Assessment Fees

ARC ASSESSMENT AND THERAPY FEES as at SEPTEMBER 2023

We offer a range of assessments based on the perceived area of need. If you are in any doubt as to which assessment would be most appropriate for your child, ARC will be happy to advise you when you call to make an appointment.

Children’s Assessment Fees

1. Full Speech and Language Assessment and written report  €500

This assessment is appropriate for children who are displaying difficulties with the development of their speech and language skills, for example children who are late talkers, children who are having difficulty with sentence formulation, grammar, understanding what others are saying or following instructions.

Children of all ages are seen for this type of assessment (typically age 18 months + although in some cases younger babies are seen if needs are complex).

The Assessment is carried out in 2 stages:

1(a) Initial Consultation Session (parents only) – to allow for a detailed discussion €150
1(b) Assessment Session (parent(s) and child present) and written report      €350

2. Speech Sound Assessment with written report     €300

This assessment is for children who have age-appropriate understanding and expressive language skills but who have difficulties producing or using one or more speech sound, for example children who say things like “tat” instead of “cat”, “woad” instead of “road”, “dun” instead of “sun”; children who leave the ends off words, or children who have lisps. Some children only have difficulties with one or two specific sounds; others might be difficult to understand in conversation due to the number of speech sounds “errors” they have.

Generally children aged 3+ are seen for this assessment.

This assessment is carried out in a single session, with both child and parent(s) present.

3. Fluency (Stuttering) Assessment with written report    €550

This assessment is for children who have been observed to stutter for a period of more than 6 months OR for less than 6 but who have an immediate family member who also stutters, or are experiencing high levels of frustration or anxiety about their speech. Many children who stutter also experience speech and language difficulties so this assessment involves all the elements of the full speech and language assessment outlined above, as well as a formal assessment of stuttering behaviours. This includes the SLT recording a conversational sample and analysing it in detail to determine the nature and severity of the stutter.

Generally children aged 3+ are seen for this assessment.

The Assessment is carried out in 2 stages:

1 (a) Initial Consultation Session (parents only) – to allow for a detailed discussion    €150

1 (b) Assessment Session (parent(s) and child present) and written report       €400

4. Social Communication Assessment           €500

This assessment is for children who have well-developed receptive and expressive language skills, e.g. are able to understand and speak in complete sentences, participate in mainstream classrooms and manage the academic curriculum, but who struggle with the social aspects of communication. The child may find some or all of the following things challenging:

* making friends

* reading and using non-verbal communication / body language, e.g. facial expressions, eye contact, gesture, posture

* giving enough information OR giving too much information

* taking turns in conversation

* staying on topic

* engaging in “small-talk”

* recognising if the person they are speaking to is looking confused and needs them to repeat or clarify something

* using appropriate volume and intonation

* knowing if they are invading others’ personal space

* theory of mind (understanding that others have thoughts and wants different to the child’s own)

* interpreting figurative language (ie the child might always take things very literally)

Generally children aged 5+ are seen for this assessment.

The Assessment is carried out in 2 stages:

1 (a) Initial Consultation Session (parents only) – to allow for a detailed discussion €150

1 (b) Assessment Session (parent(s) and child present) and written report €350

5.  Initial Consultation – late talkers            €200

This informal assessment is offered to young (preschool) children who are failing to acquire language as expected in the early years. The session involves a parent-based interview and observation of the child in an informal, play-based setting. This assessment is a pre-cursor to the “Language Stimulation – Parents Only” course. It does not include a written report.

6.  School on site Speech and Language Assessment and Report     €550

This assessment is appropriate for school aged children who are displaying difficulties in the classroom with sentence formulation, grammar, narrative, understanding what others are saying or following instructions.

The Assessment is carried out in 3 stages on the same day

1(a) Initial Consultation Session with the parents

1(b) Discussion with the child’s class and resource teachers

1(c) Assessment Session with the child

A written report is subsequently produced for the school and the parents.

6. Detailed written report following therapy e.g. for education/school/team assessment purposes     €150 

Therapy Sessions

At the end of the assessment session, your therapist will recommend the appropriate therapy sessions from the following options:

1 Speech therapy session 30 mins, €80
2 Language stimulation parent-only groups

                • 6 week course based on the Hanen “It Takes Two to Talk” programme for late talkers (1 hour per week)
                • 8 week course based on the Hanen “More Than Words” programme for children with ASD or social communication difficulties (1 hour per week)
€500

€650

3 Language and general communication therapy session (where attention skills are such that the child is ready for some table-top activities)

Age < 5 years old

30 mins, €90
4 Language and general communication therapy session (where child has no additional special needs)
Age 5+ years old
45 mins, €100
5 Fluency therapy session 45 mins, €100
6 Social Communication therapy session 45 mins, €100
7 Speech, Language and Communication therapy session for children with complex needs, including ASD 30 mins, €100

 

Explanations:

1. Speech therapy session          30 mins, €80

Appropriate for children with age-appropriate understanding and expressive language skills but difficulties producing or using one or more speech sound.

