Helpful Information

Tulips Speech and Language Services does not accept insurance at this time. We are currently a private pay clinic. However, we can provide you with a superbill for your insurance for potential reimbursement.

Depending on the right fit for the client, services could be provided at home, in our office, or via teletherapy.

No. However, it is highly encouraged if your child has never had a speech and language evaluation. Evaluations provide a comprehensive view of a child’s communication skills, allowing the speech pathologist to pinpoint areas of need in order to guide services accurately.

No, you do not need a referral to get started with Tulips Speech and Language Services. Simply contact us via email to schedule a free consultation.

For orofacial myofunctional therapy, I work with children ages four and up. For other speech and language concerns, I work with all ages.

Tulips Speech and Language Services honors the individual and acknowledges that every child requires different supports and learns in various ways. Therefore, predicting how long each child will be in speech therapy can be difficult. Tulips Speech and Language Services monitors progress throughout treatment to ensure that the practices being used are beneficial. If not, changes can be made to support each client best.

Yes, school-based services and private services are not mutually exclusive. Children can receive both types of services. Tulips Speech and Language Services enjoys collaborating with other professionals to provide the best support for each client.

Speech sounds are acquired in a sequential order based on age. Some sounds are early developing (e.g., /m/, /p/, /b/), and others are not expected to be mastered until later in life for children (e.g., /r/, /th/, etc.). Signs of a speech disorder could include your child not producing age-appropriate sounds correctly or even not producing them at all. This may make it difficult for you and others to understand your child. If you have concerns about your child’s speech clarity, contact a speech-language pathologist for support.

The first step in identifying delays or disorders is knowing what to look for regarding developmental milestones. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) provides information about developmental milestones from birth to five years old. These guidelines outline the progression of milestones for most children. However, it is essential to acknowledge that every child develops on their own timeline. These milestones should be a general guideline, not a definitive deadline. If you have concerns about your child not meeting their language milestones near the expected timeframe, contact a speech-language pathologist for support.

The frequency of services depends on a number of factors (e.g., attention span of the child, goal areas, family schedule, etc.). Sessions usually occur 1-2 times a week.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a trained individual who works to assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

Yes! I believe in a family-centered approach and value loved ones/family members/caregivers’ role in therapy and making progress toward goals.

“The study and treatment of oral and facial muscles as they relate to speech, dentition, chewing/bolus collection, swallowing, and overall mental and physical health.” - Sandra Holtzman, MS, CCC-SLP, COM, QOM

In other words, Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is therapy to correct muscle function problems that influence dental occlusion, facial shape, chewing, swallowing, and tongue, lip, and jaw resting posture.

“...patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of orofacial structures, or call attention to themselves.” ASHA Portal, Mason, 2018

Some signs and symptoms that may indicate the presence of an OMD include but are not limited to:

• mouth breathing/difficulty with nasal breathing

• messy eater

• limited range of motion of the tongue

• dental problems

• low tongue resting posture

• difficulty closing the lips

Please note that the presence of one or more of these behaviors does not always indicate an OMD. It is best to get professional help for further support.

OMDs can have a negative impact on dentition, appearance, and speech.

Yes, oral sucking habits (e.g., thumb, finger, lips, prolonged pacifier, or sippy cup use) are one potential cause of an OMD. Therefore, depending on the intensity, frequency, and duration of the habit, it can have a negative impact on dentition, speech, breathing patterns, appearance, swallowing, and self-esteem.

Gestalt language processing is one of the two known ways to process and learn language. A gestalt language processor learns language in whole chunks instead of first processing single words.

If you notice the following, your child may be a gestalt language processor. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, and not every child is the same:

• Uses single words and does not combine them with other words

• Communicates in long scripts of language

• Often repeats what they hear from others or media (e.g., shows, songs, etc.) the exact way they heard it

• Uses rich intonation

• Unintelligible strings of language. You may be able to identify one or two words.

• They are not responding to “traditional” therapy approaches

Gestalt means “whole.” Therefore, a gestalt is a “whole unit” or “chunk” of language that has meaning and has been stored in the child's memory for later use. Gestalts can be single words, phrases, longer sentences, entire movies, songs, sounds, books, or actions. The meaning of the gestalt is usually not literal.

Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) describes the stages of language development for a gestalt language processor. As a child goes through these stages, they learn to develop language from whole “chunks” to “free” single words to achieve self-generated language with grammar.

Stage 1 Echolalia: Children use whole gestalts, single word gestalts, and long strings of language that may be unintelligible but can be identified through the rich intonation patterns.

Stage 2 Mitigation: Children start to combine or mitigate their gestalts with parts of other gestalts.

Stage 3: Children start to use “free” single words and two-word combinations of nouns and adjectives. Word order does not matter at this stage.

Stage 4-6: Children start to use original phrases or sentences and start to learn/understand grammar.

Consult with a speech pathologist to discuss the next steps to begin therapy and support your child’s language development. In the meantime, acknowledge their language and even repeat it back to them. Although you might not know the meaning of what they are saying, their language DOES have meaning.