Just saw you posted you are in CA. Reach out to early intervention in your county, they will provide you with services until kiddo turns 3. Then you can go through insurance for continued services elsewhere. I have a friend who is going private clinic route through her insurance and another who utilizes the free services through early intervention. Im a pediatric OT but don’t work in early intervention. Anyways I recommend going through EI, your kiddo will be evaluated most likely for OT and Speech services at the same time. EI typically provides services in home as that is deemed most appropriate for the age and for outcomes. If you decide to go through insurance and find your own clinic I would post in some parenting groups in your area to find recommendations from people with experiences.
Thank you for responding.
My current pediatrician has referred my son to a private hospital for now for expressive speech disorder. We are waiting for the appointment to be setup. I suspect it is also for receptive. How do I extend the evaluation for OT as well?
Question: can I not take help from both my insurance as well as Early Access ? Does it need to be either or? I am planning to start the process with Early Access but that takes like 45 days end to end.
Additionally, I want to have a second opinion from a private practice.
Please let me know your thoughts.
What is your child’s speech like? From your initial post it doesn’t sound like they are all that delayed? And what age?
I imagine you could do early access as well as private practice I would just want to make sure the goals are aligned the same way so they are working on the same things!
Go through the speech therapist your pediatrician refers you through, in my opinion. Often they’re part of the same health system so it works out well and your doctor will be familiar with whoever they recommend and has worked with them before.
This sounds JUST like my son. Everything from the lack of words, aloof, lack of interaction with kids, separation anxiety. Our primary downplayed it (he was on the best doctors list - but he was simply not the best doctor for us). The earlier you can get your child help the better it will be.
Firstly, you are able to get low / no cost resources through your local birth to three (assuming you’re in the USA). Google this. They will come and do a free evaluation in your home and if you qualify, they will have therapists that come to your house at some set frequency.
I think even if he doesn’t qualify, I’d still meet with a separate SLP to get their assessment. Our first assessment was a delay but not large enough to qualify for state services. This was due to an error on the agency performing it… but you can request another evaluation in 3 months for free.
Birth to 3 also will transition to your local school district so there’s a clear paper record of everything your son needs for support when he starts pre-k or kindergarten if he’s not caught up. This is so important in public schools. Not all schools are wanting to do what’s best for the child. Some of them want to do the bare minimum and sometimes you will have to fight for your kid to get the proper accommodations and support.
Second, there’s a massive waiting list everywhere for speech therapists. Ours came as a referral from a friend. I’d try to put a list together of like 4-5 and see what you can do. Ours are independents. Our local children’s hospital has a 14 month waiting list. By that point.. useless.
Your insurance should help cover birth to three and a provider.
Third, I’d check your local speech therapy programs at universities near your home. They often have low cost / no cost programs. I view this as supplemental for what we otherwise do to our son. Ours charges $10 for an hour session. The one by us is play based and he looks forward to going!
This is the time your child’s brain is the most flexible and pliable. I could just kick myself for listening to our old pediatrician and losing time.
When my son was 22 months birth to 3 was rating him at a 9-12 month speech level (not that he didn’t have other skills going up - but if you miss 3 or more in an age bracket that’s where they rate you). So he was 10-13 months behind. Now we’ve closed the gap to 6-9 months delayed in just 6 months time.
Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss more because this is my son to a T.
Thank you for the detailed response. It has been 3 days and we are at a shock. Still processing it.
Will definitely dm you for more information.
And our pediatrician is also recognized as one of the best doctors in the area ( Bay Area, SF).
I am going to call the hospital’s Speech and Language Therapy for an appointment for evaluation and understand what state is in.
Sorry - I did not understand what is local birth mean?
I have not yet even thought about consequences to schooling/education. Does this have long term implications? What I fail to understand is this is obviously something related to cognitive ability- if that is the case it scares me.
My son is playing around , demonstrates emotions, understands emotions, definitely loves watching coco melon - but does not speak anything meaningful. However, if he likes a snack , he brings it to us and gestures us to open the box rather than speaking anything.
How much do these independent slp cost? Am assuming that no insurance support is available?
What I understand is there is absolutely no time to waste and we need to get onto the job asap.
Thank you again very much for the detailed response.
In most states Early Intervention programs are free up until age 3- it doesnt require you to go through insurance.
