Frequently Asked Questions

What ages do you work with?

Pre-K through 12th grade. Since spoken language is the foundation for written language, future reading problems can often be helped through early language and pre-literacy intervention in the Pre-K years.

What sets you apart from other reading tutors or coaches?

As a professionally licensed and certified speech-language pathologist with additional expertise in reading and writing, I look at the deep connections between language and literacy. I place a high value on listening carefully to each family’s history, concerns, and goals. You will not find a one-size-fits-all type of assessment here and I will work closely with your family to make an accurate diagnosis if needed, and understand how to best help your child.

As each family has different concerns and goals, I offer choices for assessment types ranging from comprehensive evaluations that include written reports and follow-up meetings, to placement evaluations only that get students right into daily work with a minimum of formal assessments. I am happy to talk with you about the options! Please contact me to inquire or schedule a Discovery Session to get started today.

Where do you offer services?

I offer online services to make scheduling and life easier for families. I also offer in-person services for families in Kalamazoo-Portage and have several options for locations. I am happy to work with what is convenient and comfortable for your family.

How does online reading instruction work?

Sessions happen on a secure, FERPA and HIPPA compliant platform that is designed by and for speech and language therapy. It is filled with fun and engaging activities for students to do much of the same work they would be doing in-person. You will receive an email about how to set this up and log in prior to the first session. If your child is young or needs support for online tasks, please plan to attend alongside your child or be nearby during sessions.

Some of the tools I use are low-tech or hands-on and if your child would benefit from these, I will provide the necessary items so that your child can use these while in our sessions. Examples of these are magnetic letters and a magnet board, play dough and a tool for shaping the dough, or a white board and markers. Other tools and programs I use are available digitally, so I often present lessons right in the video call and have your child clicking or writing responses on their computer or tablet. Touch screens with a stylus are great combination of hands-on and screen, so kids still get the physical motion of handwriting and the fun and ease of the screen.

Does my child need reading help?

This is such an important and complex question! If you are concerned about your child's language or literacy skills, a Discovery Session is the best place to start.

Discovery Sessions begin the moment you schedule with an online form for you to provide information and background about your child and your questions/concerns. Based on your answers, I will select some screening tools (quick assessments that show whether a child needs a more in-depth evaluation) to use during the Discovery Session with your family. The online form and the screenings together typically provide enough information that I am able to give recommendations and a plan to move forward during the Discovery Session. Sometimes the answer is that your child is right on track and there is no need for concern. Other times the results allow us to focus in on the specific needs of your child and plan the next step to getting them the right help.

Thankfully language and reading screeners are highly accurate from a young age and easy to complete. Among others, I currently use the Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener to look at literacy skills in children as young as 5 years old.

What does a typical session look like?

Of course the lessons will look and feel different based on a child’s age and goals, but below are some sample activities:

Listening/Phonemic Awareness Playing with sounds in words with the goal of paying close attention to them and being able to pull them apart like “c-a-t” or blend them together like “cat.”
Writing/Orthography Speech-to-print practice. Your child will learn strategies for spelling that will help them greatly when reading. Spelling is the inverse of reading, so they pair very well.
Word & Sentence Reading/Fluency Practice Using word lists and sentences that incorporate familiar sounds and spellings to build fluency and automaticity. This also gives opportunities to address vocabulary and understanding the meaning of new words.
Reading/Comprehension This is the big goal, right?! Doing this together in sessions helps boost confidence and practice strategies to decode tricky words or work through frustration. I use a variety of carefully chosen books for this task, since it is important that the book is at the right level for your child - mostly readable with a few challenges thrown in. If it’s too easy, they’re bored, if it’s too hard, they’re frustrated. For a lot of kids, reading a story together is a great motivator at the end of the other work!
Many activities that we do involve several of the above skills at the same time - keeping it interesting and challenging!

How much do your services cost?

For simplicity, I offer two basic options:

Services by the hour. Individual sessions are priced at $120 per hour and can be scheduled as full hour, half hour, or 20 minute sessions. Lots of flexibility offered to help find what fits your child best! Whether you decide on hourly or monthly services, both paths start here with a Discovery Session.
Services by the month. While this comprehensive option is a bigger commitment, it’s also more cost-effective and the better choice for most students. It provides “wrap around services” that help bring families into partnership with the work their student is doing. Go team! Learn more here.
Comprehensive Evaluations are also available. These are individualized and thorough evaluations for students who have not been assessed previously and need an in-depth understanding of their language and literacy skills. This option includes 3-5 hours testing, full analysis of data collected and diagnosis if appropriate, formal written outcomes report with recommendations, and a follow-up meeting or call to go over the results with the family and/or student. Please inquire if this sounds like what you are looking for.
À la carte options are also available: meetings with families or teachers, advocacy needs, professional development trainings, etc. I aim to streamline services for families - please contact me to inquire if you have questions about an option that you don’t see here!

Do you accept insurance?

I am not a contracted provider with insurance companies; however, if your child has a speech or language diagnosis (including dyslexia), I am happy to provide a comprehensive bill for you to submit to your insurance company.