Why choose private speech therapy?
Children may exhibit speech-language delays, but not meet eligibility criteria in order to receive early intervention or school aged services. Some families want more individualized instruction for their child than what is offered through other programs. Families may also want to be more involved in their child’s speech-language therapy than what is offered in other settings. Private speech therapy is also a great option during the summer months, when children who have speech therapy on their school IEP’s typically don’t get services.
Should I just wait and see until my child is older?
No. Parents may get the advice to just “wait and see,” which is not the best approach to take. If you have concerns, you should not wait. Research has indicated that early intervention is extremely effective. The gap between what your child is doing and what their peers are doing may increase. If you’re concerned about your child, it is best to seek help as soon as possible.
Why choose Kitt Kids Speech & Language Therapy?
The home office I work out of is located in a beautiful wooded setting, which makes children and families comfortable from the beginning. If however, we decide that therapy would better be provided in your home or community setting (such as daycare), then that is also an option. Therapy is always research driven and outcome focused and I have many years of experience working in the field of speech-language pathology. I enjoy working closely with caregivers and I specialize in helping caregivers help their child carryover the skills learned during speech-language therapy. Children make the most progress when caregivers facilitate their child’s speech-language development at home. I value the relationships I have with my clients and their families and I truly love what I do.
What’s your process when starting services for a new client?
The best way to start is to contact me so we can set up a time to talk on the phone or in person for a brief and free consultation. Your child will need an evaluation to decide what your child’s needs are and to have a plan created for him or her. If your child has already had a recent evaluation, I will need to review that and then we can outline our treatment steps.
What can I expect at the evaluation?
An evaluation can last from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon the areas being assessed. I may use standardized tests, informal assessment, speech and language sampling, observation, developmental history and/or caregiver report. Referrals to other professionals may be made if, during the evaluation, it is found that your child is having difficulties in areas that are outside my scope of practice.
How long and how frequent are therapy sessions?
Therapy is always individualized to the unique needs of the child. I often recommend weekly sessions of 30-45 minutes, depending on the child’s needs and attention span. However, therapy may be recommended to occur more or less often than this.
What does a speech and language therapy session look like?
With toddlers and young preschoolers, I will primarily use some type of purposeful play based therapy that can include toys, books, songs, or games. For older children, we will use fun and engaging activities to work on your child’s individual outcomes. I like to spend the last part of our session speaking with you about how you can carryover at home, the skills worked on during therapy.
What if my child goes somewhere else for therapy, but I’m interested in finding out how I can help my child at home?
I specialize in what I refer to as “parent coaching.” We can make arrangements for me to come into your home, observe you with your child during some of your daily routines, and then I can provide modeling and concrete suggestions on different methods and strategies on how you can help your child to make significant progress in their speech and language development.
Children may exhibit speech-language delays, but not meet eligibility criteria in order to receive early intervention or school aged services. Some families want more individualized instruction for their child than what is offered through other programs. Families may also want to be more involved in their child’s speech-language therapy than what is offered in other settings. Private speech therapy is also a great option during the summer months, when children who have speech therapy on their school IEP’s typically don’t get services.
Should I just wait and see until my child is older?
No. Parents may get the advice to just “wait and see,” which is not the best approach to take. If you have concerns, you should not wait. Research has indicated that early intervention is extremely effective. The gap between what your child is doing and what their peers are doing may increase. If you’re concerned about your child, it is best to seek help as soon as possible.
Why choose Kitt Kids Speech & Language Therapy?
The home office I work out of is located in a beautiful wooded setting, which makes children and families comfortable from the beginning. If however, we decide that therapy would better be provided in your home or community setting (such as daycare), then that is also an option. Therapy is always research driven and outcome focused and I have many years of experience working in the field of speech-language pathology. I enjoy working closely with caregivers and I specialize in helping caregivers help their child carryover the skills learned during speech-language therapy. Children make the most progress when caregivers facilitate their child’s speech-language development at home. I value the relationships I have with my clients and their families and I truly love what I do.
What’s your process when starting services for a new client?
The best way to start is to contact me so we can set up a time to talk on the phone or in person for a brief and free consultation. Your child will need an evaluation to decide what your child’s needs are and to have a plan created for him or her. If your child has already had a recent evaluation, I will need to review that and then we can outline our treatment steps.
What can I expect at the evaluation?
An evaluation can last from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon the areas being assessed. I may use standardized tests, informal assessment, speech and language sampling, observation, developmental history and/or caregiver report. Referrals to other professionals may be made if, during the evaluation, it is found that your child is having difficulties in areas that are outside my scope of practice.
How long and how frequent are therapy sessions?
Therapy is always individualized to the unique needs of the child. I often recommend weekly sessions of 30-45 minutes, depending on the child’s needs and attention span. However, therapy may be recommended to occur more or less often than this.
What does a speech and language therapy session look like?
With toddlers and young preschoolers, I will primarily use some type of purposeful play based therapy that can include toys, books, songs, or games. For older children, we will use fun and engaging activities to work on your child’s individual outcomes. I like to spend the last part of our session speaking with you about how you can carryover at home, the skills worked on during therapy.
What if my child goes somewhere else for therapy, but I’m interested in finding out how I can help my child at home?
I specialize in what I refer to as “parent coaching.” We can make arrangements for me to come into your home, observe you with your child during some of your daily routines, and then I can provide modeling and concrete suggestions on different methods and strategies on how you can help your child to make significant progress in their speech and language development.
