Frequently Asked Questions
What does BE HEARD speech therapy do?
BE HEARD provides online interactive services for children and young adults. These services included assessments, screenings and treatment for a variety of concerns including: speech and language delays, articulation and phonological processing delays, stuttering, auditory and reading comprehension, written language delays, social skills, difficulty with memory and word finding, and accent modification.
How does online therapy work?
BE HEARD provides online (teletherapy) on secure, HIPPA compliant video conferencing platforms (Theraplatform and Zoom). The speech language pathologist and the client log into the sessions in real time and use high quality video and audio along with individualized resources, applications and games.
What equipment is used?
A computer (laptop or desktop) or tablet with a reliable high speed internet connection, an up-to-date browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari), a webcam, and a speaker or audio headset. Clients can access sessions through a link in their email.
What are the technical requirements to use Theraplatform?
To use TheraPlatform you need the latest version of the Google Chrome browser or Firefox browser for computers, the latest version of Safari browser for iPads, or the latest version of Google Chrome for Android devices.
What internet connection speed to I need to use Theraplatform?
TheraPlatform operates at low bandwidth levels, however the greater your internet speed, the greater the overall experience. We recommend: Ping: 25, Download: 3Mbps/sec, Upload: 3Mbps/sec.
How can I test my internet connection speed?
You can test your internet connection speed using this link: http://www.speedtest.net/
Do you accept insurance reimbursement?
We are in-network providers with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Insurance benefits vary greatly and must be verified on an individual basis.
How do I submit for out of network speech therapy reimbursement?
You will be provided with an invoice to submit to your insurance company. It will contain the necessary information including diagnosis and treatment codes, session times, fees paid, description of services provided, as well as pertinent practice information (tax id, license number, etc). We will also provide you with assessment and therapy progress reports to submit to your insurance company along with the invoice.
Do you conduct in home assessments and treatment?
At this time all services are being provided online, via HIPPA compliant telehealth platforms.
What are your hours of operation?
We try to accommodate all our busy customers by offering weekday afternoon and evening, as well as weekend hours.
How do I initiate assessment and/or therapy?
Please call us at the number listed on our website or fill out a contact form. Once we determine that our services are right for your child, you will receive the appropriate forms and releases.
How long do your assessments typically last?
Comprehensive assessments for younger children (infants, toddlers, preschoolers and early school age children) typically last 1 hour. Comprehensive assessments for older school age children or adults may last between 1-2 hours and may be broken up over several days. All assessments are highly individualized and are dependent on the client’s unique needs.
What can I expect as a result of my child’s speech language assessment?
Two weeks subsequent to the last assessment date you will receive a comprehensive speech language report detailing your child’s performance on administered formal and informal testing. It will contain performance scores (if applicable), detailed descriptive summary of performance strengths and weaknesses, impressions, recommendations, referral for additional professional consultations (if needed), treatment goals and objectives as well as suggested remediation methods, techniques, and strategies.
What if I already had an evaluation by another speech pathologist?
In most circumstances testing will only need to be repeated if it’s significantly outdated.
For children with developmental delays, typically if the assessment was done within the past year, and the results are still accurately representative of the child’s present performance, therapy may be initiated immediately. However, there may be a number of instances when the clinician may suggest a reassessment. Below are some examples:
- Testing report is outdated/not accurately representative of child’s present performance
- Testing instruments used were outdated/no longer relevant to the child’s present needs
- Testing was not comprehensive enough (child is scoring within normal limits on a specific test but still presents with significant deficits in other areas)
In such instances a partial/full reassessment may be recommended in the context of initial therapy sessions, in order to establish a baseline for intervention provision.
What is the average therapy frequency and duration?
Average therapy frequency is 1-3 times per week for a duration of 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Select clients receive higher therapy frequency and lower therapy duration; still others come in on biweekly or monthly basis to maintain skill level/abilities.
What type of service delivery do you provide?
Vast majority of sessions are provided on individual basis. Group sessions are subject to availability.
How long will my child attend speech therapy?
Therapy duration is dependent on a number of factors:
- Type and level of impairment (
- Presence of maintaining factors (e.g., psychiatric diagnosis, other structural/functional deficits)
- Existence of additional support services
- Caregiver involvement
- Client motivation
According to national data collected by the American Speech Hearing association National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) 2012-2016 report, the largest percentage of clients required the following hours of treatment in order to improve multiple Functional Levels based on diagnosis:
- Preschool Articulation/Intelligibility: 30-39 hours
- Preschool Pragmatics: 40+ hours
- Preschool Spoken language comprehension: 30-39 hours
- Preschool Spoken language production: 40+ hours
- Preschool Swallowing: 10-19 hours
- Adult Stroke Patient Spoken Language Comprehension, Memory, or Motor Speech: >10 hours
- Adult Brain Injury Memory, Attention, Problem Solving or Spoken Language: >10 hours
- Adult Neurological Disorders Memory, Spoken Language Expression, Swallowing, or Motor Speech: >10 hours
For the full reports please visit http://www.asha/org/noms/
How do you determine when the child is ready to be discharged from therapy services?
Client progress is charted on an ongoing basis. Frequent reassessments of deficit areas are administered during the course of treatment.
Additional Links:
Please see the following FAQ links from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for further information: