Clinic Policies

We recognize that families share personal and sensitive information with our team, and we are committed to protecting each client’s privacy. All information provided to our staff is treated with the highest level of confidentiality. In public areas of Stellar Speech, only broad, non-identifying details about individual sessions may be discussed.

If you would like a more detailed conversation about your child’s session, our clinicians are happy to meet privately at the beginning or end of the appointment. Prior to starting services, all families are required to review and sign a Confidentiality Agreement form.

Because confidential information may be discussed within the clinic, all individuals are expected to respect and maintain patient privacy at all times.

At the conclusion of each session, the therapist will meet with the parent or guardian for approximately 2–5 minutes to review progress and provide home practice recommendations.

If you would like to speak with your child’s therapist, please do so at the beginning or end of the session.

We are dedicated to fostering a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all children, parents, volunteers, and staff. To help maintain a positive atmosphere for everyone, we expect each person to behave in a respectful and responsible manner that upholds the rights and dignity of others. These expectations apply to all staff, students, parents, family members, and visitors.

Our code of conduct strictly prohibits any words or actions that may cause harm, intimidation, or discomfort to others, or that fail to meet accepted standards of respectful behavior.

Open carry of firearms is not permitted inside the clinic, except by law enforcement personnel. Concealed carry is allowed in compliance with state law.

Cooperation from all clients are essential to the success of speech and language services. Any form of violent or aggressive behavior is unacceptable. Stellar Speech Therapy maintains the right to decide whether a client is appropriate for services and will take necessary steps to ensure a safe, supportive, and productive environment for everyone. Our practice only allows for three incidents. Incidents involving violence may result in immediate action under a zero-tolerance approach. If a child displays violent behavior, services may be ended immediately.

Our behavior policy is as follows:

We are committed to maintaining a positive and encouraging learning environment for all children and encourage open communication with parents at any time.

• First incident: A verbal warning will be given.
• Second incident: A written warning will be issued and must be signed by the parent and Clinical Director.
• Third incident: A meeting with the Clinical Director will take place to determine next steps, which may include suspension or termination of services.

Stellar Speech Therapy is not liable for any lost, damaged or stolen property.

We are not liable for any personal belongings that are lost, misplaced, or stolen.

By enrolling your child in speech services, you agree to follow the policies outlined below:

Your child is expected to actively participate in sessions, cooperate with clinicians, and follow established behavior expectations. If these standards are not met, services may be suspended or discontinued.

Eligibility and participation requirements apply equally to all clients and families, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, or gender.

Our billing specialist is dedicated to ensuring a smooth and positive experience for your family. We will submit insurance claims on your behalf and work closely with you and your insurance provider to help secure payment for services. Please remember that we are a third party in your relationship with your insurance company, and due to frequently changing insurance policies, certain situations may arise that are beyond our control.

Before your child’s first appointment, we will verify your therapy benefits and review them with you in detail. However, please understand that quoted benefits are not a guarantee of coverage. Because each child’s diagnosis and treatment plan are individualized, coverage and payment for services cannot be assumed.

Any Co-payment/co-insurance/session deductible is due at the time of service. If services are not covered for any reason by your insurance company, you will be responsible for payment in full.

Our current session rate for Speech Therapy is $90.00 per session (25 minutes). For families who pay for services on the same day they are provided, we offer a discounted rate. The same day payment rate is $80.00 per session. This rate indicates that we will NOT bill insurance for your therapy session.

Payment is due in full at the time of service in order to receive our same-day payment discount.

Evaluations & Individual sessions: No refunds will be made for services already rendered. If at any time, it is determined that a refund should be appropriate for a prepayment of services that are no longer going to be utilized, the client should speak with the clinical director to make arrangements.

Patients are expected to treat all clinic property with care and respect. In the event that a patient damages any property belonging to the clinic, the patient’s family or responsible party on file will be held financially responsible for the cost of repair or replacement.

Stellar Speech maintains a policy to ensure the health and safety of all patients. If a patient becomes ill, the following criteria will be used to determine when therapy sessions should be canceled and when services may safely resume.

