Helpful Information
Billing & Insurance
Bluebell Speech and Language Services does not bill insurance directly. However, many of our clients receive reimbursement from their insurance companies to cover the costs of therapy. As an out-of-network provider, we provide clients with guidance on understanding your benefits as well as documentation to submit to insurance for reimbursement.
Rates
SPEECH & LANGUAGE EVALUATIONS
$130/hour
Includes administration, analysis, written report, and therapy planning.
Assessment length varies depending on the type of testing requested/required and the number of skills we are testing. You will be provided with an estimated cost at the time of scheduling. Most assessments range from 1.5 to 3 hours.
SPEECH, LANGUAGE, EXECUTIVE FUNCTION,
& SOCIAL SKILLS THERAPY
$65 per 30-minute session
$98 per 45-minute session
$130 per 60-minute session
We accept credit, debit, FSA, and HSA cards for payment, due at the time of service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept insurance?
At this time, we are not accepting insurance and are private pay only. However, we do provide "Superbills" for any clients who wish to access out-of-network insurance benefits, and we will support you with the process of learning what questions to ask to determine if you have out-of-network coverage.
How will I be billed for services?
We accept all major debit and credit cards, FSA and HSA cards, cash, or checks. Checks should be made out to Bluebell Speech and Language Services PLLC. Payment is due immediately following service unless your therapist has pre-approved an alternate payment schedule. You will receive a detailed receipt for all charges.
What is your attendance and cancellation policy?
We ask that you provide at least 24 hours notice if you wish to cancel or reschedule your appointment, or you will be charged 50% of your session fee. If you do not show up or you cancel within 1 hour of a scheduled appointment, you will be charged 100% of your session fee. Exceptions to this rule will be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of your therapist (e.g., in case of emergencies).
Where are services provided?
We offer in-home and community-based services for all clients within a 1-hr driving radius of the clinic location. Community-based services include your child's daycare/preschool or a pre-arranged private location. Travel will be charged based on your distance from the clinic. Your therapist will discuss these charges with you prior to beginning services.
We also offer virtual services via a secure and privacy-compliant teletherapy platform. Many clients prefer teletherapy in order to avoid travel charges or to have the convenience of accessing services from anywhere with internet. A mixture of virtual and in-person services is also an option. Stay tuned for the option of in-clinic services within the next year as we will be renovating our clinic space soon.
Is an evaluation required prior to services beginning?
The initial visit will always involve some level of assessment, but depending on the nature of your difficulty, it may not require standardized testing. Some challenges are better suited to a "diagnostic therapy" style of approaching the problem, which means your therapist will be evaluating your skill level over time while also helping you with the problem simultaneously.
Do I need a referral to access services?
You do not need a referral to access services via private pay. If you are planning to submit receipts for out-of-network reimbursement from your insurance company, a physician referral may be required. Your therapist can assist you with knowing what questions to ask when you contact your insurance company about this.
Do you charge extra for driving to in-home sessions?
Yes, but travel charges vary based on your distance from our clinic location. Your therapist will discuss travel charges with you prior to beginning services. Many clients elect to have a mixture of in-person and virtual therapy sessions in order to reduce the cost of travel charges.
Do I have to be present with my child during virtual or in-home therapy sessions?
You must be in ear-shot of your child while their session is taking place, either virtually or at home. We take a collaborative approach to pediatric therapy, so it is important that you are learning along with your child to maximize their improvement in the home environment as well as during therapy sessions. For younger children in teletherapy, we require you to be actively engaged throughout the session.
What are the benefits of in-home and teletherapy sessions?
In-home services allow your therapist to be face-to-face with you or your child in your most natural and comfortable environment where many of the newly learned skills will actually be implemented on a daily basis. For play-based therapy with children, in-home treatment is often the easiest and quickest way to see substantial and noticeable improvement.
Many clients prefer virtual therapy for the flexibility it offers. Not only is it easier to schedule appointment times that work for both you and your therapist, but it also offers the option to participate in therapy from anywhere with a reliable internet connection, whether that is on your lunch break in the middle of the work day, first thing in the morning while the other kids are getting ready for school, or even while you're on vacation. Virtual therapy also means there are no extra travel charges. Bluebell Speech and Language Services PLLC uses a secure, privacy-compliant and advanced platform that allows many of the same therapy resources that would have been used in face-to-face therapy to be used virtually as well.
What ages do you work with?
Your therapist at Bluebell Speech and Language has ample experience working with children and adults of all ages including a wide variety of conditions, etiologies, and diagnoses. With experience in private practice, home care, school boards, daycares, the hospital environment, long-term care, and in- and out-patient rehab, your therapist will be able to provide you with the experience, professionalism, and expertise no matter your age or diagnosis. If you have a condition that would be better suited to another therapist or facility, Bluebell Speech and Language will help you make that connection so you can get the help you need.
How long will my child need therapy?
