Frequently Asked Questions

Your child’s speech therapist brings necessary materials, usually consisting of 3-5 of your child’s favorite toys or activities. Parents and caregivers can choose to sit in and observe, actively participate, or listen from the next room. The last five minutes of each session are reserved for session updates, recommendations, and clean-up. 

In-home speech therapy is effective and provides truly natural opportunities for your child to work on their speech goals. Speech therapists enjoy working in-home because it gives perspective into your child’s everyday life and environment which helps us choose meaningful goals. 

Gestalt language processors (GLPs) learn language in longer “chunks” or scripts (often from shows, songs, other children, or adults) before they are ready for flexible, self‑generated sentences. 

A speech therapist trained in working with GLPs will follow your child’s lead, use comments and narration instead of rapid-fire questions, and model language according to your child’s GLP stage.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to be as involved as they would like to be. Some children really benefit from having mom or dad join in, while others prefer their time with clinician only. At Speech Therapy Wheelhouse, we’re open to whatever option works best for you and your child’s goals.

Speech Therapy Wheelhouse offers 30- and 45-minute sessions. The last five minutes of each session are reserved for updates, recommendations, and clean-up. Your speech therapist will recommend 30- or 45-minutes based on observations during the initial evaluation, as well as your input. 

The frequency of therapy depends on your child’s needs. Your speech therapist will recommend a weekly frequency based on observations of your child and your input. Most frequently, children benefit from at least two sessions per week to see meaningful progress. 

Complimentary progress reports are completed every 6 months which will provide a detailed summary of your child’s progress relative to their speech goals. Goals and techniques are adjusted based on your child’s response to therapy. 

We currently travel throughout Northern New Jersey for in-home, daycare, or private school sessions, with a focus on families in Bergen, Passaic, and Morris counties.

Your speech therapist will provide individualized speech and language strategies that you can use to support your child’s communication skills. We love when parents are clear about the level of support they would like to receive. Some parents appreciate a simple strategy and example while others prefer more detailed recommendations. Let us know!

Our lead speech therapist, Tiffany Rodriguez, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech‑language pathologist with specialized training and experience in pediatric speech and language, including kids who move, play, and communicate in their own unique ways. She has worked with toddlers through school‑age children and regularly supports families navigating things like language delays, speech sound challenges, autism, and complex regulation needs.

Our speech evaluations are typically completed in two parts: 1) parent interview and intake information, 2) child assessment.

The parent interview and intake information gives us valuable insights into your child’s speech & language history, how they presently communicate, and what their interests and preferences are.

Once we have this information, we schedule the in-person assessment with your child. There is no pressure during assessments. We are simply making clinical observations about how your child communicates and how they respond to therapy techniques. We value descriptive assessment measures over standardized testing which relieves some pressure and gives us truly functional and meaningful insights about your child.

All evaluations are followed up with a detailed report and treatment plan that includes goals.

Goals are always individualized. We look at your child’s strengths, your priorities, and what will actually make daily life easier for your family. From there, we decide together on a starting schedule (for example, weekly in‑home sessions), and we revisit frequency as your child grows and needs change.

Speech Therapy Wheelhouse is a private‑pay practice, which means families pay directly at the time of service. For many families, we provide a detailed receipt called a “superbill” that can be submitted to your insurance company, which may reimburse you for part of the cost depending on your out‑of‑network benefits.

Life with kids is unpredictable, and we build that reality into our policies while also protecting consistent therapy time for all families. We ask for as much notice as possible for schedule changes, have a clear window for canceling without a fee, and outline how late cancellations, no‑shows, and repeated missed sessions are handled so there are no surprises.

You won’t need to guess. We’ll talk regularly about what you’re seeing at home and what we’re seeing in sessions. Your speech therapist will point out small but important changes (like less frustration or more attempts to connect), adjust goals when needed, and make sure you always understand how therapy is supporting your child’s bigger communication picture.