Speech Therapy for Children with Autism in Atlanta
Elevation Autism Center
How to Get Your Child Started in Speech Therapy
If your child is already receiving ABA therapy at Elevation, adding speech services to their treatment plan is simple and seamless. Our integrated approach means your child's speech therapist will work directly with their existing ABA team, ensuring consistent communication strategies across all sessions.
Gather Required Documents
To begin the enrollment process, you'll need three simple items:
- Speech Prescription (Speech Rx) from your pediatrician authorizing speech therapy services
- Most Recent Speech Plan of Care if your child has received speech therapy elsewhere (this helps us build on existing progress)
- Recent Hearing Screening Results from your pediatrician or audiologist to rule out any hearing concerns
Submit Your Documents
Send these documents to our intake team via email, fax, or drop them off during your child's ABA session. Our speech therapy team will review everything within 2-3 business days and verify your insurance coverage for speech services.
Schedule Your Child's First Session
Once documents are approved, we'll contact you to schedule either:
- An initial speech and language evaluation (if needed) to assess your child's specific communication needs
- Your child's first therapy session (if recent evaluations are available)
Since your child already knows our center and staff through ABA, the transition is comfortable and stress-free!
Benefits of Speech Therapy for Children with Autism
Speech therapy helps children with autism develop essential communication skills. With Elevation Autism's speech therapy services, children gain the tools they need to express themselves and connect with others.
Better Language Understanding: Strengthen your child's ability to follow directions, answer questions, and understand conversations. Improved receptive language skills help children succeed at home, school, and in the community.
Support for Nonverbal Children: For children with limited or no verbal speech, speech therapy introduces alternative communication methods, ensuring every child has a voice and can participate fully.
School Readiness: Build the foundational language skills needed for academic success, including following classroom instructions, participating in group activities, and expressing ideas clearly.
Enhanced Social Interaction: Develop crucial social communication skills like turn-taking, maintaining conversations, and reading social cues. These skills help children build friendships and connect with family members more meaningfully.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is speech therapy?
Speech therapy helps children improve their communication skills through targeted exercises and activities led by licensed speech-language pathologists. Sessions focus on developing speech production, language understanding, social communication, and, if needed, alternative communication methods like picture cards or communication devices.
Is speech therapy covered by insurance?
Many insurance plans do cover speech therapy. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to confirm your specific benefits and any out-of-pocket costs you may be responsible for. Our team can also help you navigate this process and provide any necessary documentation.
Does my child need speech therapy?
Consider speech therapy if your child struggles with speaking clearly, understanding others, expressing needs, or engaging in conversations. Signs that may indicate a need for speech therapy include delayed first words, limited vocabulary, difficulty following directions, or challenges with social communication. Your pediatrician or a speech evaluation can help determine if therapy is recommended.
