Speech Therapy and Tutoring FAQs: What to Expect at ETLC

What ages do you see? Why is an evaluation necessary? How are your services different from the services offered in the school? What research-based strategies do you use? If you have questions like these, you are not alone. These speech therapy and tutoring FAQs cover what parents ask us most as they decide whether their child would benefit from extra help and where to find it.

What Ages Do You See, and What Services Do You Offer?

At Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center (ETLC), we see clients as young as 18 months and all the way through 18 and older. Our services include:

• Speech production therapy
• Language therapy
• Stuttering therapy
• Myofunctional therapy
• Social skills training
• Feeding and swallowing therapy
• Dyslexia and reading intervention, including reading decoding and reading comprehension lessons
• Math lessons
• Executive functioning support

We offer these services in individual sessions and small group formats. You can learn more about our speech-language services and our tutoring services on their own pages.

Why Is an Evaluation Necessary?

When a client first comes to ETLC, our first step is an evaluation. We tailor this assessment to your child based on the concerns you share and on what the speech-language pathologist or learning specialist observes during their time with your child.

The results show us exactly which services would benefit your child most. They also guide the individualized goals we write, and they give us a baseline so we can easily track progress. For a closer look at each step, read our guide to the evaluation process at ETLC.

Why Does a Reading Concern Start With a Speech-Language Evaluation?

If you are worried about your child’s reading, you may be surprised to hear that we schedule an evaluation with a speech-language pathologist. In our experience, many students who struggle with reading have underlying language deficits that contribute to their difficulties. ASHA notes that spoken and written language are closely connected. The speech-language pathologist’s assessments will show whether that is the case for your child. You can read more in our post on the language evaluation for reading.

From there, we recommend services based on the results. Students who struggle with reading but not language, and students who struggle with math, receive a recommendation for one of our learning specialists. Clients with speech, language, social skills, or feeding and swallowing concerns receive a recommendation for a speech-language pathologist.

How Are ETLC Services Different From School Services?

Services at ETLC look different from school services in several ways.

• Goal reviews: Our learning specialists and speech-language pathologists write individualized goals for each child. We review them every 4 months and update them if needed. IEP reviews in schools typically do not happen this often.
• Session length and flexibility: Individual sessions at ETLC are typically 30 minutes, and we adjust them regularly based on what your student needs that day. We also offer small group sessions, and we still target each student’s unique goals so no one falls through the cracks. School sessions are often shorter because of large caseloads and tight schedules, which can make it harder to adjust them.
• Communication with families: Our team updates families on progress weekly. Because of large caseloads, school professionals may only be able to connect with parents at yearly IEP meetings or through occasional emails.

We encourage families to use school services too if their child qualifies. To see how the two work together, read about how school and private speech services can complement each other.

What Research-Based Strategies Do You Use?

All of our learning specialists and speech-language pathologists are trained in multiple research-based programs that have proven effective again and again. These include:

• Lindamood-Bell programs:
  • Seeing Stars (phonology for reading and spelling)
  • Visualizing and Verbalizing (reading comprehension)
  • Talkies (oral language comprehension for preschoolers)
  • On Cloud Nine (math)
• PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) for speech production. Read our guide to PROMPT speech therapy.
• Talk Tools, an oral placement therapy technique
• SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach, a feeding therapy technique
• Curriculum from Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner, for social skills

More Speech Therapy and Tutoring FAQs

For more answers, see our post on planning for services at Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center. We are also happy to answer any questions by phone. We look forward to working with your family to help your child reach their highest potential. Contact us to get started.