Written By: Mallory Carr, M.A., CCC-SLP
We’ve heard this question from parents before, “If they work on their skills with the SLP at school, will that mess up what they’re doing here?”
The short answer: No!
School-based speech pathology services and private services are both valuable and meaningful for your child. When a child participates in services in both locations, they can meet goals faster and begin to generalize skills more quickly, as they have two amazing SLPs working for them.
There are some differences between services in the school and private services. A few of the biggest ones are:
Frequency & Duration
Often, in schools, your child will be seen for 10-15 minutes once to twice per week. This is all dependent on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP), but this is a common dosage. In private clinics, sessions are typically 30 minutes and can be as many days per week as the SLP recommends.
Group vs Individual
Schools often participate in group-based therapy, which is also outlined in your child’s IEP. Groups can be beneficial for social relationships, practicing skills in real play contexts, and camaraderie in making progress in similar areas.
Private clinics typically offer individual sessions, which are great for the one-on-one attention that children need. Your child’s therapist can pace the session exactly where your child needs it and the child is always the star of the show.
Academically Necessary vs Medically Necessary
Qualification for services in the school is based upon the idea of “academic necessity,” meaning that speech, language, or social concerns must be barriers to the child’s ability to learn and perform within a classroom setting.
Private settings qualify children based upon a “medical necessity,” meaning that speech, language, and social skills that are discrepant from scientifically-based normative data qualify for services.
This difference is sometimes noted in children who demonstrate mild delays. Sometimes, these students will not qualify for additional support in the school setting because the delays are not yet negatively impacting their academics. Privately-based services can target more medically-based needs, such as myofunctional or oral-motor difficulties that impact speech development.
Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center, P.C Collaborates
At ETLC, we always encourage families to participate in school-based services if their child qualifies. We love collaborating with other professionals to work towards goals for your child. Further, for many goal areas, research supports the idea that more frequent therapy is the most beneficial for your child. If it is at all possible, try to schedule private services on days that your child does not participate in services at the school.
If your child participates in therapy only at school and you are wondering if it is enough, we are here to help! Contact us today to talk more about how to get started!
info@enrichmenttherapies.com
740 Community Drive, Unit A
North Liberty, IA 52317
319-626-2553
infodm@enrichmenttherapies.com
5530 West Pkwy, Suite 300
Johnston, IA 50131
515-419-4270
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