Speech Therapy Cost

Typical costs:

• Speech therapy typically is covered by health insurance in certain cases. For example, most Aetna^[1] and Cigna^[2] policies cover short-term speech therapy needed due to injury or acute illness, but do not cover it for developmental delays. Many policies limit the total number of sessions. For patients covered by health insurance, typical out-of-pocket costs consist of coinsurance of 10%-50%.
• For patients not covered by health insurance, speech therapy typically costs $200-$250 for an initial assessment, then about $100 to almost $250 per hour. For example, Garden City Hospital^[3] in Michigan charges $100 per session. ECS Therapy^[4] in Pennsylvania charges $200 for an initial assessment, then $65 per half-hour session -- or $130 per hour. Therapy Playground^[5] in North Carolina charges $100 for a half-hour session -- or $200 an hour. Brainworx^[6] in Texas charges $250 for an initial assessment, then $120 for a half-hour session -- or $240 an hour.

• In an initial assessment, a speech language pathologist -- often referred to as a speech therapist -- will evaluate speech, perform tests and formulate an individual treatment plan.
• In speech therapy sessions, the speech-language pathologist will use a variety of tools and methods designed to improve speech. Depending on the age and individual situation, these might include: using books or other tools to help stimulate language development, modeling and repetition of speech, showing the patient how to move the mouth to make certain sounds and having the patient do mouth and tongue exercises.
• KidsHealth.org has an overview of speech therapy^[7] .

• Speech therapists sometimes recommend books, tools or activities^[8] to work on speech at home. These can cost less than $20 to $100 or more.

• The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act^[9] requires that speech therapy be provided as part of public education services for children with speech or language impairments.
• Speechville.com offers a list of university-affiliated speech clinics^[10] that provide deeply discounted services, typically rendered by graduate-level students under the supervision of instructors who are licensed speech pathologists.
• The non-profit Easter Seals^[11] offers speech therapy on a sliding scale based on income.

• A pediatrician, family doctor or school can provide a referral to a qualified speech-language pathologist. Or, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers a speech-language pathologist locator^[12] by state.
• A speech-language pathologist should have a master's degree from an accredited program^[13] . Speech-language pathologists are licensed at the state level, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers a state-by-state list^[14] of regulatory bodies and requirements. Speech-language pathologists also can choose to get certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association^[15] .

1.  www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/200_299/0243.html
2.  /cignaforhcp.cigna.com/public/content/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0177_coverag...
3.  www.gch.org/Home.aspx?id=219&sid=1
4.  www.ecstherapy.com/fee-schedule.html
5.  therapyplayground.com/treatment-cost/
6.  brainworxcenters.com/Archives/BrainworXSpeechFlyer.pdf
7.  kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/speech_therapy.html#
8.  www.linguisystems.com/products/product/topicsearch
9.  idea.ed.gov/explore/home
10.  www.speechville.com/speech-therapy/university-clinics.html
11.  www.easterseals.com/
12.  www.asha.org/proserv/
13.  www.asha.org/academic/accreditation/
14.  www.asha.org/advocacy/state/
15.  www.asha.org/certification/cert-verify/

Check Out All Costs for Health & Personal Care		How Much Does Medical Marijuana Cost?		How Much Do Braces Cost?		How Much Does Hip Replacement Cost?

Today's Featured Cost Articles

Staying cool during the summer extends to the car. How much is car air conditioning? Parks are opening and offering reservations. We cover camping gear. The hot summer weather has started. We cover the cost of central air conditioning. A BBQ grill could be handy to enjoy backyard activities during the summer months. Spring has sprung. Are you thinking about allergy shots?

About CostHelper

CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.

CostHelper Community

Entertainer Paid: 250.00 I charge $150.00 for the first hour. It's 100.00 each additional hour. It really depends on cost of living, the skill level of the artist, and how much tax the balloon artist has to pay... [more] -AnthonyStone Balloon Twisting Cost Yeast infection Paid: 160.00 My 4 month old puppy had brown discharge and an odor coming from her ears. She was constantly scratching. Took her to her vet and explained; I know she has an infection in her ear... [more] -Pokémon trainer Pet Ear Infection Treatment Cost Retainer Paid: 20.00 I bought the warranty with my Invisalign through my orthodontist (do this... [more] -Braeden Retainers Cost Only paid remaining deductible Paid: 6500.00 My BCBS plan covered 100% of cost after deductible. My deductible was $8500 but I had already paid $2500 of that for previous medical procedures... [more] -Predatorhousepet Prosthetic Leg Cost Rewire whole house with all included Paid: 32909.00 Easy estimate for all of you, is stablish a category of houses. Cat 1: open wall, $13 per sqft Cat 2 Close walls, $16 per sqft and for cat 3, 2 story house, depending of age $18-$25 per sqft. Make your calculations... [more] -JG Electric Rewiring a House Cost Cost of care Paid: 0.00 Wow, some of these previous comments seriously concern me. We have a dentist carrying on about how much it cost for his entire education and the cost of building and supplying an entire office... [more] -Jason B Dental Implants Cost