings for new children. Most groups are in-person, with just a few groups via teletherapy.

Our group programs are not appropriate for all developmental levels due to the nature of the activities and composition of the classes. The groups have been created specifically to suit the needs of the children on our caseload. In other words, we don't just push children into a "social language group" and hope it fits. Rather, we create the groupings, activities and goals depending on what we feel would benefit our clients. That is why it is a little bit of a "hodgepodge" of ages and skill levels! 

If we do have an opening, we will ask to review your child’s paperwork and informally meet him/her prior to finalizing the appointment schedule. 

For new clients, we usually need to do some preliminary testing in order to start your child's program if recent testing is not available, typically 1-2 sessions of some kind of assessment even with prior assessments. This allows us to get current baseline data that we can use to measure progress, as well as update goals to create an initial treatment plan. Assessment sessions are billed at twice our usual therapy rate. If you do not have a previous assessment, we may need to start with a full assessment. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

The first two group sessions are considered a trial period in order to see if there is a good fit for the child in a group. If the child’s skill set is not appropriate for the group, or you are unhappy in any way with the program, you can try another group if the speech pathologist recommends it, or discontinue services, paying only for those classes already attended.

To get started with the assessment process, please contact Candace, our office manager, at office@brightstarsspeech.com  to see if we have an opening that will work with your schedule. If so, we will need you to fill out some forms, starting with the Request for Services form.

There are a number of benefits to this group model of service: 

·  Integration and carryover of functional social-pragmatic language skills 

·  Some children learn better by observing peers than direct intervention

·  Games, arts and crafts, “play skills” are interwoven with language-based

    activities

·  Less costly than individual sessions

·  Opportunity to meet a new playmate 

We can try to arrange a group of two children (dyad) for a “first group” experience if requested, for a "first group" experience if requested, and if scheduling permits.

Additionally, we are also currently offering small groups of children with more challenging language and cognitive needs who would benefit from a facilitated play/social group.  The amount of time scheduled for the group varies from 50-100 minutes, based on the age of the children, attention span, and goals of the group. 

Reports: There are no formal reports written for children who participate in the group program. If requested, we will write one, but there is a fee for this service. Please contact the front office for more information about fees for additional services, such as reports.