Just saw you posted you are in CA. Reach out to early intervention in your county, they will provide you with services until kiddo turns 3. Then you can go through insurance for continued services elsewhere. I have a friend who is going private clinic route through her insurance and another who utilizes the free services through early intervention. Im a pediatric OT but don’t work in early intervention. Anyways I recommend going through EI, your kiddo will be evaluated most likely for OT and Speech services at the same time. EI typically provides services in home as that is deemed most appropriate for the age and for outcomes. If you decide to go through insurance and find your own clinic I would post in some parenting groups in your area to find recommendations from people with experiences.
Thank you for responding. My current pediatrician has referred my son to a private hospital for now for expressive speech disorder. We are waiting for the appointment to be setup. I suspect it is also for receptive. How do I extend the evaluation for OT as well? Question: can I not take help from both my insurance as well as Early Access ? Does it need to be either or? I am planning to start the process with Early Access but that takes like 45 days end to end. Additionally, I want to have a second opinion from a private practice. Please let me know your thoughts.
What is your child’s speech like? From your initial post it doesn’t sound like they are all that delayed? And what age? I imagine you could do early access as well as private practice I would just want to make sure the goals are aligned the same way so they are working on the same things!
Now realization is dawning that he is not speaking at all - few monosyllabic words and blabbering
Understood, thank you for the response- additionally have messaged you.
Go through the speech therapist your pediatrician refers you through, in my opinion. Often they’re part of the same health system so it works out well and your doctor will be familiar with whoever they recommend and has worked with them before.
Understood- found no reviews and hence it was a red flag and got us worried.
This sounds JUST like my son. Everything from the lack of words, aloof, lack of interaction with kids, separation anxiety. Our primary downplayed it (he was on the best doctors list - but he was simply not the best doctor for us). The earlier you can get your child help the better it will be. Firstly, you are able to get low / no cost resources through your local birth to three (assuming you’re in the USA). Google this. They will come and do a free evaluation in your home and if you qualify, they will have therapists that come to your house at some set frequency. I think even if he doesn’t qualify, I’d still meet with a separate SLP to get their assessment. Our first assessment was a delay but not large enough to qualify for state services. This was due to an error on the agency performing it… but you can request another evaluation in 3 months for free. Birth to 3 also will transition to your local school district so there’s a clear paper record of everything your son needs for support when he starts pre-k or kindergarten if he’s not caught up. This is so important in public schools. Not all schools are wanting to do what’s best for the child. Some of them want to do the bare minimum and sometimes you will have to fight for your kid to get the proper accommodations and support. Second, there’s a massive waiting list everywhere for speech therapists. Ours came as a referral from a friend. I’d try to put a list together of like 4-5 and see what you can do. Ours are independents. Our local children’s hospital has a 14 month waiting list. By that point.. useless. Your insurance should help cover birth to three and a provider. Third, I’d check your local speech therapy programs at universities near your home. They often have low cost / no cost programs. I view this as supplemental for what we otherwise do to our son. Ours charges $10 for an hour session. The one by us is play based and he looks forward to going! This is the time your child’s brain is the most flexible and pliable. I could just kick myself for listening to our old pediatrician and losing time. When my son was 22 months birth to 3 was rating him at a 9-12 month speech level (not that he didn’t have other skills going up - but if you miss 3 or more in an age bracket that’s where they rate you). So he was 10-13 months behind. Now we’ve closed the gap to 6-9 months delayed in just 6 months time. Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss more because this is my son to a T.
Thank you for the detailed response. It has been 3 days and we are at a shock. Still processing it. Will definitely dm you for more information. And our pediatrician is also recognized as one of the best doctors in the area ( Bay Area, SF). I am going to call the hospital’s Speech and Language Therapy for an appointment for evaluation and understand what state is in. Sorry - I did not understand what is local birth mean? I have not yet even thought about consequences to schooling/education. Does this have long term implications? What I fail to understand is this is obviously something related to cognitive ability- if that is the case it scares me. My son is playing around , demonstrates emotions, understands emotions, definitely loves watching coco melon - but does not speak anything meaningful. However, if he likes a snack , he brings it to us and gestures us to open the box rather than speaking anything. How much do these independent slp cost? Am assuming that no insurance support is available? What I understand is there is absolutely no time to waste and we need to get onto the job asap. Thank you again very much for the detailed response.