Frequently Asked Questions

We provide pediatric speech and occupational therapy for children, teens, and young adults. Our therapists support a wide range of communication, sensory, motor, regulation, executive functioning, and daily living needs. Visit our Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy pages to learn more about how we can support your child.

Children begin developing communication skills long before they say their first words. Many babies start babbling around 6 months and say their first words around their first birthday. By age two, many children are starting to combine words into short phrases.

You can explore more communication milestones by age here.

You may consider consulting a speech-language pathologist if your child:

• is difficult for others to understand
• is not using as many words as other children their age
• is not combining words into short phrases or sentences
• has difficulty understanding directions or questions
• becomes frustrated when trying to communicate
• stutters or repeats sounds or words frequently

You can also check our Communication Milestones to see what skills are typical at different ages.

Occupational therapy supports children with skills needed for play, learning, and daily routines. A child may benefit from OT if they:

• have difficulty using utensils, crayons, or scissors
• struggle with coordination or motor planning
• have strong reactions to sounds, textures, or movement
• become easily frustrated during play or daily tasks
• have difficulty playing or interacting with other children

Please see our Occupational Therapy page for more information.

Getting started is easy. Complete our online form or give us a call to request a free screening or full evaluation. If you’re not sure what your child needs, that’s okay. Our team can help you determine the best next step.

In many cases, a referral is not required to schedule an evaluation. However, some insurance plans do require one. We can help you determine what your plan requires prior to beginning services.

During the evaluation, your therapist will get to know your child’s strengths and areas where they may need additional support. Depending on your child’s needs, the evaluation may include play-based activities, observation, formal testing, and conversation with you about your child’s development and your concerns.

Afterward, your therapist will review the results with you and provide a written report with recommendations, including whether therapy may be helpful and what we would work on together.

We work with children and young adults from birth through age 21. If you’re unsure whether The Madison Center is the right fit, reach out and we’d be happy to talk with you.

Therapy frequency depends on your child’s needs and the therapist’s recommendations. Many children attend therapy once or twice per week. Progress in therapy is reviewed every 3 months.

Session length may vary depending on the service and insurance coverage, but most sessions are typically 30–60 minutes.

Yes. Many children benefit from both school-based and private therapy. Private therapy can provide additional individualized support and may target goals that are not addressed in the school setting.

We work with many major insurance providers, including Medical Assistance (MA). Coverage and network status can vary by insurance plan, so we recommend checking your specific benefits. Our team also completes a benefits check before therapy begins and is happy to help answer questions about coverage.

The exact cost depends on your insurance plan and benefits. Because claims are processed after services are provided, we cannot know the exact cost ahead of time.

Yes. Families may choose private pay if they prefer not to use insurance or if services are not covered. Please contact us to inquire about current private pay rates.