Q: What is speech therapy?

A: Speech therapy is designed to help children and adults learn to communicate better or more easily. It is the assessment and treatment of a communication delay/disorder. When working with young children, speech therapy is typically play-based. Speech therapy helps to improve use and understanding of language, and clarity of speech among other things.

 

Q: How long will my child need speech therapy?

A: There is no one size fits all model for speech therapy. The length and intensity of speech therapy is determined by the needs/goals of the client. Following an initial speech therapy evaluation, a provider should be able to give you an idea of how long they estimate treatment to take. Sometimes treatment is as little as a few months or longer than a year, depending on the type and severity of the language/speech disorder.

 

Q: Will my insurance cover speech therapy? Do I need a doctor's referral?

A: Uplift is an in-network provider for Tricare, which covers all pre-approved speech therapy services. Other insurances may cover speech therapy, depending on your out-of-network benefits. Yes, you will need a referral from your child's pediatrician, which can be faxed directly to Uplift. Uplift can assist you with the referral and insurance process.

 

Q: What is the difference between speech and language?

A: Speech is how we say words and sounds. This includes articulation (how we produce an /s/ or /r/ sound), voice (how we use our voice), and fluency (the rhythm of our speech). Language encompasses the words we use to get our needs/wants met and to share our ideas/feelings. Language includes: what words mean, how to make new words, putting words together, and what we should say in certain situations. [this information was referenced from www.asha.org]