School Speech Services and Private Therapy Together

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 speech 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 generalize skills more quickly, since they have two dedicated SLPs working on their behalf.

There are some real differences between school-based and private services. Here are a few of the biggest ones.

Frequency and Duration

In schools, your child is often seen for 10-15 minutes once or twice a week. This depends on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP), but it’s a common dosage. In private clinics, sessions typically run 30 minutes and can happen as many days per week as the SLP recommends.

Group vs. Individual

Schools often use group-based therapy, which is also outlined in your child’s IEP. Groups can be valuable for building social relationships, practicing skills in real play contexts, and building camaraderie around shared progress.

Private clinics typically offer individual sessions, which give kids the one-on-one attention they need. Your child’s therapist can pace the session exactly where your child needs it, and your child is always the star of the show.

Academically Necessary vs. Medically Necessary

Qualification for services in school is based on “academic necessity,” meaning speech, language, or social concerns must be barriers to the child’s ability to learn and perform in a classroom setting.

Private settings, by contrast, qualify children based on “medical necessity,” meaning speech, language, and social skills that fall outside scientifically-based normative data qualify for services.

This difference sometimes shows up in children with mild delays. In some cases, these students won’t qualify for additional support at school because the delay isn’t yet negatively affecting their academics. Privately-based services can target more medically-based needs, such as myofunctional or oral-motor difficulties that affect speech development.

Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center Collaborates

At ETLC, we always encourage families to participate in school-based services if their child qualifies. We love collaborating with other professionals toward shared goals for your child. In addition, research supports the idea that more frequent therapy tends to be most beneficial for many goal areas. If it’s possible, try to schedule private services on days your child doesn’t already have services at school.

We’re Here to Help

If your child participates in therapy only at school and you’re wondering whether that’s enough, we’re here to help. Contact us today to talk more about how to get started.