Many, but not all Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) provide assessment and therapy services for stuttering. Some SLPs work in government-funded settings, and others work in private practice. Communication Health Assistants, also known as Communicative Disorders Assistants, Speech-Language Pathology Assistants and Rehabilitation Assistants, depending on the institution from which they receive their diploma or certificate, also work in these settings. Assistants provide speech therapy with supervision from qualified Speech-Language Pathologists who are ultimately responsible for the therapy plan, assessment and evaluation.
Government-funded speech-language pathology services
Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for providing access to speech-language pathology services for Canadians. Each province or territory has its own system for delivering these services.
Government-funded speech-language pathology services are available for preschool and school aged children in most provinces. Preschool services are usually provided in hospitals or children’s treatment centres, while school-aged children receive services through the school system. Government-funded services may be available for adults in some Canadian cities, usually in hospital settings; however, most often, adults can only access speech-language pathology services through the private sector. Many places accept self, parent, and physician referrals.
Private speech-language pathology services
Private speech-language pathology practices are present in many communities for in-office and at-home services. Many offer services through telehealth or video conferencing, providing more therapist and therapy choices, and greater access to residents of remote or less populated regions of the country. An Internet search will yield results for larger practices, having many SLPs on staff, and smaller practices featuring one or two therapists.
Funding private speech therapy
Paying for private speech therapy is challenging for many of us but may be necessary at certain times throughout our lives. Government-funded services for preschoolers and school-aged children have eligibility and duration limits, bringing parents to look for support from the private sector when needed, and if it is possible for the family. Adults who stutter generally lack access to publicly funded resources even though stuttering is a lifelong challenge.
Getting Ready for private speech therapy
Speech-language pathology fees are decided by each practice or therapist, usually based on the recommended fees schedule provided by professional associations and in line with fees charged by other SLP professionals in the same community. Fees range from over $100 to close to $200 per hour, depending on where you live. Sessions typically last one hour. Thirty-minute sessions are generally not suited for stuttering therapy, unless the sessions are for maintenance or follow up. Group therapy is sometimes an option and may cost a little less per hour. Weekly speech therapy visits quickly become costly.
The fees for therapy provided by Communication Health Assistants are usually a little less than for sessions with a Speech-Language Pathologist; however, there may be additional fees at certain times when both the SLP and Communication Health Assistant are present in your session or when they meet to discuss your progress. Assistant fees may have a sales tax, and they are not reimbursed by some extended health benefits plans.
Be sure to ask how professional fees work when investigating speech therapy options and expect to find fee differences across practices. Also check with your insurance carriers, so you know what additional questions to ask.
Canadian universities with graduate speech-language pathology programs sometimes have on-site clinics that provide clinical services through students who are supervised by a professor or clinical educator. The clinics may be run as private clinics with fees that are slightly less than those charged by community speech-language pathologists in private practice.
Some speech-language pathology practices reserve a portion of their clinic hours for pro bono work (i.e., at no cost). An internet search for “free speech therapy” in your city should help identify these practices. You can contact private practices directly to ask about pro bono services. There may be eligibility criteria involved.
Deciding on a budget
It’s important to consider how much of your own money you are willing or able to invest in private speech therapy for your present and future well-being, or that of your child.
After collecting some information about cost, it is a good idea to plan a feasible budget that you can share with the SLP at the assessment session, if therapy is recommended. This will allow the SLP to develop a therapy plan with goals and objectives that can reasonably be achieved within the number of visits that are possible. You otherwise run the risk of starting a type of therapy that requires more time than is available to complete, leaving it unfinished, and you will have gained little from it.
It is equally important that you share with the SLP what your most urgent needs or desired therapy outcomes are, so they become the focus of therapy. Stuttering is complex and it may not be possible to target a single area without first working on another or working simultaneously on a few.
Bear in mind that lasting change is not an overnight process. While meeting with a speech professional for a few sessions will make you feel supported and reassured for a time, it won’t necessarily make a difference in how you speak longer term or effect change in how you think and feel about speaking with a stutter. Different approaches have different time commitments, so a great question to ask when a therapy approach is explained by the therapist is how long therapy will take, especially, if you haven’t set a budget.
It’s easy to think that scheduling speech therapy visits biweekly, or monthly even, will stretch out your funds and give you more time to work on your speech between sessions, but this is unlikely to be the case. Shorter sessions don’t always make sense. Spacing or shortening sessions inappropriately can be detrimental to the effectiveness of therapy.
The therapist will be able to explain what is possible and what can’t be accomplished with the time that is available for therapy, based on your budget. The frequency of visits will be part of the discussion. Together, you can agree on what you will aim to achieve with the available time. Be prepared to postpone therapy until you have the necessary funds for the type of therapy you want.
Involvement with a Speech-Language Pathologist begins with an assessment, or reassessment for returning patients. Some therapists charge higher fees for assessment services because additional time is needed to analyze and interpret information, create a treatment plan and sometimes a report. Consider the initial assessment fees when planning your budget for speech therapy.
Consider the following funding supports:
Extended Health Benefits
If you are employed, you may have access to an extended health benefits plan through your employer. Perhaps you have private health insurance policy.
