Speech-language services.

Toddler plays with barn animals with speech-language therapist.

In-Clinic and Online Appointments

Come visit us at our Point Loma office! In addition to clinic appointments, North Star’s online services make it easy for your child to receive an evaluation and therapy on your schedule. We accept Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) payments, self-determination program (SDP) payments, health savings account (HSA) payments, flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and private pay. Our rates are as follows

25 minutes: $67.50 -$75
50 minutes: $135 -$150
Evaluation: $310 -$350

Prices include prompt pay discount for HSA, FSA, and private pay when payment is made on the day-of the appointment.

Each speech-language therapy appointment includes individualized, evidence-based treatment, parent coaching, and a personalized home plan.

Dr. Katherine, a speech pathologist, explains language strategies to parent.

Speech-Language Parent Coaching

Research evidence suggests that children with speech and language delays and disorders whose parents receive parent coaching make faster progress that children whose parents don’t. Most speech-language therapy includes parent education, where the therapist might speak with you for a few minutes at the end of the appointment and give you a handout with strategies to practice at home. Parent coaching is different. During parent coaching, you are included as an active participant throughout each speech-language therapy appointment. North Star’s parent coaching includes didactic instruction, opportunities to practice with your child, self-reflection, and feedback. If your child already receives speech-language therapy with a different provider and/or you prefer to receive weekly therapy from an in-network provider, supplemental parent coaching, once or twice per month, can help you learn strategies to speed your child’s progress, reduce stress, and feel empowered in how to guide your child.

Contact us for more information.

A child touches an iPad that is on a table top.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Evaluations

North Star completes evaluations for speech generating devices (SGDs) for Tricare Prime and Tricare Select enrollees. We can also complete evaluations and make recommendations for individuals who wish to self-fund purchase of a speech generating device.

In addition, North Star is thrilled to partner with the California Department of Rehabilitation to offer access to the Voice Options Program through a grant from the CA Public Utilities Commission. Through Voice Options, any Californian who is nonspeaking, nonverbal, or has difficulty communication can receive a free augmentative-alternative communication device and up to three house of training or therapy. Read more about the Voice Options Program and how you can get a free iPad with an AAC app (such as TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life, TD Snap, Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4Text) to use as an AAC device.

Contact us for more information.

Child sits on floor and plays with toy, speech-language pathologist holds toys.

Speech-Language Evaluations

North Star assesses and diagnoses language impairment and delay, speech sound disorder, and childhood apraxia of speech. North Star’s speech-language experts have extensive experience evaluating children, including those diagnosed with autism, minimally verbal or nonverbal communicators, and children from 12 months to adulthood. An initial speech-language evaluation has several purposes:

  1. Determine if your child’s skills are age-appropriate

  2. Decide if North Star can meet your child’s needs

  3. Make recommendations about necessary services

  4. Establish goals for therapy.

All evaluations include 50 minutes with your child/family and a comprehensive evaluation report.

Evaluations can be conducted online or in-clinic. Learn more about our evaluations, schedule an evaluation now, or contact us for more information.

During virtual speech-language therapy appointment, mother and teenage son laugh, speech pathologist (inset) coaches parent.

Speech-Language Therapy

The goal of speech therapy is to bring your child’s skills to an age-appropriate range. Speech-language therapy looks like play, but it’s play with a purpose. At North Star, your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) will use toys, books, and games to engage your child while coaching parents or caregivers in speech-language facilitation skills.

North Star specializes in speech-language pathology and parent coaching for: early intervention (babies and toddlers), children diagnosed with autism and early signs of autism, speech sound disorders, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), child language disorders, minimally-verbal children or nonverbal children, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users.

Learn more about speech-language therapy, schedule an appointment now, or contact us for more information..

Not sure about online therapy? Check out our blog post for more information about how online therapy works even for very young children, autistic children, and children with attention difficulties.

Two people sit and face each other. Their bodies and hands are visible but not their heads.

Gender Expansive Voice Therapy

North Star’s voice therapist, Olivia, provides gender expansive voice therapy for individuals experiencing voice incongruence. Gender-affirming voice therapy teaches transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) folks techniques to safely make changes to communication patterns to be congruent with your gender identity.

Contact us for more information!