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Frequently Asked Questions

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Does Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC accept insurance?

Yes, Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC accepts most MVP, Cigna, Excellus, Medicaid, and Aetna policies.

Benefits will be verified prior to the first session. 

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What are the nine domains that a Speech Language Pathologist can work with?

  • Speech sound production (articulation)

  • Fluency (e.g. stuttering)

  • Voice, resonance, and motor speech (sound and quality of voice)

  • Receptive and expressive language (ability to understand and use use language)

  • Social aspects of communication (e.g. conversational skills)

  • Cognitive aspects of communication

  • Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

  • Hearing 

  • Feeding and swallowing

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What is a Speech Language Pathologist?

A Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) is a professional that is trained in evaluating and treating speech and language delays and disorders. In order to be considered an SLP, an individual must have at least a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from an accredited program. SLPs must participate in extensive training and ongoing learning opportunities to maintain a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), which is a national professional credentialing association for both Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

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Do I need a referral?

You may need a referral based on your insurance company's policies. Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC accepts most MVP, Cigna, Excellus, Medicaid, and Aetna insurance plans. Coverage will be verified prior to the first session. For all other insurance policies, Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC provides documentation that can be submitted for reimbursement. All insurance companies vary and speech/language therapy services may or may not be a covered benefit by your insurance. 

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Should my child receive a speech/language evaluation?

An evaluation may be warranted if your child is not meeting his or her speech and language milestones or is doing so at a slower than expected rate. Click here to see a list of speech/language milestones and what age they can typically be expected by. It may also be warranted if your child is at risk of a speech and language disorder due to the presence of another condition or there is a family history of speech and language disorders. If you are unsure, we can discuss your child’s individual case and determine an appropriate course of action (e.g. monitoring, referral to other health care professionals, consultation, screening, and/or evaluation).

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How often will my child receive speech/language therapy?

There are many factors that go into this decision such as your child's personal speech and language needs, his or her availability, and whether or not he or she is receiving speech/language therapy elsewhere. Typically, many children benefit from one to two 30 minute sessions per week, though others may benefit from as much as multiple sessions a week up to 60 minutes long or as little as monthly consultations. Each child is special and unique, as are his or her speech and language needs. 

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What is speech teletherapy? What does that look like?

Speech teletherapy is speech/language therapy services that are delivered through technology such as video conferencing. It is just as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy and has become more widespread and acceptable as technology advances have been made and to accommodate restrictions and safety precautions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

It may include synchronous video conferencing lessons with both the child and the speech pathologist present or asynchronous lessons for the child to complete on his or her own time. During synchronous video conferencing lessons, the child and the speech pathologist may engage in games, structured lessons, or structured activities designed to target his or her specific speech and language goals. 

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Is teletherapy appropriate for my child?

Speech teletherapy is an effective and efficient treatment for a variety of speech and language delays and disorders. It is a fun and interactive way to provide speech and language therapy services that can occur anywhere, whether in the privacy of your own home, while your family is on vacation, at your child’s daycare center, or wherever he or she may be. It provides many families with the opportunity to increase results by eliminating travel time and cancellations due to poor weather. It also promotes accessibility in geographical areas of need that may be underserved by an adequate number of speech language pathologists. As long as the speech language pathologist is licensed in your state, he or she is able to work with your child on his or her speech and language needs.

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Speech teletherapy is effective for a wide range of ages and attention spans. Parent or caregiver support is beneficial, though not necessary for an effective speech language therapy session to occur. Each child is unique and special so please reach out so we can discuss if this may be a good fit.

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What has your personal and professional experience been?

As a parent to a Deaf 15-year-old with attention difficulties, I have incurred a lot of personal experience with the evaluation process, team meetings, late night worrying, endless research, and feeling overwhelmed and helpless but also so incredibly proud of my child.

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I am a graduate of Ithaca College’s Speech Language Pathology program. I maintain a Certificate of Clinical Competence through ASHA, which requires me to complete a minimum of 30 hours of continued education every three years. I worked in Early Intervention for four years as a speech/language therapy provider and an initial evaluator for the county’s evaluation team. I also contracted with the local school districts to provide speech/language therapy services for preschoolers. From there, I worked with children from kindergarten to 8th grade in an urban school setting for three years and collaborated daily with other professionals such as classroom teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and social workers. For the past year, I have provided engaging, fun, and effective speech and language therapy services through teletherapy to address a variety of needs such as articulation delays, receptive and expressive language delays, fluency concerns, prosody difficulties, and augmentative and alternative communication.

 

In my career, I have worked with children with intellectual disability, learning delays, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), Downs Syndrome, deafness, auditory processing difficulties, feeding and swallowing disorders, receptive and expressive language delays, and ADD/ADHD.

 

I feel like my experience not only as a professional, but as a parent who knows what it’s like to be on the other side of the table, helps me to empathize and have a clearer picture of what it can be like to have a child that has extra needs. I also understand the importance of a team effort to treat the whole child rather than isolated aspects.

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Have a question that isn't listed above? Click here to ask us directly.

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