Many parents wait to pursue private based therapy because of fear, worry and false beliefs. I chose not to pursue private therapy for my son because I feared making my son attend “too much therapy”. I felt I was already pursuing so many services for my son (counseling, school-based intervention and now I was considering occupational therapy) Gasp! Then I realized I have a massage therapist, counselor, an OBGYN, a yoga instructor, and a chiropractor that I see regularly. I’m human and I seek services to better myself. My son deserved the same number of services especially if these services could help him be a better more successful human being. Our worry is often exacerbated by the fear, “Even with these services, what if my child continues to struggle?”
Now summer is coming to a close. We have just a few short weeks left of splashing at the beach and fishing past bedtime. Perhaps your child has been receiving private speech therapy and you are considering cancelling these services. Perhaps you are planning to continue with school based therapy for another year. Because, school-based therapy is enough, or is it?
Myth 1: “My child receives therapy at school that is enough.”
In public schools it is likely that your child is paired with up to three other children during therapy. School based therapists are trained to make the most of therapy however the simple math says that your child may be getting only ten minutes out of a 30-minute session. In private therapy your child receives one-on-one therapy so every minute is devoted to your child’s success and working towards their individual goals. At the end of the session your private therapist can meet with you, collaborate and send daily activities and treatment for you to try at home. Weekly follow through at home can speed up your child’s success. Furthermore, Private based therapists have the ability to individualize treatment. Many private therapists have lower caseloads, (less children they work with), that means more time can be spent finding what makes your child “tick” and creating or finding activities that get your child engaged and actively participating in therapy.
Myth 2: “My child can’t get school district services and private therapy, I don’t want to decide”.
Your child can get both private therapy and therapy with the school district. In fact, more quality therapy = faster progress. While rest and time is important for treating some delays and disorders, usually the earlier and more frequent the therapy schedule the quicker progress can be seen. Read about why collaboration and extra therapy accross locations can help speed up progress in my blog "Don't Wait Collaborate"! Here I write about the tremendous sucess I have seen in my own son now that he is receiving therapy with an exceptional speech therapist at his school.
Myth 3: “My insurance won’t pay for private therapy because we are already in school district therapy”.
Insurance plans that reimburse for therapy will reimburse for private therapy regardless of your child’s enrollment in school district services. School district services are offered to every child that meets qualifications and are free to every family. Some schools do get reimbursement from insurance however this reimbursement cannot interfere with your child’s ability to receive and pay for private therapy.
Myth 4: “My insurance does not pay for private therapy and I cannot afford to pay out of pocket, private therapy is not for us”.
Don’t stop at “my insurance doesn’t pay”. Many private therapists and clinics have payment plans or even additional funding sources to help support families and children who will benefit from private therapy. If your family has a financial hardship and is unable to pay for your child’s private therapy reach out to other funding sources or a new therapist who can help. Request information about available grants and funding sources for un-insured or under-insured children.
Myth 5: "My child received school district testing and did not qualify, he does not need therapy."
School districts have a rigid set of qualifying guidelines. These sets of numbers and strict limits are set to identify children who require intervention to suceeed in school. They often fail to help the children who need therapy to succeed in every day life. One example is if your child's language or pragmatic challenges do not impact them academically, but perhaps they are still impacted socially. Your child could benefit from therapy but does not qualifty to receive the therapy through the school district. An assessment from a private therapist who can use parent observation and report can help identify what treatment can support your child.
About the Author, Carma Shay owner of Take Home Speech is mother of 2 boys ages 7 and 4. She provides speech and language therapy to clients birth-21 years of age in Kenai, Soldotna, Sterling, Nikiski and Kasilof. With a small caseload Carma is able to individualize treatment and assessment to meet each client's needs. Assessment and therapy are offered in client's homes or clinic located in Soldotna in the Copper Center Mini Suites.