Policies & Procedures
At ZOE, our goal is to provide thoughtful, individualized, family-centered care while maintaining clear expectations around scheduling, communication, payment, and participation.
These policies help us protect the time reserved for each family and provide consistent, high-quality services.
1
Our Approach
We believe children learn communication best when therapy is engaging, meaningful, relationship-based, and connected to everyday life.
Sessions may incorporate play, movement, books, familiar routines, child interests, and developmentally appropriate activities selected to support each child’s individual goals. Positive encouragement and natural reinforcement are used throughout treatment.
Caregiver involvement is an important part of our approach. When appropriate, parents and caregivers may observe, participate in therapy, receive coaching, and learn strategies that can be incorporated into everyday routines.
Please let your clinician know about any allergies, sensory needs, behavioral considerations, cultural or linguistic preferences, or other information that may help us create a safe and supportive environment for your child.
2
Evaluation Services
Standardized and dynamic assessments inform an appropriate plan of care, and are recommended in order for clinicians to better understand your child in the diagnostic process.
Depending on the referral concern, an evaluation may assess areas including:
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Receptive and expressive language
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Speech-sound production and articulation
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Phonological development
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Social communication/pragmatics
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Fluency
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Voice
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Early communication and play
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Pre-literacy or related language skills
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Bilingual or multilingual communication development
Evaluation procedures are individualized and may include standardized testing, informal assessment, language sampling, caregiver interview, clinical observation, and review of relevant records.
Following the evaluation, findings and recommendations will be reviewed with the family. When treatment is recommended, individualized goals and an appropriate frequency of services will be discussed.
If your child has recently completed a comprehensive speech-language evaluation with another qualified provider, ZOE Speech + Language may be able to review that evaluation rather than repeat testing. The clinician will determine whether the previous evaluation contains sufficient and current information to establish an appropriate plan of care. Additional assessment or diagnostic treatment may be recommended when more information is needed.
3
Therapy Services
When therapy is recommended, frequency, session length, treatment goals, and scheduling will be determined based on your child’s clinical needs, family priorities, availability, and clinician recommendations.
Treatment is individualized and may include direct intervention as well as caregiver education and coaching.
Whenever possible, the clinician will review the following with caregivers:
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Skills addressed
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Your child’s response to treatment
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Strategies to practice at home
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Relevant questions or concerns
Due to the nature of therapy scheduling, more extensive conversations may require a separate parent consultation, phone call, or scheduled meeting. Treatment recommendations may change over time based on progress, participation, clinical findings, family priorities, or changes in your child’s needs.
4
In-Home, Preschool & Community-Based Services
ZOE Speech + Language provides mobile services in approved locations within our designated service area.
Services may take place in:
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The child’s home
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Participating preschools or childcare centers
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Other approved community settings
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Virtually, when clinically appropriate and permitted
Availability varies by location and clinician schedule.
Travel fees, when applicable, will be communicated before services begin and are outlined in the current fee schedule.
School and Preschool Sessions
When services occur at a preschool, school, or childcare facility, the parent or guardian remains responsible for notifying ZOE Speech + Language of known:
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Absences
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Vacations
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School closures
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Field trips
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Special events
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Schedule changes
If the clinician arrives for a scheduled appointment and the child is unavailable because advance notice was not provided, the appointment may be considered a late cancellation or missed appointment under the practice cancellation policy.
5
Graduation and Discharge
Treatment does not necessarily continue indefinitely.
Services may be modified, paused, or discontinued when:
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Goals have been achieved
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Skilled therapy is no longer clinically indicated
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Progress has plateaued
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Another service or provider would better meet the child’s needs
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Attendance prevents effective treatment
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The family chooses to discontinue services
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Practice policies are repeatedly not followed
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The clinician and family mutually determine that discharge is appropriate
Whenever possible, discharge planning and recommendations for continued support will be discussed with the family.
6
Billing and Payment
ZOE Speech + Language is a private-pay practice.
Payment is due at the time services are provided unless another written arrangement has been established in advance.
A valid payment method may be required to remain on file for active clients. Applicable evaluation fees, therapy rates, travel charges, consultation fees, and other service fees are outlined in the current fee schedule in the patient portal.
Accepted payment methods may include major credit/debit cards and eligible HSA/FSA payment methods.
Insurance -
ZOE Speech + Language does not bill insurance companies directly and does not guarantee insurance reimbursement.
Upon request, we may provide appropriate documentation, such as a superbill or itemized receipt, that families can independently submit to their insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Insurance coverage varies significantly by plan.
Families are responsible for:
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Verifying their own benefits
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Understanding deductibles and out-of-network requirements
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Obtaining any required authorizations
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Submitting claims
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Following up with their insurance company
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Paying ZOE Speech + Language regardless of whether reimbursement is received
Provision of a superbill does not guarantee that an insurance carrier will reimburse services.
You may wish to ask your insurance company:
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Does my plan include out-of-network speech-language pathology benefits?
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Is a referral or prior authorization required?
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What is my deductible?
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What percentage of the allowed amount is reimbursed after my deductible?
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Are there visit limits?
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Are there diagnosis or CPT-code restrictions?
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What documentation is required for reimbursement?
Common speech-language pathology codes may include 92522, 92523, and 92507, although the code used depends on the services actually provided.
7
Attendance and Cancellation Policies
Your appointment time is reserved specifically for your child. Consistent attendance also supports continuity of care and allows your clinician to plan treatment appropriately.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please provide at least 24 hours notice.
Appointments cancelled after the required notice period, as well as missed appointments without notice, are subject to a fee as outlined in the patient portal.
Cancellation fees are not billable to insurance.
Exceptions may be considered for genuine emergencies or circumstances at the discretion of the practice.
Whenever scheduling permits, families may request a makeup session. Makeup appointments are based on clinician availability and cannot be guaranteed.
Repeated Cancellations & Attendance
Regular attendance is important for maintaining therapeutic continuity.
ZOE Speech + Language reserves a recurring appointment time specifically for each established client. Repeated cancellations, frequent rescheduling, or missed appointments may make it difficult to maintain that reserved time.
If attendance becomes inconsistent, the clinician may discuss:
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A different appointment time
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Reduced frequency
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Moving to an as-available scheduling model
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A temporary treatment pause
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Discharge from services
A recurring appointment may be released when attendance is no longer consistent enough to support treatment or scheduling requirements.
If your family anticipates an extended absence, please notify the practice as early as possible so scheduling options can be discussed.
Late Arrivals
Please arrive or be available at the scheduled start time.
If a child arrives late, the clinician will generally provide services during the remaining portion of the scheduled appointment so that subsequent families are not delayed and the full session fee may still apply.
If the delay is significant enough that meaningful treatment cannot be provided, the appointment may be treated as a missed session according to the cancellation policy.
