When communication milestones are not being met, it is cause for concern. Receptive and expressive communication are the cornerstone to school success and success in daily life. If you suspect your child is not meeting the following milestones, or someone you know has suffered an injury that has altered their communication, call us to discuss your concerns or to make a referral.
Communication Milestones
Communication (the understanding and use of language) begins during infancy with the exchange of eye contact, gestures, sounds and words. By 1 year of age, single words develop. By 2 years of age, word combinations develop. At 3 years of age, a large burst in vocabulary occurs, leading to 4 and 5 word utterances by 4-5 years of age. When children enter school, they follow directions and use clear speech in sentences to express themselves among peers and adults.
The Sooner The Better
When infants and children have difficulty reaching communication milestones, it can lead to problems with behaviour, social skills and academic skills. It is never too early to make a referral.
When to Refer a Child
- articulation difficulties
- delays in understanding (receptive) and /or use of (expressive) language
- disfluency (stuttering) voice problems
- at risk infants due to prenatal & birth complications
- hearing impairments
- cleft lip/palate
- autism/pervasive development disorder, social language difficulties
- feeding difficulties
- other developmental delays
When to Refer an Adult
- motor speech disorder affecting verbal expression
- loss of language due to brain injury such as stroke
- cognitive physical/ behavioural consequences due to traumatic brain injury
- swallowing disorders
- disfluency
- voice problems
- hearing impairments
How to Refer
No concern(s) should be overlooked. Anybody can make a referral. If you are a parent, or professional involved with a child who has a parents consent, you can call to discuss your concerns or make a referral.
After Referral
Assessment’s are typically conducted in the clinic. The client is assesssed either informally or formally. Goals and how to achieve them are agreed upon. The child is then seen by either the Speech-language Pathologist, or Communication Disorders Assistant. The location, scope and duration of the therapy are individual and variable. Often, the therapist will work with or refer to other professionals for support, such as infant development workers, preschool resource teachers, teachers, specialists, treatment centres, and doctors, within and outside the region.
If you wish to refer yourself, your child or another family member you can call or email us to receive a Complete Intake Package. Contact us by visiting our Contact Page
Fees/Insurance
Employee insurance plans and speech-language services:
Private speech-language services are not covered by the OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) however it may be covered through your employee’s group benefits plan. Here are some suggestions to find out whether or not your family has coverage and what that coverage may include:
Call your employee benefits manager, human resource department or your union representative and ask about your coverage. Read the major medical or extended medical section carefully.
Check for “Speech Therapy”, “Speech-Language Pathology”, “paramedical”, or “other health services”.
Determine the amount per session, per year and per person.
Determine if parent training sessions are allowed. If parent training sessions are allowed, check to see if parent training sessions would be deducted from the child’s coverage or if it would be deducted from parent’s coverage.
Check that both assessment and treatment sessions are covered.
Check when the year end is for the insurance company, to assist with financial planning.
Check to see is a physician’s referral is needed for your insurance plan.
Funding Sources
- PC Charity
- Disability Tax Credit
- Elks of Canada
- Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity
- Labatt Better Together
Payment Options
- Cash
- Cheque
- Interact e-Transfer
- Visa
- Mastercard
Income Tax Deductions
Some clients may be eligible for a Disability Tax Credit. Fees for speech-language pathology services may be claimed as a Medical Expense on your taxes. For a complete list of eligible medical expenses as well as disability tax credit information please check with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Automobile Insurance Coverage
Cheryl conducts this type of service through New Horizons Rehabilitation Services Inc. If your cognitive-communication impairments are related to a car accident please call your auto insurance company to discuss your coverage. The amount of coverage that you have will depend on:
- the severity of your injury (catastrophic or non-catastrophic)
- the amount of insurance coverage you have purchased (basic level or additional coverage)
Referrals and inquiries can be made by contacting us.