Dismissal or termination of services, whether temporary or permanent, is guided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Code of Ethics. In accordance with these standards, services are provided only when meaningful benefit can reasonably be expected. While a reasonable prognosis may be discussed, specific outcomes cannot be guaranteed. The practice also reserves the right to discontinue services when appropriate.

Services may be dismissed or terminated for reasons including, but not limited to:

Clients and families are strongly encouraged to discuss any concerns about treatment with their clinician so that issues may be addressed collaboratively. In alignment with the ASHA Code of Ethics, services will be discontinued if they are no longer effective. Requests for transition of care will be respected, and referrals or recommendations for other providers can be offered when appropriate. If financial concerns arise, please contact the office during regular business hours to discuss available options.

• The communication disorder has been successfully resolved or appropriate compensatory strategies have been established.
• The individual or family elects to discontinue treatment, relocates, or transfers to another provider.
• Measurable progress is no longer observed despite multiple adjustments to the treatment plan.
• Attendance is insufficient to support effective intervention.
• Repeated violations of office policies or failure to uphold the terms of the service agreement.
• Noncompliance with treatment recommendations.
• Failure or refusal to meet financial obligations for services rendered.

Patients are expected to enroll in recurring appointments on a weekly or monthly basis. Requests to reschedule are permitted and are outlined in our Attendance Policy. Any changes to a patient’s schedule must be arranged through the front office by phone, email, or text message.

Regular attendance is crucial to your child’s progress. Therefore, to better serve our patients and their families, we require everyone to follow our 85% attendance policy and respect our “24 Hour cancellation” policy regarding appointment cancellations and rescheduling. Our attendance policy is as follows: All clients must maintain 85% attendance for all therapy appointments. Three no shows for scheduled appointments results in immediate discharge. Stellar Speech Therapy reserves the right to discharge patients who do not maintain 85% attendance or violate the “no show/no call” policy. Stellar Speech understands that unexpected circumstances can never fully be avoided and we are more than willing to work with each of you on a case by case basis to resolve any unexpected scheduling issues that may arise from time to time. Please make sure you notify the clinic when you are unable to keep scheduled appointments. If you have any questions, or need to reschedule an appointment please do not hesitate to call the clinic at 405-823-5361. We will be more than happy to work with you.

• In order for your child to continue making progress, our therapists and front office staff can work together with you to reschedule any canceled/missed appointments. This may mean that another therapist may see your child depending on the rescheduled time and availability.
• Cancellations must be made through the front desk or with your speech-language pathologist with 24 hours advance notice whenever possible.
• We understand that kids get sick, and emergencies happen. So, if 24 hours notice is not possible, please just call as soon as you can, because we often have clients waiting to be seen who could use your child’s canceled appointment spot.
• Voicemail: 405-823-5361 is available for you to leave a message anytime 24 hours a day.
• Text during business hours is also a great way to let us know when you need to reschedule.
• 1 cancellation per month is permitted, as long as it is rescheduled within the following week (upon availability).
• We strive to provide 25 minutes of productive treatment each session (20 minutes of direct instruction and 5 minutes of collaborative instruction and/or consultation with the caregiver).
• Should your child arrive more than 10 minutes late, Stellar Speech reserves the right to cancel your appointment. If there has been no phone call prior to the appointment start time, that will be counted as a no-show for that day.
• Chronic tardiness of 5-10 minutes will greatly impact progress. Patients who cannot arrive at their recurring appointment time will be asked to choose a time that better accommodates their needs or your child could be at risk for dismissal.
• No-shows should happen only in the case of a dire emergency, since in most cases, you are able to call, email, or text to cancel an appointment.
• After 1 or 2 no-show appointments, our office may ask you if we can make schedule changes to better accommodate your family.
• In the event that a child has 3 no-show appointments in one auth period, they will be removed from the schedule so that another child on the waiting list may be seen.

To help maintain a respectful and effective environment, we ask that all visitors follow these lobby guidelines:

• Keep noise levels to a minimum; use headphones for devices whenever possible
• Please step outside to take phone calls
• Clean up after snacks and ensure all drinks have secure lids