Total Speech Therapy Works in Spanish

Total Speech Therapy is a speech and language practice at 1001 Pine Heights Ave in Southwest Baltimore, with a second office down in Houston. Their providers work in English and Spanish.

We got on a call with them. Ana Herrera, who handles their community and Spanish outreach, walked us through the services and followed up by email with the specifics.

What they wanted to talk about was our community, and how to reach more of it.

Who they see, and for what

Speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication and swallowing. Children and adults, both. Most people hear “speech therapy” and picture a five-year-old.

The Spanish part, and what it actually covers

Bilingual providers deliver services in English and Spanish. That is the plain version, and for a lot of households it is the only line that matters.

Plenty of our households run two languages at once. Mamá speaks Spanish at home, and the kid is in English from the bus stop until dinner.

Total Speech Therapy works with the household in Spanish in that situation, and supports the child in the language that fits their environment. Home language and school language both get weighed when they evaluate and when they plan.

Two languages in one house is not a complication. It is Tuesday.

Ana on the waiting

We asked what she sees get in the way most often.

"One of the biggest things we see is parents waiting because they think their child will eventually catch up on their own. Every child develops differently, but when a parent has concerns about their child's speech, language, or communication, it is always okay to ask questions and have the child evaluated. Early identification and support can make a meaningful difference."

Ana Herrera, in her own words.

How a household starts

Two ways in, and neither one needs you to have it figured out first.

1. A referral. From a pediatrician, a school, a daycare, or another provider already working with the child.
2. A phone call. Contact Total Speech Therapy directly at 410-696-3301 and start the conversation there.

Either way the first step is an initial evaluation. It covers the child’s development, the concerns that brought you in, medical and educational history, and what the household is hoping for.

A speech-language pathologist runs that evaluation, then sits down with the household to go through the results and what they recommend.

What the evaluation looks at

Four things, per Total Speech Therapy: the child’s development, the communication concerns the household came in with, relevant medical and educational history, and the household’s own goals.

Home language and school language are part of that picture. For a child hearing Spanish at home and English all school day, both belong in the assessment and in whatever plan comes out of it.

The speech-language pathologist reviews the results and the recommendations with the household afterward, so nobody leaves with a folder they cannot read.

Paying for it

They accept Maryland Medicaid and a variety of private insurance plans. Coverage varies plan to plan, so they verify benefits before services begin.

So a household finds out what its own plan covers before anything starts.

Self-pay is offered too, for households with no coverage or a plan they are out of network on.

No, we are not getting paid for this

We are not affiliated with Total Speech Therapy. No money changed hands in either direction, nobody sponsored this post, and we do not get anything if you call them.

What happened is a call, and a business telling us they want to serve more of our community. We think that is worth putting in front of people.

We want to keep doing this for businesses that serve minority communities around Baltimore, written up so our gente knows they are here. If you run one, come find us.

Preguntar no cuesta nada.

Where else to look

Total Speech Therapy is a private practice, so it is not on our list of Latino organizations in Baltimore. That list is the nonprofits and the public programs: Centro SOL, the Esperanza Center, CASA, Nuestras Raices and three more, with the numbers to call.

And if you want to say all of this to somebody’s face instead of reading it, that is what the next Latino community event in Baltimore is for. Free, like always.

Acércate. Ask the question you have been sitting on.

Questions people ask about Total Speech Therapy

Does Total Speech Therapy offer services in Spanish? Yes. Total Speech Therapy has bilingual providers who deliver services in English and Spanish. Where a parent primarily speaks Spanish and the child hears English through the school day, the practice works with the household in Spanish and supports the child in the language that fits their environment.

Where is Total Speech Therapy in Baltimore? The Baltimore office is at 1001 Pine Heights Ave, Suite 301, Baltimore, MD 21229, reachable at 410-696-3301. The practice also has a second office in Houston, Texas, and offers both in-person visits and teletherapy for households that cannot travel to Pine Heights Ave.

Does Total Speech Therapy take Medicaid? Total Speech Therapy accepts Maryland Medicaid along with a variety of private insurance plans. Coverage varies from plan to plan, so the practice verifies benefits before services begin, and self-pay is available for households without coverage.

Does Total Speech Therapy work with adults? Yes. Total Speech Therapy works with both children and adults across speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication and swallowing. The practice is not limited to early childhood, which surprises most people who only associate speech therapy with young kids.

How do I get started with Total Speech Therapy? Households start one of two ways: a referral from a pediatrician, school, daycare or another provider, or by contacting Total Speech Therapy directly at 410-696-3301. The first step either way is an initial evaluation.

What happens at the first speech therapy evaluation? The initial evaluation covers the child’s development, the communication concerns that brought the household in, relevant medical and educational history, and the household’s own goals. A speech-language pathologist conducts it, then reviews the results and recommendations with the household.

What if my child speaks English at school and Spanish at home? Total Speech Therapy considers both the home language and the school language when evaluating and when building a plan. The practice works with the household in Spanish while supporting the child in the language that fits the environment they spend their day in.

Is Colado Latino Network affiliated with Total Speech Therapy? No. Colado Latino Network is a business networking organization for Latino entrepreneurs and creatives in Baltimore, and it has no affiliation with Total Speech Therapy and was not paid for this post. Questions about services, insurance or scheduling go to the practice at 410-696-3301 or totalspeechtherapy.com.