Services

Speech & Language Evaluation

Speech & Language Therapy

Reading & Writing Evaluation

Reading & Writing Intervention

Family & School-Based Consultation

District-Based Contracting

Tanya DiStefano helping a young boy write

Evaluation

A speech, language, and literacy evaluation is a comprehensive assessment conducted to evaluate your child’s speaking, listening, reading, spelling and overall language abilities. An evaluation typically involves various tests and observations and is individualized to your child’s needs which may include assessments in the areas of: reading, spelling, writing, speech production, language comprehension and expression, articulation, fluency, voice quality, and social use of language. An evaluation helps identify any speech, language, reading or spelling disorders, delays, or difficulties a child may have; and then supports the development of a tailored intervention plan to improve their abilities. A full written report is provided after the evaluation and assessment findings and recommendations are discussessed with the family.

Closeup of a young boy's hand playing a board game

Treatment

Speech, Language and Literacy interventions are provided through the lens of a specialized treatment plan that is developed to meet the needs of each individual client. Goal areas will be developed collaboratively with parents, schools based teams, and any other providers to create ideal outcomes using a strengths based model. Data will be collected to ensure your child is making effective progress toward their goals, and notes with progress information will be sent home after each session.

A close up of a young boy spelling the name Brody with alphabet pieces

Educational Consultation

Educational consultations are available to provide a comprehensive review of existing reports with recommendations for educational planning to enhance your child’s academic, social, and functional life goals. This can include but is not limited to: understanding and developing an IFSP/IEP, synthesizing multiple different evaluation reports, administering additional testing measures, making recommendations, and providing carryover techniques to generalize skills across settings.

A close up of a young boy writing the words library and books

District Based Contracting

I love working in the schools and providing districts with reliable expertise and comprehensive acute services to meet ancillary needs. This may be in the form of maternity leave coverage, comprehensive speech and language evaluations, or supervision of SLPA’s. If you have an open need for SLP or Reading services of any kind in your district please reach out to learn more about my availability!

What To Expect

Step One

Fill out the Contact form here to set up a free 15 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your concerns, answer any questions you have, and talk about whether we are a good fit.

Step Two

Complete the Intake Paperwork. If you are interested in services after the initial phone consultation I will invite you to join my therapy portal. From there you will fill out case history and consent forms, and upload any previous evaluations and health insurance information.

Step Three

Email Correspondence. As you are uploading relevant information into the client portal we will discuss scheduling options, treatment recommendations, and set up our initial session.

Step Four

Get started! Not every client needs to start the therapeutic relationship with a formal evaluation. Based on our previous correspondence your child’s evaluation/treatment schedule will be tailored to meet their individual needs and requirements.

Good Faith Estimate

Creating Communicators is compliant with the No Surprises Act. You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. If you will be paying for services out of pocket you will be given a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service. You can also contact us at any time to request a Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! We are in network with most major health insurance companies including: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, United Healthcare, Cigna, Tufts and Mass General Brigham. If you don’t see your insurance provider please ask, many visits can be covered through out-of-network benefits and should be confirmed prior to your first visit.

  • Yes! One of the biggest benefits of private therapy is that treatment can be provided without limitations or strict eligibility requirements. Your child can even qualify for in network coverage through your health insurance company based on “professional judgment”; which means if there is a need, we can help.

  • Yes! Many families choose to seek out additional services and many of those services continue to be covered through in-network insurance benefits. In these cases, we will ask for your permission to reach out to your child’s other providers to collaborate on care.

  • Every two weeks you will receive an invoice for services rendered. At that time you can pay by cash or check at your regularly scheduled visit, or you can login to the secure portal to pay by credit card, HSA or FSA.

  • Yes! Our credit card processor is set up to accept FSA and HSA card payments.

  • Each session is tailored to the individual child, putting their social emotional well-being at the forefront of each lesson. We will follow your child’s lead and incorporate their goals naturally so that sessions are meaningful and intrinsically motivating. Treatment goals will be targeted through play, games, or paper based activities and a hands on approach will be used to create a fun environment for learning new skills.

  • Upon enrollment you will set up an account within my private therapy portal. Within your first few sessions your therapist will share a detailed treatment plan through the portal and have a conversation with you about the goals for therapy. You will also receive a treatment note after each session to document progress within the session as well as notes about what happened and a plan for the future.

  • Caregivers are always welcome and encouraged to participate, but you know your child best. Some children perform better during sessions with a caregiver present and others perform better when the caregiver waits in the waiting area. Regardless of the decision, you will be provided with information and coaching after the session with strategies you can use at home to best support your child.

  • Everyone is welcome! As a mom, I get it. Appointments are stressful enough, thinking about childcare on top of that can be daunting. Siblings of all ages are welcome to sit in the waiting area, join in on the play, or practice their tummy time on a baby friendly mat. Please let me know if there is anything that feels stressful and we can work through it together.

  • Yes, there is a bathroom for clients and their families to use!

“Tanya is amazing. My daughter would not have made it academically or socially without Tanya's support and guidance. Hire her, there is not a moment about the decision you will regret. She works beautifully with teachers in the schools too and provides a great resource so your child is always supported.”

—Lena

Creating Communicators is currently accepting new patients in-person in Waltham, MA or through telehealth.

Schedule a free consultation today.