My 20 month old son doesn't say any words - still babbles. He was evaluated at Our Children's House at Grapevine, and was recommended for speech therapy. However, our insurance provider doesn't cover it for a "simple" delay. I've also been told about using ECI, but I understand that he'd probably only get two therapy sessions/month. Does anyone know a speech therapist who make do private therapy sessions in the child's home? Anyone had feedback on ECI? I don't mind paying for services out of my pocket, but the $168/session at OCH Grapevine for 2x week sessions is a little steep.
You might as well try ECI, they may come out more frequently depending on the needs of your son.
We used ECI for my niece and they were coming out once a week at one point (but not for speech therapy, something different)
Take advantage of ECI, it is a free service, available till he is 3, and then at age 3 you can contact your school district to get him started in a program.
My son's in ECI for speech and yes, they come twice a month (but more depending on needs of child). The thing with ECI is they teach the parents the things they do so you can work with your child when they aren't there. They give great tips and are very helpful imo. They also have help available in other areas (behaviour, cognitive, etc.) and can evaluate him on a broad spectrum as well. They do work on a sliding scale and can be free if your insurance will even pay $1, which mine wouldn't, cheap skates! But all in all I've been really happy with them. The time to get them in and started took awhile in my area (Ft. Worth), like 2-3 months from my very first phone call to them to when he was actually receiving help so I recommend doing it ASAP. You can always use ECI and then supplement with another one if needed...good luck!
I am the director at Monkey Mouths speech therapy in Hurst. We love to see children for early intervention. I would suggest you take a look at our website: monkeymouths.com and see if our services sound like what you are looking for. Our rates are $55 for a 30-minute session. We do not file insurance--our families pay us directly and file with their insurance companies for reimbursement which allows us to keep our rates lower than the hospital providers. Pathway speech and hearing in Grapevine is also a great facility--depending upon where you live.
As a foster parent, I have worked extensively with ECI. On the surface it may seem as if you aren't getting as much with them coming out less frequently, however the treatment model that ECI practices actually integrates therapy into the child's daily and weekly routines. It is not a case of a speech therapist coming out and working with your child for an hour and then going home.....it is a case of the speech therapist coming out and working with the child and the family, and together developing strategies that fit with the families routines.
I have also worked with other organizations where they come out frequently, but only work with the child and I can tell you, the kids working with ECI progressed MUCH more quickly than the others. I would highly recommend giving them a call.
S.
I haven't worked with the ECI based in Dallas but in Lubbock they charged you on a sliding scale based on your income level.
I would definitely recommend using ECI. My son had speech therapy with them and it helped tremendously. They charge you on a sliding scale and come to your house.
For us the speech therapist came out twice a month and a developmental therapist came out once a month. They really helped him with his speech and they gave us different tools and exercises to help us with his speech.
We've used ECI for behavioral therapy. ECI comes to your home. The 1st 6 months of ECI is free after that they go thru your insurance company. I believe they have a sliding scale for paymets. ECI is great, they can come 1 a week if that is what your child needs, just ask them what they recommend. ECI is good til the child turns 3 years old. They are the most experienced with kids under 3 years old. After 3, you have to go elsewhere.
Try ECI if it doesn't work out, you can always go elsewhere. Our ECI person came once a week for behavior. I think it depends on what you needs and what is best for the child.
Hello R.,
First -- Kudos to you for seeking early intervention!
I have been a speech-language pathologist for over 15 years, and am always thrilled to see parents being advocates for their children, and not taking the "wait and see" path.
Of course I would love to help you, but am probably a bit further than you would like to travel (Frisco). If you are interested in a private therapist, you might want to log on to the ASHA website and find therapists in you area. You could then inquire about specific SLPs, and ideally find one that would work great with your family.
Please feel free to contact me if you should have any questions.
S.
