Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

• What are general expectations for the communication development of children 2-7 years old?

• Where do you offer home visits?

• How long and how often are therapy sessions?

• Do you take insurance?

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How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

You are the expert on your child. If you feel your child is delayed in their communication development compared to their peers, consult a speech-language pathologist.

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Here are some common signs that speech therapy might be helpful:

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Speech sound differences: Your child's speech is difficult to understand, or they're not making age-appropriate speech sounds.

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Language delays: Your child has trouble understanding what others are saying or struggles to express themselves with words.​

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Social communication challenges: Your child has difficulty using language in social situations, such as taking turns or staying on topic.

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Stuttering: Your child frequently repeats sounds, syllables, or words or seems to get stuck when trying to speak and shows signs of distress, frustration or avoids speaking.

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Voice issues: Your child's voice sounds hoarse, too high-pitched, or too nasal.

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If you're unsure, I offer a free phone consultation to discuss your concerns and determine next steps.

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What are general expectations for the communication development of children 2-7 years old?

• 2 years old:

  • Combine two words (e.g., "more apple")​

  • Follow simple directions (e.g., "Go get your shoes.")

  • Vocabulary of about 50-200 words

• 3 years old:

  • Use three- to four-word sentences​

  • Understand and answers simple questions (e.g., "Who's that?")

  • Speech is about 75% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners

• 4 years old:

  • Tell stories or relays events with some details​

  • Use complete sentences with four of more words

  • Speech is 90-100% intelligible

• 5 years old:

  • Use grammar correctly most of the time​

  • Engages in back-and-forth conversations

  • Master most speech sounds, with occasional errors on later-developing sounds (like R and TH)

  • Can retell simple stories in the correct order​

• 6-7 years old:

  • Understand and uses more complex sentence structure​

  • Use language to reason, explain, and negotiate

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If your child is not meeting these expectations, it may be beneficial to schedule a consultation.

 

Where do you offer home visits?

Clients are seen in their homes in the following East Bay communities and surrounding areas of: Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito, and Richmond. Additionally sessions can be held at private schools and Spirited Play Labs.

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If you live in a city not mentioned above, please reach out for possible arrangements.

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How long and how often are therapy sessions?

Two options for session length are offered, depending on your child's age, maturity and caregiver schedule: 30 and 45 minutes.

 

Session frequency will vary child-to-child and depends on the goals established in cooperation with the family.

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Do you take insurance?

This practice operates as a completely private-pay model, offering a highly personalized, evidence-based approach to therapy tailored to each child’s unique needs. By prioritizing quality care, this model avoids the limitations often imposed by managed care or insurance reimbursement policies.

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As an out-of-network provider, insurance is not billed directly. However, detailed invoices and superbills are provided to help you submit claims to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Since coverage varies by plan, it is recommended to contact your insurance provider to confirm out-of-network benefits for speech therapy.

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If you have a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), these funds can often be used to cover the cost of therapy.

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If you have any additional questions, please  reach out! I'm happy to help.

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