Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What causes speech, language and motor problems?

A. Speech, language and motor problems are usually caused by a combination of factors rather than a single cause. Factors may include physical disabilities, family history or frequent ear infections. The exact cause of the problem may never be known so it is important to identify the current level of functioning and the exact areas that need to be addressed.

Q. Won’t my child just outgrow the problem?

A. In certain cases, the problem may be developmental and the child may not require direct intervention. An in-depth evaluation will assist with making educated decisions about whether direct therapeutic intervention is needed or not. The advice of “wait and see” is rarely a wise course of action. Even if a child does not need direct intervention at the time of the evaluation, the information gathered will provide a good baseline to measure the child’s growth over the months ahead to insure he/she is indeed “outgrowing” the problem. To “wait and see” may mean critical time lost during the most formative years of a child’s life.

Q. How do I get an evaluation for myself or my child?

A. An initial evaluation generally takes about 90 minutes and includes a complete battery of tests that target a specific age group. After the evaluation, you will know you/your child’s current level of functioning compared to others the same age. The evaluation results will be shared with you at the time of the evaluation and you will receive a written evaluation report summarizing the evaluation results. You may contact the clinic to schedule an evaluation appointment or contact us via this website for more information.

Q. How do I schedule therapy for myself or my child?

A. After the initial evaluation, therapy recommendations will be discussed with you. The number of sessions per week and duration of treatment will also be discussed. Most clients require one to two sessions per week in order to meet their treatment goals. If you did not have an evaluation at Achieve but have had an evaluation within the past 6 months or have a current school IEP, a new evaluation will probably not be needed and therapy will be based on the recommendations in the prior evaluation. You may call Achieve or contact us via this website for more information.

Q. Will insurance cover the services?

A. Achieve is a provider for most of the major insurance companies including BCBS, Medcost, United Healthcare, Wellpath and NC Medicaid. Insurance coverage for speech and occupational therapy varies widely depending on the policy purchased by your employer. Achieve will file the insurance directly for you and will assist with insurance appeals when necessary. Please contact the clinic to discuss your specific policy and conditions for coverage. Achieve offers many payment options including credit card payments for your convenience. The therapy is also eligible for reimbursement through pretax Medical Reimbursement Plans that your employer may offer.

Q. Can my child receive school therapy in addition to therapy at Achieve?

A. We strongly encourage parents to pursue all avenues of support available in the community. At Achieve, we will provide you with support if you are initially pursuing public services by guiding you through the process or we will supplement the services your child is currently receiving. We work closely with school and county therapists to insure a smooth coordination of services.

Q. If my child does not qualify for services through the school system, would they qualify at Achieve?

A. The school system has strict requirements for qualifying for public services. In general, a child must score 2 ½ standard deviations below the mean or below the 7^th percentile (equal to or better than 7 percent of the children his age) in order to qualify for services. At Achieve, we look at the whole child rather than just test scores and the family’s needs to make therapeutic decisions. We will discuss all therapeutic options including direct intervention, home programs or monitoring the child’s progress over time.

Q. Does my child need to see any other specialists?

A. The majority of children that require speech and/or occupational therapy are normally developing children who simply have specific areas that need to be addressed. However, some children will have concomitant issues and will need to see other specialists such as a neurologist, psychologist or learning specialist.Your therapist will help you make decisions if and when your child needs to have further evaluation by a specialist.