Frequently Asked Questions

An SLP, or a speech therapist, is a licensed professional who treats communication problems.  A speech therapist can help diagnose and treat speech and language delays, communication disorders, and swallowing/ feeding issues. A speech therapist can also treat communication difficulties that are secondary to other motor, neurological, and developmental delays/ disorders. Many speech therapists specialize in the populations they treat. They can be found working with people and children of all ages, in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, corporate buildings, agencies, clinics, and people's homes. 

To be an SLP, one must have a vast scope of knowledge that includes various arts and sciences, such as phonetics, linguistics, anatomy and physiology, neurophysiological bases for communication, speech and hearing science, various language disorders across a lifespan, and more. 

An SLP is trained to remediate issues in many areas including, but not limited to:

• Articulation and Phonology
• Receptive and Expressive Language
• Language syntax and morphology
• Language acquisition and development
• Social communication
• Fluency
• Voice
• Swallowing and Dysphagia

Oftentimes, a good first step is to check with your pediatrician if your child is meeting communication milestones in their development. A pediatrician, or another doctor (such as an audiologist) can also determine if there is a disorder or issue that lends itself to communication difficulties as a secondary problem. A speech/language referral from a doctor is usually needed for most speech therapy clinics. 

You can also discuss your concerns with your child's school team, such as their teachers, counselors, occupational therapists, and/or physical therapists. They may be able to provide a recommendation or a referral, especially for school-based services.

Telepractice or teletherapy is a service delivery model that uses technology to remotely connect clinicians with patients. There can be many advantages to using teletherapy as opposed to in-person services. They include:

• More flexibility for appointment times
• More efficient use of your time and resources: eliminates traveling to and from a clinic
• Increased ease of access: wherever you have access to the internet, you have access to therapy
• Increased family and parental involvement in sessions, when appropriate

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes that speech teletherapy has been proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy. 

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national association for speech therapy and audiology professionals. You can visit their website for more information on what SLP's do.

Speech therapy can be provided by in-network or out-of-network providers. 

Superbloom Speech Therapy is currently an out-of-network provider. Therefore, upon request, an itemized superbill can be provided for sessions completed, which can be submitted to insurance companies for reimbursement that is not guaranteed.

 Joint attention is a skill that babies and toddlers develop. It's the ability to pay attention to others and objects at the same time. Sometimes children with autism and other social skill delays/disorders will have difficulty with developing joint attention on their own. This video goes over what joint attention is, how it affects social skill development, and what you can do to help increase your child's joint attention at home.  

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