Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- Articulation disorders
- Childhood apraxia of speech
- Phonological disorders
- Language delays
- Expressive/receptive language disorders
- Alternative and augmentative communication devices
- Fluency (stuttering)
- Noxious oral habits (i.e., thumb sucking, prolonged pacifier use, etc.)
- Tongue thrust
- Feeding disorders
Yes, we require a referral from the child’s primary care provider.
We work with people from toddlerhood through young adulthood.
Yes. We are in-network with the following insurance companies:
- Regence BlueShield of Idaho
- Blue Cross of Idaho
- St. Alphonsus Health Alliance
- St. Luke’s Health Partners/Select Medical Network of Idaho
- United Healthcare (UHC Optum Physical Health Commercial)
- Aetna™
- Cigna Healthcare™
- Tricare® West/Health Net Federal Services
- Medicaid
Please note: We currently do not accept Medicare.
Yes. Please contact us directly for specific rates.
There are key ways you can support your child in therapy! Actively participating in sessions will allow you to learn the strategies that your speech therapist is using so that you can replicate these techniques at home with your child. Consistent practice at home will ensure the best outcome for your child. Keeping open communication with your child’s therapist allows you to stay informed about your child’s progress, goals, and any challenges that may arise. You are an important part of your child’s team and can have a significant impact on your child’s development.
The length of time a child will need speech therapy varies widely based on several factors, such as the nature and severity of the speech and/or language difficulty, your child’s age, the frequency of therapy recommended, the presence of other conditions, and family involvement.
Evaluations
An evaluation is typically 60-90 minutes in length.
A speech and language evaluation is an assessment designed to understand your child’s communication abilities and challenges, including speech, language, voice, fluency, and social communication.
A speech-language pathologist will ask questions about your child’s medical, developmental, educational, and social history. The therapist should review speech developmental milestones, your communication concerns for your child, and how communication impacts everyday life. You can best prepare for an evaluation by bringing any relevant medical or education reports, listing any observations about communication challenges, and identifying what you hope to learn from the evaluation.
A feeding evaluation assesses how your child eats, including the physical, sensory, and behavioral aspects of eating and swallowing. A speech-language pathologist will ask questions about your child’s medical history and review feeding milestones, current eating habits, growth, and any swallowing difficulties you may be observing.
You can best prepare for an evaluation by bringing any relevant medical reports, listing any observations about feeding challenges, and identifying what you hope to learn from the evaluation.
We use a simple five-step process.
- Before calling our office, please have a copy of your insurance card available to share with a member of our staff. When you call, we will ask a few questions about your child to determine if we have the services your child needs.
- Call your primary care physician’s office and request that they send a referral to RISE Pediatric Therapies. Our fax number is (208) 467-1462.
- Once we have received the referral, we will send you a link to our electronic medical record system to complete our intake paperwork. After the paperwork has been completed, we’ll schedule your initial evaluation appointment. The intake packet must be completed by 6p.m. the day before your evaluation. If it is not completed, we will need to reschedule your evaluation.
- Should you have any questions or difficulties completing the intake packet, please call our office as soon as possible.
- Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to ensure all paperwork is completed and all documents are signed and dated.
Feeding Therapy
Feeding therapy focuses on supporting children who experience difficulties with eating, feeding, and/or swallowing. It focuses on improving your child’s ability to eat a variety of foods safely and comfortably, fostering a positive mealtime experience. Feeding therapy is beneficial from infancy through early childhood and can support a wide range of feeding challenges, including:
- Poor weight gain;
- Aversion to certain textures, smells, and colors of food;
- Gagging or vomiting when introduced to new foods;
- Difficulty with swallowing, chewing, or biting;
- Weakness in oral muscles affecting the ability to manage food;
- Reflux or gastrointestinal disorders that impact feeding;
- Children with neurological conditions that affect motor control; and
- Children with cleft palate or other craniofacial differences.
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on retraining the muscles of the mouth, face, and throat to improve their function. This type of therapy aims to correct improper oral habits and muscle patterns that can affect breathing, speech, chewing, swallowing, and even sleep.
Myofunctional therapy is beneficial for children, teenagers, and young adults. It typically involves an individualized exercise program where your child practices specific movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and throat. These exercises aim to build awareness, strength, and coordination of the tongue, lips, and other facial muscles. Sessions may include habit-reversal techniques such as reducing thumb sucking.
Speech & Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders in children. This therapy can help your child develop effective communication skills, including speech, language, voice, fluency, and social communication.
A speech and language therapy session follows a structured but flexible format that supports your child’s individual needs, developmental level, and goals. When working with your child, your therapist will utilize play-based strategies and follow your child’s motivation. Activities vary depending on the goals being addressed, but therapy often utilizes toys, puzzles, and games that keep your child engaged.
In speech and language therapy, the specific skills worked on vary depending on your child’s individual needs. A speech-language pathologist can support your child’s communication skills by teaching:
- Articulation (i.e., producing sounds correctly),
- Expressive language skills to use words, sentences, and grammar effectively,
- Receptive language skills to strengthen your child’s understanding of language, such as following directions,
- Appropriate use of social language,
- Strategies to help a child with a stutter become a confident communicator, and
- Augmentative-alternative communication,
- Childhood apraxia of speech, and
- Phonological disorders.
Speech and language therapy sessions are typically 30–45 minutes in length. Frequency and duration of treatment is recommended based on a child’s individual needs. These recommendations are based on a formal evaluation.
Yes.
When your child participates in speech and language therapy, the end goal is to help improve your child’s ability to understand and use language, produce sounds correctly in words, and develop social communication skills that are necessary for interacting with others and building friendships.
Occupational Therapy
Pediatric occupational therapy focuses on helping your child develop the skills they need to perform daily activities for their age (i.e., handwriting, dressing, and using scissors). A pediatric occupational therapist can also support your child in developing their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing and integration, visual-perceptual skills, hand-eye coordination, and emotional regulation.
We primarily focus on early intervention (below 5 years of age) but do serve children into adolescence.
Services are available in our clinic.
There are key ways you can support your child in therapy! Actively participating in sessions will allow you to learn the strategies that your occupational therapist is using so that you can implement these techniques at home with your child. You play a vital role in helping your child through consistency and practice at home. Keeping open communication with your child’s therapist allows you to stay informed about your child’s progress, goals, and any challenges that may arise.
An occupational therapy session follows a structured, but flexible, format that supports your child’s individual needs, developmental level, and goals. When working with your child, your therapist will utilize play-based strategies and follow your child’s motivation. Activities vary depending on the areas being addressed, but therapy often involves activities that keep your child engaged.
A pediatric occupational therapist can work with your child in the following ways:
- Developing hand/finger strength and coordination for writing, buttoning, and using utensils (fine motor skills),
- Enhancing coordination, balance, and strength for running, jumping, and climbing (gross motor skills),
- Sensory processing and integration,
- Self-care skills (i.e., dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting),
- Visual-perceptual skills that improve your child’s ability to read and write,
- Emotional regulation,
- Hand-eye coordination, and
- Adaptive equipment training.
Yes, most insurance companies require a referral from your pediatrician for occupational therapy.
Occupational therapy sessions are typically 30-60 minutes and are usually recommended for three to six months at a time.
Occupational therapy sessions can be recommended 1-3 times per week. These recommendations are based on a formal evaluation.
When your child participates in occupational therapy, the end goal is helping your child be more independent in completing daily activities, building strength/coordination to complete fine motor/gross motor tasks, improving coordination, and developing the ability to manage their emotions so they can participate fully in activities at home, in school, and in the community.