Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my child needs therapy?
It is always difficult to determine when the right time is to begin intervention. You may have received a referral or recommendation from a teacher, physician, or someone else who encounters your child. You may have your own concerns if your child is not performing a certain skill that you think they should have mastered (i.e., talking, walking, writing, dressing, etc.). Take a moment to learn about typical development in our Resources tab. Having an evaluation completed will compare your child’s performance in a given area to other children’s performance with the same task. Early intervention is valuable when children are not meeting age-appropriate developmental milestones. Our therapists are trained to determine whether your child is developing typically or not.

How do I get started with therapy?
The first step is to call the front office and schedule an evaluation. If you have already completed an evaluation within the past 12 months or are currently receiving therapy, you may be able to just begin therapy and not undergo an additional evaluation. Once the evaluation is scheduled, please complete the forms located in the Online Forms tab and bring with you to your appointment. The therapist will meet with you, assess the client, and make recommendations. Following the evaluation, you will be provided with a complete written report within approximately 2 weeks.

Does my appointment time change?
Once you have scheduled therapy, it is a standing weekly appointment. If you are unable to make an appointment on a given week, please let the therapist or the front office know, and your therapist may be able to reschedule your appointment for that week. Consistent attendance is imperative to improve therapy outcomes.

What qualifications do the therapists have?
All therapists are licensed by the state of Georgia. All speech-language pathologists hold Master’s degrees and a Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Occupational and physical therapists have passed national licensing exams and are licensed by the state of Georgia. OT and PT licensure in the United States requires therapists to have either a Masters/Doctoral degree or a Bachelor’s degree and 7 or more years of experience. Therapists may also have additional certificates of competency. Speech, occupational, and physical therapists are carefully hired to complement our already existing team of professionals.

How do I know if my insurance will cover therapy?
You can call the customer service number on your insurance card and ask what your therapy benefits are for speech, occupational, and/or physical therapy. Because you have therapy benefits, this does not necessarily mean a particular diagnosis will be covered. It also is not a guarantee of payment. As a service to you, after you schedule your initial appointment, we will call your insurance company to check your benefits for you. We will inform you of your benefits when you arrive for your first appointment. Please be advised that if we are filing with a private insurance company that the turn-around time to get an EOB (explanation of benefits) may be 4-6 weeks or longer. If you choose to attend therapy, by the time we know whether or not your insurance company will pay, you may have accumulated more than one month’s invoice. Please plan ahead as you will be expected to pay the balance on all of the invoices within two weeks of the dated invoice.

What if my insurance plan requires a pre-cert?
Many private insurance plans require a pre-cert either for an evaluation and/or for therapy. If your plan requires a pre-cert for an evaluation, we must complete the pre-certification process before you may come in for your appointment. If your plan requires a pre-cert for therapy, we will complete the evaluation, and THEN, file the pre-cert. If you choose to begin therapy, prior to the completion of the pre-certification process, you may pay out of pocket for these sessions. The per-cert is not retroactive and you will not be reimbursed for these sessions. If you choose to wait to begin therapy until the pre-certification process is complete, you must wait to schedule your therapy appointments. A plan of treatment will be written and sent to your physician with a request for a prescription for therapy. This will then be sent to your insurance company. Note that we have little control over how long this process takes. You will be contacted when the pre-cert is received. A pre-cert is still not a guarantee of payment and is subject to your plan deductible and copay or coinsurance. Please plan ahead as you will be expected to pay the balance on all of the invoices you incur.

Who do I call with a question about my bill?
Please direct all billing questions to Gail or Angie at 770-977-9457.

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