How do I get referred to the Limerick Speech and Language Therapy Clinic?
Most referrals for children come from teachers or parents but we also get referrals from doctors and other professionals dealing with children. A referral involves phoning the Clinic and giving contact details and the nature of your concern. We will then contact you with a suitable time for assessment.
Self- referrals, G.P. and Consultant referrals are most common for adults and people with voice difficulties. You can call to refer yourself or have your doctor send a referral letter. We will then contact you to arrange an appointment when we receive this letter or when you give us your details.
How long will I be waiting for an appointment?
Most referrals will be seen within one to two weeks.
Can I claim back the costs of therapy?
If you have private health insurance, you will be able to claim some of the assessment and therapy costs. The number of sessions or amount covered by healthcare insurance varies. Hence it is advisable to contact your provider to get details of your entitlements. In addition to this, if you are paying income taxes, you are also entitled to claim for speech and language assessments and intervention under the MED1 form which deals with tax back claims on all medical expenses.
How long will I/my child have to attend for therapy?
The therapy period varies for each person from a single consultation to long-term therapy. This will depend on the nature of the difficulty, and estimated therapy periods can be discussed in collaboration with your therapist.
How often will the therapy sessions be?
This also depends on the needs of the individual. We offer therapy on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly and review basis. Some individuals need more direct therapy, others need less. We will accommodate your programme of intervention to suit your needs and diagnosis.
Can I attend therapy through public agencies at the same time?
We have had vast experience working in conjunction with therapists in other settings. Whether you attend public and private together depends on the needs of you/your child. It is, however, vital that when two speech therapists work with one person, these therapists coordinate their work and consult with each other to ensure that the client’s needs are being addressed in the most appropriate manner.
If you are receiving any other therapy which may be relevant to you/your child’s progress, you should notify your therapist.
Can I get an assessment only without therapy?
Yes; however, if we assess an individual and feel that intervention is indicated we will inform you of this and advise you accordingly.
I’ve just been assessed publicly; can I skip assessment and start therapy immediately?
We advise all individuals to undergo an initial assessment with us regardless of any other assessments. We will certainly take all recent assessments into consideration and will not repeat the same tests if they were done recently. However, to get a true understanding of the speech and language difficulty, we need to observe it first hand and based on this, we will devise a programme of intervention. The assessment process is also an important time for therapists to form an initial bond with the individual in order to form a good relationship for therapy. Hence, we would never skip this process.
Is my child too young for therapy?
Early intervention is well researched and documented to be an effective method of treating children. We would advise all parents who have concerns regarding their child’s speech and language to have an assessment as soon as possible. It is never too soon and our therapists are trained to spot problems with communication development from infant ages on.
Do you do home/ school visits?
We do home/school visits where it will benefit a therapy programme or provide an environment in which therapy can be furthered. We also attend school meetings to provide input into Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) when requested. These visits can be discussed with your therapist. For the most part, we work in the clinical setting.