Question 1

Do you accept insurance?

Accepted Answer

At this time, all therapy services are provided on a private pay basis. We do not accept insurance and are considered an “out of network” provider. However, we are happy to provide an itemized superbill outlining services rendered for any clients who would like to independently seek reimbursement from their insurance provider. Working with insurance companies as a health care provider is often a full time job in itself. At Springboard Speech & Language Services, we would rather put that time and effort into providing the best possible treatment plans for each and every client that we serve without the restrictive parameters that insurance often imposes by limiting eligibility, frequency, type, and duration of services.

*Please note that provision of a superbill is not a guarantee that you will receive reimbursement. It is strongly recommended that you contact your insurance provider before starting services to find out if you are eligible for reimbursement through your particular plan. We also ask that all communication with your insurance company take place between you and your provider.

Question 2

What forms of payment do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept debit, credit, Health Savings Account (HSA), and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) cards. All payment is provided through a HIPAA-compliant payment platform called Ivy Pay. Please note that payment is due at the time of service for both evaluations and therapy sessions.

Question 3

Is an evaluation required to begin therapy?

Accepted Answer

An evaluation is required for all new incoming clients, unless a formal evaluation by a speech-language pathologist has been completed within the last 6 months. This does not include cursory screenings to determine if an evaluation is warranted. A comprehensive initial evaluation helps us determine a baseline of skills to use for progress monitoring throughout therapy and is considered best practices from a clinical perspective. At Springboard Speech & Language Services, we pride ourselves on providing our clients with detailed and thorough evaluation reports that go beyond the short summary often provided by other clinics. This allows you and other professional providers to gain a complete picture of your child’s communication skills to determine next steps.

Question 4

Where does therapy take place?

Accepted Answer

Depending on each child’s age, area of treatment focus, distance from our clinic in Winchester, and specific family circumstances, therapy services are available at our clinic, via teletherapy, at home, or via school visits (including preschools and child care centers).

Question 5

Which surrounding communities do you travel to?

Accepted Answer

If your child is eligible for in-home, preschool, or child care center services, we are able to travel anywhere in Winchester, Arlington, Medford, Woburn, Melrose, Wakefield, and Lexington for an additional travel fee. Teletherapy services are also offered to all residents of Massachusetts.

Question 6

My pediatrician said I could "wait and see" if my child's communication skills improve as they get older. Is this a good idea?

Accepted Answer

Some well-meaning pediatricians advise parents to “wait and see” if their child’s speech and language skills improve as they get older. However, research over the years has consistently shown that the earlier a child receives formal intervention, the better their outcome will be! Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers have developing brains that are designed to learn communication skills. Taking advantage of this crucial period of typical brain development will set a child up for optimal success.

Question 7

How long does treatment typically last?

Accepted Answer

All speech-language pathologists wish we could provide an easy answer for this question given how frequently it is asked! While we would love to have a crystal ball and be able to predict the future, there is just no way to know how long it will take for a child to master their goals because all children progress at their own rate. We firmly believe that speech therapy should never be a “cookbook” approach where every child receives the same set program without considering their own unique strengths, style of learning, and individual responsiveness rate to treatment strategies. Length of treatment depends on how long it takes a child to meet incremental benchmarks towards their targeted goals. One thing we do know is that children who practice what they are learning in therapy sessions at home consistently with parents and caregivers between sessions tend to progress more quickly.

Question 8

Can my child receive both private and school-based speech therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Children can participate in private speech and language therapy in addition to school-based speech therapy services. We are always happy to communicate with your child’s school speech-language pathologist to collaborate on strategies and progress. Springboard Speech & Language Services can also provide treatment to children who would benefit from speech/language services, but may not qualify for school-based services based on strict eligibility criteria.

Question 9

Can my child receive both private and state-based early intervention speech therapy?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Additional private speech and language services can be highly beneficial for a child between the ages of infancy and 3 years given that this is a critical time period in a child’s language development. Joint communication and collaboration with your child’s Early Intervention team of service providers is always welcomed.

Question 10

Is teletherapy effective?

Accepted Answer

Current research shows that teletherapy is just as effective as in-person services, and sometimes even more effective! It is currently endorsed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Please see our Teletherapy page for more details.

Question 11

How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

Accepted Answer

You can find a list of communication milestones (https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/)based on age as well as early signs of a communication disorder (https://www.asha.org/public/early-identification-of-speech-language-and-hearing-disorders/#identify)on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)’s website. If you have concerns about your child’s speech or language development, the best way to find out if they need extra support is to contact a speech-language pathologist.

Question 12

What is neurodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Neurodiversity refers to the idea that neurological differences, such as those seen in autism or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), reflect normal variations in brain development and are not deficits that need to be “fixed” but rather embraced and honored. In the past, treatment for neurodivergent individuals has followed a “medical model” that views diagnoses like these as disorders to treat or “cure” by training the child to memorize skills so that they act in more neurotypical ways. However, the autism adult community has spoken out about the lasting psychological damage that treating neurodivergent individuals from this model can inflict as it teaches them that there is something “wrong” with how their brain works and that they need to change who they inherently are to fit in with everyone else. In contrast, a neurodiversity-affirming approach uses treatment strategies that support the neurodivergent individual’s quality of life, highlight how to use their strengths as a catalyst for growth in other areas, teach self-advocacy skills, and foster a positive self-identity rather than forcing a child to “mask” who they are so they appear more neurotypical.

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