Raising a child with communication differences can be confusing and overwhelming — you’re not alone. These curated resources can help you understand your child’s needs and support them at home.

How to Support Speech Therapy at Home: Simple Tips That Make a Big Difference

Progress in speech therapy doesn’t only happen in the therapy room. It continues in your home, your car rides, and your daily routines. Children make the most progress when families know how to reinforce new skills naturally. Here are practical ways to support your child’s speech and language development at home.

Building Language Skills

1. Talk during everyday routines
Describe what you and your child are doing during mealtime, bath time, or while getting dressed. These daily moments are perfect for introducing new words.

2. Expand on what your child says
If your child says, “Dog,” respond with “Yes, the dog is running.” This models longer sentences in a natural way.

3. Offer choices
Ask questions that encourage your child to use words to respond. For example, “Do you want the blue cup or the red cup?”

4. Read together interactively
Pause while reading to let your child fill in words or predict what happens next. Talk about the pictures and connect them to your child’s experiences.

5. Narrate play
Comment on what your child is doing during play. “The car is going fast” or “You built a tall tower” helps build vocabulary and sentence structure.

Practicing Speech Sounds

1. Keep practice short and fun
Two to five minutes a day is often more effective than longer sessions. Incorporate practice into games and routines rather than separate drills.

2. Use mirrors or visuals
Let your child watch how their tongue, lips, and teeth move when making sounds. Mirrors help with self-awareness and independence.

3. Model correct sounds naturally
If your child says “tat” for “cat,” respond with “Yes, the cat is soft.” This provides a correct model without constant correction.

4. Turn practice into a game
Try scavenger hunts (“Find something with your S sound”), memory games with target words, or short turn-taking activities.

5. Celebrate effort
Praise attempts and progress, not just accuracy. Confidence and enjoyment make a big difference.

Keep It Positive and Consistent

Speech therapy progress is a team effort. The most meaningful gains happen when children see that their communication matters every day. Celebrate small wins, stay consistent, and keep communication open with your speech-language pathologist about what’s working and what’s challenging.

If you’re looking for more personalized guidance or home activity ideas, Mantra Speech Therapy can help. Every word and every attempt counts toward meaningful progress.

What is a Superbill? A Parent’s Guide to Using Out-of-Network Benefits 

Benefits for Speech Therapy

If you’ve ever looked into speech therapy for your child, you know that navigating insurance can feel overwhelming. Many families don’t realize there’s a middle ground between paying entirely out-of-pocket and needing to find an in-network provider: using a superbill.

At Mantra Speech Therapy, PLLC, we provide superbills so families can take advantage of their out-of-network insurance benefits and receive reimbursement for speech therapy services.

What is a Superbill?

A superbill is a detailed receipt we provide after your speech therapy session. It lists important information that your insurance company needs in order to process a claim for reimbursement:

• Your child’s information

• Provider details (our credentials, NPI, tax ID)

• Session dates and duration

• CPT codes (procedure codes for speech therapy)

• ICD-10 codes (diagnosis codes)

• Fees charged

Think of it as your ticket to submit directly to your insurance company.

How Does it Work?

1. Pay for your session up front — just like any other out-of-pocket service.

2. Receive your superbill — we provide one monthly (or upon request).

3. Submit to insurance — most companies allow you to upload a claim through your online member portal.

4. Get reimbursed — if you have out-of-network benefits, your insurance will send you a check for a portion of the cost.

Families are often surprised to learn that reimbursement can cover anywhere from 50%–80% of speech therapy costs, depending on your plan.

Why Families Choose Superbills

• Flexibility: You can see the provider you want (no need to be limited by insurance networks).

• Specialized care: Many speech therapists who focus on niche areas (e.g., early intervention, apraxia, AAC) operate as private practices outside of insurance networks.

• Cost savings: Even partial reimbursement makes private pay therapy more affordable.

Tips for Parents

• Call your insurance company: Ask if you have out-of-network benefits for speech therapy (use CPT codes 92507 and 92523).

• Ask about deductibles: You may need to meet your out-of-network deductible before reimbursement kicks in.

• Keep records: Save your superbills and any correspondence with insurance.

You can also estimate potential reimbursement before starting services. We recommend Mentaya’s free benefits calculator, which allows you to enter your insurance details and receive an instant estimate of out-of-network coverage. After each session, you will receive a superbill from us.

How Mantra Speech Therapy Helps

We make the process simple. After each session, we can provide you with a superbill that’s already formatted for insurance submission. Parents tell us it takes just a few minutes to upload and submit.

If you’d like to learn more about how superbills can make speech therapy more affordable, or if you’re ready to schedule a consultation, contact us today.

Developmental Milestones

Wondering if your child's language level is appropriate for their age? These developmental milestones can help you track how your child is growing and learning to communicate. Every child develops at their own pace, but these milestones show what most children can do by certain ages. If your child is not meeting several of these milestones, it may be a sign that they could benefit from speech or language support.

Use this chart as a guide, not a checklist. If you have any concerns about your child's communication or play skills, reach out to a licensed speech-language pathologist. Early support can make a big difference.

Adapted from ASHA.org

Download the Development Milestones Chart (PDF)