Frequently asked questions.

Do you have any age limits?

No; we work with children, adolescents, and adult clients with developmental disabilities. We do not work with adults with acquired disabilities, such as stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

What are your rates?

Our private pay rates include a prompt payment discount and range based on which therapist you wish to work with. The discounted private pay rates are as follows:

Evaluation: $310 - $350

25-minute treatment: $67.50 - $75

50-minute treatment: $135 - $150

Do you take insurance?

Yes, we take Tricare insurance. Additionally…

We are approved vendors with the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC; vendor number PY2169). If your child is under the age of three, they might qualify for free therapy through the San Diego Regional Center. If your child is over the age of three, they may qualify for self-determination services through SDRC. Speak with your service coordinator for more information.
For insurances other than Tricare, we do not bill your insurance company directly; however, you may be able to seek reimbursement for our services through your out-of-network benefits. You should confirm your out-of-network benefits before beginning therapy. We can provide you with an itemized receipt of services (a “superbill”) for out-of-network reimbursement.
Use your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) to pay for speech-language therapy. You should check with your FSA or HSA administrator about any documentation or limitations to using these accounts.

Why would I pay out-of-pocket if I have insurance?

There are a few reasons a family may choose to pay for speech-language therapy out-of-pocket even if they have insurance.

Not everyone’s insurance covers speech-language therapy. Insurance companies also restrict the kind of therapy that is covered, where your child can receive therapy, and how many sessions are covered each year.
Sometimes, even if speech-language therapy is covered by your insurance, you may have a high copay or high deductible. In these circumstances, paying out-of-pocket or going out-of-network may not actually cost you more than getting speech-language therapy with an in-network provider.
Insurance companies do not pay for in-home services. Therapy in-home is convenient and allows your child to get therapy in their natural environment.

Do you have any specialty trainings?

Parents often look for speech-language therapists with particular certifications. There are many companies that have large marketing budgets and invest in advertising their techniques to parents and therapists. However, companies like this rarely offer services that are based in quality scientific research; the scientific community calls this “pseudoscience.” Some examples of popular pseudoscientific approaches are PROMPT and Talk Tools. While our therapists have advanced trainings and certifications in many areas, North Star’s specialists seek out the highest quality trainings and published scientific data, critically examine the research, and apply the research to create a high-quality treatment plan for your child. Our speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have additional training in autism, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), speech generating devices (SGDs), gestalt language processing (GLP) / natural language acquisition (NLA), and childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Your child’s treatment should be individualized and based on what science tells us works. Your child’s treatment should not be based on a cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all pseudoscientific approach. Contact us directly to learn more about what techniques research suggests will result in the most therapeutic growth for your child.

Is your office accessible?

North Star values inclusion and we are committed to making our office accessible to everyone.

Parking: Our parking lot has 4 accessible parking spots with nearby curb cuts for the sidewalk that leads to our door.
Public transit: Our office is 2 blocks from a bus stop on Midway St. We are located less than 1.5 miles from Old Town Transit Center, with direct buses leaving frequently, making our office easily accessible by public transit. Plan your trip on the San Diego MTS website (linked).
Service animals: Service animals are welcome. Unfortunately, the building owners do not allow emotional support animals or pets, per our lease.
Door/entry: We are located on the ground floor. Our front door is a fire door that is extremely heavy. We are able assist in opening the door or we can use a door stop to keep the door open for your appointment upon request.
Waiting area: We have bench seating just inside the door but do not have a large waiting area. There is a bench just outside our front door next to the elevator in addition to a bench-style picnic table near #101. Wheelchair users and/or those using large mobility aids may have difficulty finding seating in our waiting area.
Restroom: We have an all-gender restroom with grab bars behind and next to the toilet. The bathroom also has a small step stool and child size changing table. We can make our sensory room with padded floor available for private toileting assistance/changing for individuals for whom the changing table is too small. Our employees/staff are not permitted assist with toileting/changing needs.
Sensory: Our treatment rooms and sensory room use LED overhead lighting with various brightness options, including lights off, low light, mid light, and high light. Many of our rooms have covers over the LED overhead lights. Our treatment rooms and sensory room are equipped with automatic drop down door sweeps to reduce noise and increase privacy. The door sweeps can be loud when the door is opened or closed. We do our best to reduce strong and unpleasant smells in the office. We offer flexible seating options, including a padded floor in the sensory room, rolling/spinning chairs, crash pad, vestibular cushion, yoga ball, and standing mats. We have various fidgets around the office that are available for everyone to use.
Health/respiratory: We have air purifiers in each treatment room, in the entry way, and in the sensory room. Our therapists wear face coverings during appointments when appropriate. We provide surgical masks and hand sanitizer near the front entry. We can also provide adult N95, adult fabric, and child KN95 masks upon request. Clients and caregivers are encouraged, though not required, to mask. Our office is cleaned and disinfected regularly. We use AC and heat via a forced air system. Our office is on a nonsmoking campus.

Please contact us to request accommodations prior to your appointment, such as assistance opening our front door, the need for low or high light, access to fidgets, space in waiting area for wheelchair or mobility aid, etc., for clients, caregivers, and/or family members. We will make every effort to provide necessary accommodations and are always open to feedback to make our office and services more accessible.

What about COVID-19?

We have precautions in place to protect you and our therapists from COVID-19. View our COVID-19 policy.