Cost of Speech Therapy

Benefits of Speech Therapy

If your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD or autism), you may be looking into speech therapy. It is common for children who have been diagnosed with autism to have difficulties in the area of communication. Sometimes, communication problems are the cause of undesired behaviors in children with autism. Speech therapy may improve your child’s communication, making it easier for you to understand him.

Cost of Speech Therapy

When looking into speech therapy, a lot of questions may arise. Cost-related questions are most common. It is quite difficult for parents to know where to turn for help with regard to paying for speech therapy. It is important for you to know that there are options.

Public Speech Therapy Is Covered By Law

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 usually covers public speech therapy. This law, which was originally passed in 1975 under a different name, focused on utilizing federal law to aid in making sure that local schools would meet the educational requirements of students with disabilities. This law has been revised and updated many times, since then. A certified specialist in communication and social development, called a speech-language pathologist (SLP), normally offers public speech therapy.

Private Speech Therapy

Although the IDEA covers public speech therapy in a school setting, this may not be enough for your child. Private speech therapy can be fairly costly. It usually starts at US$100/hr. Some medical insurance companies will cover speech therapy for your child. It is important to check with your insurance provider to see if this is an option for you.

Reference:

Healing Thresholds, autism.healingthresholds.com: Autism Therapy: speech therapy, retrieved March 29, 2011, from http://autism.healingthresholds.com/therapy/speech-therapy

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