"Below average, but not eligible" is one of the most frustrating things a parent can hear. Your instincts were right: your child needs support. We specialize in the kids who fall through the cracks of school-based services.
Schools provide speech and language therapy through special education, and that comes with legal eligibility rules. A child typically has to score below a set cutoff on standardized tests and show that the difficulty is significantly affecting their education.
That leaves a large group of children in between: kids who are clearly behind, who work harder than their classmates to be understood, to follow directions, or to read, but who aren't struggling enough on paper to qualify. The same is true for toddlers who don't meet the criteria for Arizona's Early Intervention Program (AzEIP).
None of this is a criticism of schools. They have to serve the children with the greatest need first. But "not eligible" doesn't mean "on track," and mild to moderate difficulties are often the easiest to close when they're addressed early.
We treat the whole range of speech, language, literacy, and social communication needs, with families as part of the team.
Articulation, phonology, fluency, and receptive and expressive language, so your child can be understood and understand others.
Phonological awareness, language-based literacy, and comprehension: the skills underneath reading that school services often miss.
Pragmatic language, perspective-taking, inferencing, and flexible thinking, for conversations and friendships that feel easier.
We don't just treat your child for an hour a week. We teach you how to support skills at home, so progress happens faster and carries into everyday life.
No referral needed, and no waiting for a school or state determination.
Schools provide speech therapy under special education law, which means a child must meet specific eligibility criteria: usually test scores below a set cutoff and evidence that the difficulty is significantly affecting their education. Many children score below average without falling below that cutoff, or are keeping up academically for now. They still have real communication needs; they just don't meet the school's legal threshold for services.
Often, yes. Not qualifying for school services does not mean your child is on track. Mild to moderate speech, language, and literacy difficulties are often the easiest to close when they're addressed early, before they start affecting reading, confidence, and friendships. A private evaluation will tell you exactly where your child stands and whether therapy is recommended.
No referral is required. If your child has already been evaluated by the school, bring the report. It helps us, and we won't repeat testing unnecessarily. If they haven't been evaluated, we'll complete a full private evaluation.
Yes. Arizona's Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) serves children under 3 who meet its developmental delay criteria. Many toddlers with a real speech or language delay don't meet those criteria. We work with children from infancy onward, so we can evaluate and begin support without waiting to see if they "grow out of it."
Yes. Many families combine both. With your permission, we're happy to share our findings with your child's school team so everyone is working toward the same goals.
Our rates are $150 for a 50-minute session and $75 for a 25-minute session. We're a private-pay, out-of-network provider: we provide superbills for potential PPO reimbursement and accept HSA, FSA, and Arizona ESA funds.
Serving North Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and North Phoenix from our North Phoenix office just off the 101, and families across Arizona by telehealth.