Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a specialized form of care provided by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) that evaluates and treats a wide range of communication and language issues, such as: speech sound development, fluency, and hearing impairment. It can even target other related issues like feeding and swallowing. 

Simply put, speech therapy helps children improve their ability to understand and communicate well. For little ones, it can be the difference between feeling frustrated and feeling heard.  

At Looking Ahead, speech therapy starts with a thorough evaluation so we truly understand where your child is and where they want to go. From there, everything is tailored to them  and delivered through play-based sessions that feel fun and low-pressure. We have found that’s how kids learn best, and our goal is to support them in their growth as much as we can. 

We also believe in a strong partnership with parents to continue progress at home. We’ll make sure you leave every appointment feeling confident and equipped to keep the momentum going.

We are here to support you in between appointments too. Have a random question or want to share a photo of your child’s latest achievement? We love receiving messages like this from our parents! At Looking Ahead, it’s important to us that you feel supported every step of the way, not just on the days you have appointments.

Yes, in most cases speech therapy can be covered or reimbursed by insurance if it is deemed medically necessary to treat speech, language, or swallowing disorders. 

We are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), and if you're covered by a different plan, we can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. We are not in network with TennCare and TEIS.  

We also accept self-pay.

We intentionally keep our insurance network small because it means fewer restrictions and more flexibility to provide focused and personalized care.

It’s important to us that there are no surprises in the cost of your therapy visits, so we will work with you and your insurance to make sure you know exactly what to expect.

Payment rates vary depending on the specifics of your insurance plan. Please call our office and we will be happy to work with your family to find out exactly what your insurance covers so you know what to expect. 

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.

Under the No Surprises Act, healthcare providers are required to provide you with an explanation of how much your medical care will cost.

Looking Ahead Pediatric Therapies provides all patients (self-pay and insured) with a written copy of an estimate of expected charges for medical services by the time services are provided. This estimate, known as the Verfication of Benefits letter, is based solely on the information provided by the primary caregiver and the insurance provider at the time of the request to Looking Ahead P.T. For questions or to request a Good Faith Estimate, please contact Looking Ahead Pediatric Therapies at 615-784-8104 or info@lookingaheadpt.com.

For more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises

If you suspect your child might need speech therapy, listen to your gut. We believe early intervention is key. 

Here are some of the common signs that your child might need speech therapy: 

• Limited vocabulary for their age 

• Difficulty following directions

• Speech sound errors

• Difficulty with feeding and swallowing

• Preferring gestures (past age 2) 

• Difficulty making eye contact

(Note: Most of these indicators are age-specific, so see “What is Typical Speech-Sound Development” below.)

If you are concerned, it’s easy to set up an evaluation with our speech-language pathologist (SLP) who can help you evaluate exactly where your child is and if they need extra support.

No! You can reach out to us directly.

Tennessee is a direct access state, which means you do not need a referral for speech therapy. We'll walk you through everything you need to get started and let you know if there are any additional steps specific to your situation.

Your first appointment at Looking Ahead is all about getting to know you and your child. We'll start with a comprehensive evaluation with our pediatric speech-language pathologist (SLP), who will take the time to understand where your little one is developmentally and what they need to thrive. You can expect a warm, relaxed environment where your child is free to be themselves, no pressure, no rush. Our SLP will create a play-based experience to help your child feel relaxed and at ease. 

From there, we'll walk you through our evaluation and build an individualized treatment plan together. Our goal is for you to leave with a clear path forward and the confidence to start supporting your child at home right away.

No! We are located in Franklin,TN  but our speech-language pathologist (SLP) also offers at-home care within a certain radius of our office. She has traveled to families in Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, Hermitage, Mt. Juliet, Berry Hill, Thompson’s Station, College Grove, and other surrounding areas on a case-by-case basis. 

She brings the same expert, personalized care to a setting where your child feels most comfortable and at ease.

If you are interested in in-home sessions, our SLP will talk through those options with you when you set up your appointments. 

She can also offer care in other environments like daycares or pre-k programs.

We specialize in speech therapy for toddlers and young kids, usually up to age 5. 

As your child develops language skills and begins to verbalize more and more, you may notice your child "simplify" their speech using patterns. Although these patterns may seem like errors, they are not always indicative of a speech-sound disorder! Below, you will find information relating to expected phoneme development and intelligibility of speech (how easily your child is understood) to help you determine if your child is reaching developmental expectations.

Phoneme Development
Individual sounds are often broken down into 3 categories, the "Early 8, Middle 8," and "Late 8" consonants. Although each individual sound has its own age of acquisition, these categories can help to identify if a child's sound production is falling into an appropriate developmental range.

(Note: See “What are the early 8 sounds?” below for more information.) 

Intelligibility

• Between 12-24 Months: Listeners should be able to understand what your child is saying at least 25% of the time. Babble and vocal play may continue to be present as your child develops their speech, language, and vocabulary skills.

• Between 24-36 Months: Listeners should be able to understand what your child is saying at least 50% of the time. At this age, children begin to produce an increased number of word combinations and you may notice that it is easier to recognize single words vs. connected speech.

• Between 36-48 Months: Listeners should be able to understand what your child is saying at least 75% of the time. This should include when they are combining words and producing simple sentences.

• At 48+ Months: Listeners should be able to understand what your child is saying at least 90% of the time. Conversations should flow and your child should be able to easily engage with others.

Although each individual sound has its own age of acquisition, these categories can help to identify if a child's sound production is falling into an appropriate developmental range.

What are the “Early 8” sounds?

"Early 8" consonant sounds, typically acquired by age 3, include:

"m" as in "mama"

"n" as in "no"

"b" as in "ball"

"w" as in "woah"

"p" as in "pig"

"h" as in "hi"

"y" as in "yes"

"d" as in "dada"

"Middle 8" consonant sounds, typically acquired by age 5, include:

"t" as in "toy"

"v" as in "vest"

"k" as in "kite" or "cup"

"ng" as in "song"

"g" as in "go"

"ch" as in "chair"

"f" as in "farm"

"j" as in "jump"

"Late 8" consonant sounds, typically acquired by age 7, include:

"sh" as in "shoe"

"z" as in "zoo"

Voiced "th" as in "that"

"l" as in "look"

Voiceless "th" as in "bath"

"r" as in "rock"

"s" as in "sit"

"zh" as in "treasure"