Begin by determining the available yearly coverage for speech therapy or for services provided by a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and by a Communication Health Assistant, when applicable, and find out how reimbursement works.
- Some plans pay a set amount per visit regardless of the professional fee and others reimburse the full cost for each session.
- Some plans don’t cover therapy delivered by Communication Health Assistants.
- All plans have a yearly maximum amount of coverage.
- The year usually runs from January to December, but some plans follow a different calendar year.
- Most plans don’t require a physician referral, but some do.
We recommend that you call the insurance company directly to fully understand how your coverage works so you are not left to contend with surprises and delays along the way.
It is also good practice to submit receipts regularly to help keep track of how much coverage is left, especially if you need to plan for out-of-pocket payments.
One way to extend the number of sessions available through insurance is by starting therapy near the end of the current year of coverage and then transition to a new year of coverage, without interruption. This essentially doubles the number of available sessions over a period. Note that you will need to wait until the start of the next coverage year to access a third round of funding.
You may be eligible for further funding from a spouse’s extended health benefits plan, provided it includes family members. We recommend that you call the insurance carrier to confirm your eligibility and how the plan works. By combining plans, you can further extend the number of sessions that are available for speech therapy over two adjacent coverage years. Do your homework and plan carefully.
Non-refundable Tax Credit
You can claim out of pocket medical expenses, including speech therapy, on your income tax return for the year in which you received the professional services. While expenses are not reimbursed, your income tax payable for that year may be lowered by a non-refundable tax credit that is determined through calculation. You are advised to consult the CRA's RC4065 "Medical Expenses" publication or an accountant regarding your specific situation. The amount saved through non-refundable tax credits differs across provinces and territories.
Therapy Subsidies and Grants
Therapy subsidies are available at some Canadian stuttering therapy centres. Subsidies lower the cost of speech therapy based on personal or family income. Adult residents of British Columbia have access to a grant for eligible intensive stuttering therapy programs.
There are application processes through which eligibility for subsidy or for a grant are determined. You may be limited to one application per lifetime and assessment fees are usually not covered. We recommend you visit the websites listed below and contact any centre that is of interest to ask questions you may have about the likelihood that you would qualify to receive support.
Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research (ISTAR) – Edmonton & Calgary (AB)
Speech and Stuttering Institute (SSI) – Toronto (ON)
The Care Clinic at Perley Health – For residents of the National Capital Region, Ottawa (ON)
The Fred Gingell Memorial Stuttering Treatment Grant – For Residents of British Columbia aged 19 and above
Community foundations and charitable funds
There are community foundations, charitable funds, service clubs and profitable businesses in some communities that dedicate a portion of funds to help members of their community. You will need to research what is available in your area. A local Speech-Language Pathologist may know about opportunities for your region, province or territory.
Funds for indigenous people
Federal programs are available to support the health needs of eligible First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, that may include speech therapy. Some provinces also have designated funds for their indigenous people. Determine your eligibility by contacting your First Nations or Inuit organization, checking federal and provincial government sites (e.g., Indigenous Services Canada) for details on available programs and funding.
Post-secondary students
If you are a post-secondary student, you may qualify for financial assistance for speech therapy, especially if your stutter is impacting your studies. We recommend that you visit the office for students with disabilities at your institution to find out what assistance is available.
Government social programs
If you are temporarily unemployed and receiving financial support from a government program, you may qualify for speech therapy funding to facilitate your return to work, if speech is a barrier to employment. You can explore this option with your assigned case worker.
If you know of any other potential funding sources, please let us know so we can share them with others.
How to Search for a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
For government-funded therapy, physicians and schoolteachers can direct you to available services and advise you on how to begin a referral. Government services also have websites.
Private speech-language pathology practices in rural and urban settings can be found through Internet searches. When conducting an online search:
- Use words like speech-language pathologist, speech therapy, speech therapist, stuttering, stuttering therapy, free, pro bono, and other words that will help you find what you are aiming to find.
- Specify the age group (preschoolers, children, teens, adults).
- Name a specific approach, program or product that interests you.
- Add the name of your city or region for local results.
- Look at neighbouring communities, if you are willing to travel
- Consider other cities in your province or territory, if you are open to virtual therapy.
Telehealth makes it possible to work with almost any professional who is registered or licensed to practice in your home province or territory, giving access to more therapy options.
Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC) is the national professional association for speech-language pathologists and audiologists and provides a “Find a Professional” directory that lists certified professionals who practice in different parts of Canada.
Provincial and territorial professional associations also provide “Find a Professional” registries. SLP professional associations for some provinces have joint memberships with SAC.
What to look for in a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
Look for an SLP who is experienced and comfortable working with people who stutter and who is trained in some of the many therapy program options and therapy approaches for children and adults who stutter. Don't be afraid to ask questions when you first call a Speech-Languarge Pathologist (SLP).
Find someone whose approach to stuttering is compatible with your personal objectives, and with whom you “click.” The therapeutic relationship between a client and SLP contributes significantly to a successful therapy experience.
A little homework goes a long way in ensuring a positive experience.