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Frequently Asked Questions

Insurance

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Will insurance cover my therapy services?
Several health plans reimburse members for services. The Alfano Center is in-network with Medicaid with United Healthcare, Staywell/Wellcare, Miami Children's, and Children's Medical Services (CMS). All other insurances must be contacted to see if they will reimburse you for your sessions. We require upfront payment for your sessions, and then provide you with a Superbill that contains all the information you need to send to your insurance for reimbursement directly to you. If your insurance does not cover speech and occupational therapy, we offer a sliding scale fee where you may qualify for a discount based on your family income and number of people in the household.

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We accept cash, checks, and credit cards as payment for services. Additionally, a 10% discount is available for sessions that are paid for the month in advance.

Speech Therapy

 

How do I know if my child needs speech evaluation?
If your child has difficulty communicating and is becoming frustrated; or if you, your child's pediatrician, or your child's teacher has concerns regarding your child's development, an evaluation should be considered.

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Can my accent be reduced? 

Yes, speech therapists can assist in accent reduction.

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Do I need a prescription for therapy?

In most cases, a referral from the physician is needed.

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Should I be worried if my two-year-old isn't talking?

Children at two years of age are typically starting to combine two-word sentences, such as, "more milk" or "no juice." If you feel your child's vocabulary is limited or they are not combining words, an evaluation may be indicated.

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Will it be a problem if my child is learning two languages at the same time?

A child learning two languages (or three or four for that matter) is very fortunate. Being able to communicate is important in every language in his/her environment. Most children do this easily. Research shows that learning more than one language does not "confuse" children. It is a good practice, however, not to speak to your child by mixing two languages at once so as to be a good model for your child.

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Could my child's multiple ear infections affect his speech?

Yes, it is possible that his speech could be affected if he is not hearing speech well due to ear infections.

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Does a learning disability mean that a person has low intelligence?

No, not at all. A learning disability, by definition, means that a person has a significant discrepancy between their abilities in a specific learning area, such as reading or mathematics, and his/her general intelligence. Thus, a person with a learning disability usually has an IQ indicative of an average intelligence or higher and a deficit in such an area. Many individuals with learning disabilities are able to become very successful in their academic endeavors and occupations.

Occupational Therapy

 

What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy helps people improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments.

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Occupational therapy practitioners work with individuals of all ages who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. They help individuals to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and working skills. Occupational therapy practitioners not only help individuals to improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also compensate for permanent loss of function.

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How do physical therapy and occupational therapy differ?

Although both types of therapy help individuals improve the quality of their lives, there are differences.

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Physical therapy helps individuals to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.  Physical therapists provide care to people who have functional problems resulting from back and neck injuries, sprains/strains and fractures, arthritis, burns, amputations, stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, and injuries related to work and sports.

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In contrast, occupational therapy addresses fine motor skills, visual-perceptual skills, behavior, cognitive skills, social and play skills, and sensory-processing deficits.​

Bilingualism

 

Can children with special needs become bilingual?

Research on children with special needs points to the fact that children with special needs and learning difficulties can become bilingual if they are exposed to them. Children with special needs can reach the same potential in both languages, but requires them to have full support in both of their languages. 

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Does bilingualism cause language confusion?

No, bilingualism doesn't cause language confusion. Research indicates that as long as the child is receiving good language models they will not be confused. 

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What language should I speak to my child?

You should speak the language(s) that you are fluent in. It is very difficult for a parent to provide good language models to their children when they are speaking a language they are not fluent in. English-only practices in families who are still learning English are not providing riche language models.

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What language should therapy be in?​

Therapy will be provided in the language(s) that the child is being raised in and can be offered in more than one language.

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