Starting speech therapy for your child can come with a lot of questions. This FAQ page is here to help Calgary families understand our in-home and virtual speech therapy services, how sessions work, what our approach looks like, and what to expect when getting started.
If you don’t see your question here, please reach out. We’re happy to help you figure out the next step for your child and family.
ROCKY VIEW SPEECH THERAPY
Speech Therapy FAQs for Calgary Families
GETTING
STARTED
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To book your first session, please complete our contact form. This helps us learn more about your child, your location, your availability, and the type of support you’re looking for. Once we receive your form, a member of our team will follow up to answer your questions, discuss availability, and help determine whether we have an SLP who may be a good fit for your family.
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No referral is required to start speech therapy with Rocky View Speech Therapy. If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language, or communication skills, you can contact us directly by completing our contact form. Once we receive your form, our team will review your child’s needs, answer your questions, and let you know the next steps for assessment or personalized therapy.
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If you’re concerned about your child’s speech, language, or communication development, it is reasonable to reach out. You do not need to wait until you are certain there is a delay.
Your child may benefit from speech therapy if they are not using as many words as expected, are difficult to understand, seem frustrated when communicating, have trouble following directions, are not combining words, stutter, or have difficulty interacting or playing with others.
Our team can help you understand whether your child’s skills are developing as expected and whether assessment or therapy would be helpful.
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During your first session, your SLP will spend time getting to know your child and learning more about your concerns, goals, and priorities. Depending on your child’s needs, the session may include play-based observation, parent questions, informal assessment, and/or standardized assessment activities.
Your SLP will look at your child’s strengths, communication skills, and areas where support may be helpful. You’ll also have time to ask questions and share anything you think is important.
At the end of the session, your SLP will talk with you about initial impressions, recommended next steps, and what therapy could look like for your child.
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We provide in-home speech therapy across Calgary, including NW, SW, SE, and NE communities.
We also support some families in surrounding areas, including Airdrie, Cochrane, Langdon, Chestermere, and nearby communities, depending on SLP availability and location.
Because our services are delivered in your home or community, availability can vary by neighbourhood. If you’re unsure whether we serve your area, please complete our contact form and we’ll confirm whether we have an SLP available near you.
If in-home services are not available in your area, virtual speech therapy may be an option for families located anywhere in Alberta.
SERVICES &
APPROACH
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Most sessions take place in your home. Our SLPs come to you so your child can participate in speech therapy in a familiar, comfortable environment.
Depending on your child’s needs and your SLP’s availability, sessions may also take place in a community setting, such as a daycare, preschool, or other agreed-upon location.
We also offer virtual speech therapy for families who prefer online sessions or who live outside our in-home service area.
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We work primarily with children, from toddlers through teens, and support a wide range of speech, language, communication, fluency, literacy, AAC, and social communication needs.
We also provide services for some adult clients, depending on the area of concern, therapist availability, and whether our team is the right fit. If you’re unsure whether we can support you or your child, please complete our contact form and we’ll let you know the next best step.
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Neurodiversity-affirming speech therapy means supporting communication in a way that respects each child’s strengths, needs, preferences, and communication style.
We do not aim to make children appear “less autistic” or force communication that feels unnatural. Instead, we focus on helping children communicate more effectively, comfortably, and authentically. This may include supporting spoken language, AAC, gestures, play, self-advocacy, social communication, and regulation.
Multiple members of our team have completed the Meaningful Speech course, which provides additional training in supporting gestalt language processors and neurodiverse children.
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Play-based speech therapy uses toys, games, books, movement, and everyday routines to support communication in a way that feels natural for children.
During play, your SLP can model language, encourage new sounds or words, support turn-taking, build understanding, and help your child practise communication skills in meaningful situations. Sessions are tailored to your child’s interests, goals, and developmental level.
The goal is not just to “play,” but to use play intentionally so your child can build communication skills that carry over into daily life.
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Yes. With your consent, we can collaborate with other professionals involved in your child’s care, such as teachers, occupational therapists, psychologists, physical therapists, physicians, and other service providers.
Collaboration may include sharing goals, discussing strategies, providing updates, attending team meetings, or helping ensure your child is supported consistently across home, school, therapy, and community settings.
Before we communicate with anyone outside of Rocky View Speech Therapy, we will ask for your written permission.
SESSION
DETAILS
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Therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes. The exact structure may vary depending on your child’s age, attention, goals, and needs.
Each session also includes 10 minutes of indirect clinical time. This may be used for documentation, planning, reviewing goals, preparing recommendations, and coordinating next steps so your child’s therapy remains individualized and productive.
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Therapy frequency depends on your child’s needs, goals, age, and availability. Many children start with weekly sessions, as this allows for consistency, relationship-building, and regular practice.
Some children may benefit from more or less frequent support depending on their communication needs, progress, family schedule, and funding. Your SLP will discuss recommendations with you and adjust the plan as needed over time.
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During a typical session, your child will participate in activities chosen to match their age, interests, goals, and communication needs. This may include play, books, games, conversation, movement, structured practice, or everyday routines.
Your SLP will model strategies, support your child’s communication, and help build skills in a way that feels meaningful and engaging. Caregiver involvement is often part of the session so you know how to support your child between appointments.
Your SLP will also share updates, recommendations, and home practice ideas as therapy progresses.
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ItemFormal written reports are not automatically included with speech therapy services. Your SLP will share information with you throughout therapy, including observations, goals, recommendations, and home practice ideas.
If you need a formal report for FSCD, school, another professional, insurance, or your own records, please let us know. Reports can be completed upon request and involve an additional fee depending on the type of report needed.
PAYMENT & COVERAGE
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Speech therapy sessions are $150 per 50-minute session. Each session also includes 10 minutes of indirect clinical time for documentation, planning, goal review, and recommendations.
For in-home sessions, a mileage fee is added based on your location. We will confirm any expected mileage fees before sessions begin.
Payment is collected by credit card, and receipts are provided for insurance or funding reimbursement. If you have questions about fees, funding, or whether we may be a good fit, please complete our contact form.
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Yes. We work with families who use FSCD funding for speech therapy.
Please note that our session rate is higher than the FSCD reimbursement rate, so families are responsible for paying the difference.
We provide receipts that families can submit for reimbursement, and we’re happy to answer questions about how our services may fit with your FSCD contract.
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No, we do not bill insurance companies directly. Families are responsible for payment, and we provide receipts that can be submitted to extended health benefits or other funding sources for reimbursement.
Coverage varies by plan, so we recommend checking with your insurance provider to confirm whether speech-language pathology services are included and what documentation they require.
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We ask families to provide at least 24 hours’ notice if they need to cancel or reschedule a session. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice may be charged the full session fee.
If your child is unable to participate in an in-person session, we may be able to offer a virtual session or parent phone consultation instead, depending on the situation and your SLP’s availability.
Because our SLPs reserve this time for your family and often plan travel around in-home sessions, short-notice cancellations are difficult to fill. This policy helps us protect therapist time and keep appointment availability consistent for all families.
