Please Note:
This page is for getting started with Zebra Speech once
you have a scheduled appointment
Arrival
When you arrive at Zebra Speech, you can make yourself at home in our waiting room until your appointment time. Within our walls, this bright and energizing space offers comfortable seating and an array of magazines for your enjoyment, along with toys and books for your child to play with as he or she waits. You'll also notice as you enter the waiting room the 200 gallon salt water tropical fish aquarium packed with all kinds of aquatic life for you to enjoy!
TIP: It's a good idea to arrive to your first appointment at least 5 minutes ahead of time to allow you and your child the opportunity to get used to the office before the appointment begins. This will also allow time to have you complete any additional paperwork that will be needed before you begin.
TIP: The more information that you can provide about your child, the better. Please plan to send all outside evaluation reports from speech and language as well as any related disciplines ahead of your first visit. This may include reports from psychology, neuropsychology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, classroom teachers, or IEP teams.
The parent interview
Once your appointment time comes, your therapist will come to the waiting room to greet you, invite you in the office and then continue the intake process. To first get acquainted, she will spend several minutes interviewing you (informally, of course) about your child and your concerns, allowing your child the opportunity to explore the space and try out some of the many toys and games available in the therapy room. During this time, your therapist will review the case history information, review our office policies and procedures, and confirm your insurance information on file. While questions are always welcome, this is often a good time to ask questions you may have about the practice or the therapeutic process.
TIP: In preparation for your first visit, write down any questions you may have. On the day of your appointment, these prepared questions will be helpful in allowing you to remember to ask your pertinent questions as you are chatting with your therapist.
Laying the foundation for therapy
After completing this informal interview with your therapist, your therapist will shift focus from obtaining background information from you to getting to know your child. The relationship between your therapist and child is of critical importance to us and your child's ability to make gains. Establishing a rapport is essential to a successful therapeutic experience.
Evaluation and establishing a baseline
Next, your therapist will begin to collect information about your child's communication skills. If formal testing is scheduled, your therapist will begin to administer the asessments with your child. We welcome you to observe the session, as always. For younger children, it's very common especially for the very first appointment to have you remain in the room. For older children, you are welcome to observe or step out into our waiting room. Some parents head down to Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, or even get some shopping done in Brookline Village or Coolidge Corner.
TIP: You know your child best and we aim to have the most successful transition into therapy possible. For some children, they will do better with a parent in the room, but for other children, it's better for them to work independently. We'll take your lead on this one.
The remaining portion of the appointment will be used for assessing communication skills. This may involve administering formal testing, reviewing and comparing prior testing with current abilities through informal observations, or a combination of procedures to fully characterize your child's communication profile. Once this is complete (within 1-2 sessions), we will prepare a treatment plan and are ready to launch into weekly therapy.
At the end of the session, you will return to pick up your child and then make payment for the day's session. If you are using your insurance, this may be a co-payment or co-insurance. If you are enrolling in a private payment plan, it will be payment for all services rendered that day.
That's it. We'll plan to see you and your child the very next week at the same time and same place!