Making a Referral to Speech Geek

When should I refer a child or an adult for an evaluation?

Are you a parent or an early childhood professional looking for answers? Are you a family member of a stroke survivor seeking help? Who do I refer for speech evaluations?  What problems symptoms should trigger a referral if I suspect a problem? These are the questions I hope to answer by providing you with the following referral guidelines, as developed by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA).

Areas of concern that can be addressed by an SLP include speech, language, voice, fluency (stuttering), cognitive-communication, and swallowing. Within each category below, you'll find the following useful topics:  (1) most common etiologies, (2) related terms, (3) potential consequences, and (4) behaviors that should trigger a referral to a speech-language pathologist.  Referral guidelines are available as PDF documents, which requires Adobe Acrobat.

Children's Guides	Adult's Guides
Speech Guide	Speech Guide
Language Guide	Language Guide
Voice Guide	Voice Guide
Fluency Guide	Fluency Guide
Cognitive Guide	Cognitive Guide
Swallowing Guide	Swallowing Guide

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How do I schedule an appointment?

1. Obtain a referral from your physician for a speech services. For most efficient scheduling, ask your doctor to fax a prescription for an evaluation and treatment as needed to our fax at (865) 381-1275.
2. Call the Speech Geek office to schedule an appointment. Please have your insurance information ready.
3. Arrive on time for your appointment. Your first visit will include an evaluation and the start of your treatment plan. Please have the following at the time of your first appointment
   • Your insurance card, claim number or other insurance information.
   • Your referral from your physician, if it was not faxed to our office. It must be no older than 30 days.
   • Your co-pay, as indicated by your insurance plan.

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What about Billing and Insurance?

Speech Geek makes every effort to verify your therapy benefits prior to your appointment. Speech Geek uses a billing service, Middlefork MSO) , from which you will receive a monthly statement itemizing any personal responsibility you may have, along with an itemization of any activity from your insurance company. Many insurance plans have limits on therapy services, either dollar limits or visit limits. We strongly suggest you ask your insurance company about these limits. We will help you track those limits as best we can; however, it is ultimately the patient’s responsibility not to exceed them. Please call anytime during our office hours with your billing questions. We are always happy to assist you!

Questions about your bill? Call Christy or Shawana at Middlefork MSO at (276) 783-1827.

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Find a Certified Speech-Language Pathologist

Search for a Licensed Speech Therapist or Audiologist by Zip Code
Online: http://www.asha.org/proserv/