Every child is different and learns at a different pace, so it's impossible to determine how long therapy will be necessary. Some conditions and diagnoses are either long-term or degenerative and, therefore, would benefit from therapy long-term. Other conditions (e.g., a slushy /s/ sound with no other concerns) will take a shorter amount of time (e.g., months instead of years). Your therapist will stay in communication with you throughout the process to update you on progress, next steps, and recommendations.
How do I know if my child needs speech or language therapy?
A great way to keep track of whether your child should be assessed by a speech therapist is to look at online milestones charts. Click here to view a milestones checklist from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that breaks down what to look for in children ranging from ages 2 months to 5 years.
Use this or another similar resource as a guide, but if you have any concerns at all, don't "wait and see"! It's better to have your child assessed and know he/she is progressing normally than to delay and find out later that your child is having a hard time catching up.
Can you work with my child if they get speech therapy services at school?
Absolutely! If you are feeling that your child would benefit from additional or more frequent support than they are receiving at the school alone, there is always the option to pay privately for additional services. In the school board, SLPs often have very large caseloads and your child is most often in a group setting. In private speech therapy, your child receives individualized, one-on-one support. It is strongly recommended that you provide consent for your therapist to communicate with your school SLP so they can collaborate and work together to achieve the best outcomes for your child.
My child didn't qualify for EI/school-based services. Can you still work with them?
Yes! In order to qualify for EI/school-based services, your child needs to have a significant delay (usually 1.5 SD below average), and it needs to show up on whatever standardized testing is used. If your child has more mild difficulties or if their difficulties don't show up well on standardized testing, they will not be eligible for school services even if the problem is having a significant impact on their life. In private practice, we can work on any SLP-related goal that is meaningful to you or your child for as long as you feel it continues to be helpful.
Will you collaborate with my family members/loved ones/other therapists?
Absolutely! This is a very important part of what we do at Bluebell Speech and Language. We want to get perspective from all of the most important people in your/your child's life so you/your child can have the best chance of seeing noticeable, functional, meaningful improvements. When we all work together, it makes a world of difference.
How often do we come to therapy?
Session frequency depends on the nature and severity of the problem and how quickly you wish to see results. The most commonly recommended session frequency is once per week, but some clients require more intensive therapy (e.g., 2-3 times per week). Some clients may only need bi-weekly appointments or monthly consultations/check-ins.
How does teletherapy work?
As long as you know how to turn on your computer, access your email, click a link to open a web browser, and type your name, you will have no trouble at all accessing teletherapy. If you have any trouble with these steps, there is always the option to schedule one initial in-person session during which your therapist can walk you through how to use the technology required.
What is play-based therapy?
Play-based speech therapy is when your therapist plans a therapy session around a toy or engaging activity that is motivating for your child. The therapist is trained to create opportunities for your child to learn and practice their target skill in the context of having fun. Combining therapy with enjoyable and fun activities means that your child will actually want to put in the effort to achieve their goals.
What does a caregiver/parent coaching session look like?
Parent coaching is one of the most commonly used strategies for targeting early language skills because you are the one who spends the most amount of time with your child. If your child has the richest environment possible at home, they will improve much faster than if they only learn new skills once a week when they see their therapist. Parent coaching can be formal (e.g., the "Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk" program) during which parents are guided through a series of lessons with corresponding videos and weekly homework, or it can be informal (e.g., combining direct therapy with explanations of the strategies used as well as opportunities for parents to learn and practice using those strategies with their child.) Sessions will be geared to your preferred style of learning, and will take into account your natural strengths and knowledge base.
What is a speech-language pathologist (SLP)?
A speech-language pathologist, also called an "SLP", is an expert in communication and swallowing. They work with people of all ages and treat a wide variety of conditions and challenges, including the following: articulation and motor-speech challenges, language delays (including comprehension and expression), phonological awareness deficits, reading and writing difficulty, cognitive-communication and social communication (pragmatics) challenges, swallowing and feeding impairments, voice, fluency, and resonance disorders, augmentative and alternative communication needs, and accent reduction. Common diagnoses include the following: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Apraxia of Speech, Down’s Syndrome, Specific Language Impairment (SLI), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Cerebral Palsy (CP), Traumatic Brain Injury, stroke, neurological disorders (e.g., ALS, Alzheimer’s, Primary Progressive Aphasia, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, etc.), voice and fluency disorders, dysphagia and feeding impairments, etc.
Can I be present for my loved-one's session?
If you are the parent or legal guardian of the child who is receiving therapy, then absolutely! We highly encourage parent attendance and participation during therapy sessions. If the client receiving therapy is an adult, we require the client's consent for others to attend therapy sessions.
Do you offer free screenings?
Yes! We offer free screenings for groups of 5 or more. If your child attends a daycare, preschool, or home-schooling group where other children may benefit from a free screening, please reach out to your therapist, and free screenings can be arranged with the consent and support of the facility where the screenings will be conducted.