Question 1

What does a speech-language pathologist do?

Accepted Answer

When most people think about speech-language pathologists (SLPs) they probably think of someone who helps people who stutter or have a lisp. While it’s true that SLPs do help with those issues, the scope of practice is much broader.
 
Speech-language pathologists can help with:
Speech delays and disorders, including articulation, phonology and motor speech disorders including Apraxia.
Language delays and disorders, including expression and comprehension in oral and non-verbal contexts.
Fluency disorders, including stuttering/stammering.
Voice and resonance disorders.
Swallowing and feeding disorders in adults, children and infants.
Cognitive and social communicative disorders including social communication skills, reasoning, problem solving and executive functions.
Pre-literacy and literacy skills, including phonological awareness, decoding, reading comprehension and writing.
Communication and swallowing disorders related to other issues. For example, hearing impairments, traumatic brain injury, dementia, developmental, intellectual or genetic disorders and neurological impairments.

Question 2

Do I have to be referred by my doctor/fastlege?

Accepted Answer

No, SLPs can assess and treat without a referral. However, some health insurers require a doctor's referral before they authorize fees.

Question 3

What ages do you work with?

Accepted Answer

I specalize in treatment for children from 18 months to 18 years.
 
Treatment is provided to adults on a case-by-case basis. If you are an adult seeking treatment please get in touch and we can discuss your specific needs.

Question 4

Where does therapy take place?

Accepted Answer

I provide in-home and at-school/kindergarten/barnehage speech and language therapy.
 
Therapy conducted in the child’s natural setting – whether it be home, kindergarten or school – provides the most comfortable possible learning atmosphere for the child. The familiarity of the space allows him/her to fully focus on the activity at hand and seamlessly integrate the learned skills into a daily context. It also generally includes the involvement of the parents, caregivers, or educators who are able to learn carryover strategies to support the child’s continued progress between therapy sessions.

Question 5

My child does not speak English fluently or speaks a language other than English. Can you still help them with communication?

Accepted Answer

Yes!
 
I have worked with many children who are attending an English school and are in the process of acquiring English fluency. Participating in speech and language therapy helps to increase both receptive and expressive language abilities in multilingual children as well increase their potential for successful communication.
 
If your child does not speak English I also offer parent training services.

Question 6

My child speaks two or more languages. Will this cause a speech delay?

Accepted Answer

While language delays can still occur in multilingual children, multilingualism itself is not the cause.

However, if your child has been exposed to several languages, but does not demonstrate age-appropriate fluency in any of them, it would be good to have an evaluation to determine if there is an underlying cause for their difficulty in acquiring language.

Question 7

How many speech therapy sessions will my child need?

Accepted Answer

Therapy duration is dependent on a number of factors:
Type and level of impairment (clients with significant disabilities such Autism Spectrum Disorder or developmental disorders will receive ongoing support and treatment vs. clients with articulation disorders, who are in therapy for a short number of weeks/months)
Existence of additional support services (is the child receiving additional therapies, level of support at school/kindergarten/barnehage, PPT, etc.?)
Parental involvement (supervision of homework, reinforcement of current skills)
Client motivation

Question 8

Do you accept insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes!
 
While I do not work directly with insurance I am familiar with providing the documentation necessary for you to submit to your provider for reimbursement.

Question 9

I think my child needs speech therapy. Where do I begin?

Accepted Answer

You can book a free consultation here. You can also give me a call at 415 05 496 or send me an email at stavangerspeech@gmail.com
 
I look forward to hearing from you.

Frequently asked questions

What does a speech-language pathologist do?

Do I have to be referred by my doctor/fastlege?

What ages do you work with?

Where does therapy take place?

My child does not speak English fluently or speaks a language other than English. Can you still help them with communication?

My child speaks two or more languages. Will this cause a speech delay?

How many speech therapy sessions will my child need?

Do you accept insurance?

I think my child needs speech therapy. Where do I begin?