Weekly.

2. Language stimulation parent-only groups based on Hanen programmes (€500 / €650)          

These groups are run by Pamela Raftery, Clinic Director and Senior SLT. They run in blocks of 6 -8 weeks, depending on the specific programme attended (based on either It Takes Two to Talk OR More Than Words Hanen programmes). Parents come without their children for sessions, as it is an evidence-based parent focused therapy approach that teaches parents strategies for how to develop their child’s language skills in their own natural environment through their usual day to day activities.

Sessions are run weekly.

3. Language and general communication therapy session (where attention skills are such that the child is ready for some table-top activities)
Age < 5 years old          30 mins, €90                

Appropriate for young preschool children who speak in phrases or short sentence but not at the level expected for their age. This type of therapy often follows a block of Hanen based therapy. These sessions are priced higher than the 30 min speech sessions due to the additional time required for preparation and session write up.

May be weekly or fortnightly, depending on the child’s needs and rate of progress

4. Language and general communication therapy session (where child has no additional special needs)
Age 5+ years old            45 mins, €100

May be weekly or fortnightly, depending on the child’s needs and rate of progress

5. Fluency therapy session          45 mins, €100

May be weekly or fortnightly, depending on the child’s needs and rate of progress

6. Social Communication therapy session              45 mins, €100

Appropriate for children with age appropriate receptive and expressive language but clear social/pragmatic communication difficulties.

May be weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the child’s needs and rate of progress

7. Speech, Language and Communication therapy session          30 mins, €100

Appropriate for children of any age with significant attention and speech/language/communication needs.

May be weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Children with these complex needs tend to struggle with formal therapy sessions due to their difficulties with attention, listening and/or social interaction and communication. They are typically not ready for table-top activities and the sessions require greater fluidity. These children generally struggle with adult-led activities and, depending on their mood on the day, may or may not engage with the materials and resources that the therapist has prepared. Because of this, a much greater number of activities much be prepared per session to ensure that we engage the child and elicit progress. These sessions are therefore priced higher than the speech therapy sessions due to the amount of extra SLT time that is required to prepare the sessions, analyse the child’s response to the therapy activities and write up detailed file notes.

Adult Assessment Fees

Voice assessment   €200

Swallowing assessment    €200

Swallowing and communication assessment      €280

For offsite assessments, e.g. to nursing homes, an additional mileage charge applies

Voice therapy sessions (45 minutes)    €100

Booking Appointments

Due to the demand for appointments we advise that, following assessment, if you wish to be guaranteed consecutive/weekly appointments:

  • You block book a series of appointments.
  • If you require further ongoing appointments book a further block at least one month before your block of appointments ends.
  • If you decide that you do not require the appointments they can be easily cancelled once 48 hour notice is given, but at least you will have the option of having the appointments available if required.

Discounts & Refunds

SIBLING DISCOUNTS

If the sibling of a child actively attending for therapy wishes to attend for an assessment, a sibling discount of 20% will be applied to the cost of the assessment.

Where more than one child from the same family is actively attending ARC for therapy, a discount of 20% will be applied to the session costs for the second and subsequent children.

Please note that these discounts do not apply if only one child is currently attending (i.e. if the other(s) are taking a break from therapy, have ceased attendance or have been discharged).

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY FEES FOR CHILDREN ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

To avail of this you will need to get a MED 1 FORM and retain all receipts.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP ALL YOUR RECEIPTS. COPIES OF RECEIPTS INCUR A €10 ADMINISTRATION CHARGE, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE.

The tax office also requires a medical letter of referral (GP or Consultant).

Payment Procedure

Our Payment Procedure

  • A  booking deposit of €100.00 is required for assessments. This is fully refundable if the assessment is cancelled within 48 hours.
  • Fees are payable in full on the day of attendance.

Cancellation

  • Cancellation 2 working days prior to appointment: No charge 
  • Cancellation 1 working day prior to appointment: 50% of fee due 
  • Cancellation on the day: 100% of fee due

This is because, without sufficient notice, another client cannot be notified in sufficient time to take the session time which you have booked.

Health Insurance

All Speech and Language Therapy sessions with ARC qualify for tax relief. Many Health Insurance policies offer benefits towards the cost of sessions.

All policies and plans are different and may have restrictions. Please contact your Health Insurance Provider to check your personal policy benefit.