About Speech Therapy

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The word »logopedics« comes from the Greek and means, literally translated »speech education«. Today, logopedics or speech therapy is a medical discipline dedicated to language, speech, voice and swallowing. In Germany, speech therapy is part of the basic health care system.

Why do we need speech therapy?


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Language...

Language and speech are our most important means of communication. We use them daily to express our thoughts and feelings. When these instruments fail, we have a hard time making ourselves understood. Children and adults with language, speech or voice disorders are, therefore, facing great difficulties in managing their everyday life and are often socially isolated. Success in school, education and work also depends on the ability to express oneself comprehensibly. That's what we need speech therapy for: To help people achieve their best possible communication skills so they are able to participate in society and realize their goals.

Practical information

Your guide to speech therapy

1. Medical prescription

In Germany, speech therapy must be medically prescribed. Prescriptions can be issued by your family doctor, an orthodontist, a pediatrician or any physician of your confidence.

2. Appointment

You already have a medical prescription? Call us and we arrange an appointment for your first therapy session.

3. Therapy start

Please bring your prescription to the first therapy session. Without a prescription, we are not permitted to treat you and we can't settle the costs with your health insurer.

FAQs

We always start with a detailed therapeutic evaluation, including tests and interviews on your or your child's background and clinical history. If the patient is a child, the first step will be an interview with you, the parents. We will then discuss our findings with you and create an individual therapy plan. The actual therapy starts in the second or third session. Therapy with children will usually be without their parents accompanying them. At the end of the prescribed therapy period, you will receive a report for your doctor including our advise whether the therapy should be continued.

Yes. If necessary, you doctor will issue a follow-up prescription based on our report or his own assessment allowing you to continue the therapy.

An initial interview may take 45 to 60 minutes. A therapy session lasts from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the individual needs of a patient.

Most often the therapy will involve individual sessions. In some cases, however, a group therapy including two or more patients can be effective and is generally possible as well.

The treatment period varies widely depending on the the type of disorder, the degree of severity and the patient's individual needs, ranging from 10 to 60 prescription hours.

Puplic and private insurance companies in Germany will normally bear the complete costs for a (medically necessary) logopedic treatment for patients up to the age of 18. From the age of 18 up patients have to pay an own contribution of 15 percent of the costs per prescription. Different regulations may apply for those with private health insurance, please check your insurance contract for details. Please bear in mind that you must have a medical prescription in order to begin a therapy. For therapy services that are not covered by health insurances (individual health services) you also have the option to get a private prescription from your doctor. This means that we have the required prescription to provide our services for you but that you will have to pay the costs all by yourself.

If you (or your child) cannot keep an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible, but not later than 24 hours before the agreed time. In this case, there won't be any costs for you. Please have understanding for the fact that a late or missed cancellation means that we cannot reallocate your appointment to other patients. In this case, we will have to issue you a private invoice for the session in the amount of the current rate per session covered by insurance companies.