Speech Therapist Recommendations?

Hi everyone!
I’ve been struggling with my pronunciation of "c," "z," "s," and "l" sounds, so I’m thinking about seeing a speech therapist. Most of what I see online points toward programs designed specifically for kids, so I was wondering if anyone knows of a specialist who works with adults? And honestly, at 24 years old, is there even any hope left for me?
Also, quick question on the logistics: do you just show up and pay out of pocket, or can this be covered by insurance? If it's through insurance, do I need to grab a referral from my primary doctor first?
Thanks!

Maybe check out Savage? They have a website you can look at

www.savage.com

Samuel Foster4 said:Hey there!
I'm struggling with some "s," "z," "c," and "l" sounds, so I'm thinking about seeing a speech therapist. Most of what I see online points toward programs specifically for kids, so I'm wondering if anyone actually works with adults? Also, is there any hope for me at 24?
One more thing—if I go, do I just show up and pay out of pocket, or can I run it through insurance? (And if it's insurance, do I need a referral from my doctor?)
Thanks!

If you want a private speech pathologist, you don't need a referral, but you'll definitely need a massive budget ($100 an initial assessment alone is pricey, $43 plus the cost of half-hour sessions). If you want to go through an institution like Savage, you'll need a referral from your primary doctor, and even then, you have to book well in advance because the waiting lists are brutal.

Samuel Foster4 said:Hey there!
I'm struggling with my "c," "z," "s," and "l" sounds, so I'm looking into seeing a speech therapist. Everything I see online seems geared toward kids, so I was wondering if anyone knows of specialists who work with adults? Also, is there any hope for me at 24?
One more thing—if I go to a private clinic, do I just pay out of pocket, or can I use my insurance? (And would I need a referral from my doctor first?)
Thanks!

Private therapists take you without a referral, $100 they'll do an initial assessment, $43 then about a half-hour session. If you want to go through Savage, you'll definitely need a referral, and even then, the waitlist is pretty brutal.

Samuel Foster4 said:Hello!
I’m struggling with certain speech sounds—specifically "c," "z," "s," and "l"—so I'm looking to see a speech pathologist. Most of the programs I find online seem geared toward children; does anyone know of specialists who work with adults? And is there any hope for someone my age (24)?
Also, how does the billing work? Is it out-of-pocket, or can I go through my insurance (and if so, do I need a referral)?
Thanks!

You can use your health insurance at Savage.
The process is as follows: first, get a referral for a diagnostic speech pathologist from your primary care physician.
They will determine which tests are necessary, and once those are complete, you'll be placed on a waiting list for a therapist. Expect a wait of about 6 to 12 months.🙂

Thanks for all the input.
6-12 months.. 😢

Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s a huge chance you aren't getting any coverage for therapy through the IRS or your insurance provider since you're already 24. Unless, of course, you've got some serious connections 🙂 Honestly, yeah, those people exist. If you put in even a little bit of legwork, I'm sure you can find someone willing to help you out. With kids, fixing those "s," "z," "c," and "l" sounds can take over a year, but I don't want to rain on your parade too early—the process is usually way faster with adults because you actually have the motivation to do the work. So, really, it's all on you...

Drew Martinez3 said:I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but there's a good chance you won't get therapy through your insurance at the IRS since you're 24. Unless, of course, you have connections. I assume you actually want to fix those mispronounced sounds, but getting therapy—and how long it lasts—really just comes down to how much you care. Private clinics should take you, though. You can find places where rates range from $100 up to much more per session (usually 30-45 minutes), or maybe find a speech therapist working under the table 🙂 Yeah, those exist. I suspect if you look around, you'll find someone who can help. Kids spend over a year working on "s," "z," or "l" sounds, but I don't want to discourage you too early; the process is often faster with adults because of the motivation factor. So, I guess it just depends on you...

I feel like I have to weigh in here and say that isn't true. She has the RIGHT to receive therapy through the IRS via her insurance, just like everyone else. There shouldn't be any excuses like, "Oh, you're 24, so you can't!" I mean, who gets to decide that? 😕😲 Even if she were 50, she’d still have that right. Speech disorders aren't just a childhood thing. Even if most clinic patients are kids, there will always be adults who need help.
She could try somewhere else due to the long wait times, but we don't have many options around here.🤷 As far as I know, the IRS facility is the most well-known and probably the best equipped, so she should probably start there. People always seem to find the money for private specialists.

Hi everyone.
I’ve got two granddaughters—well, one granddaughter, five years old, and one grandson, about two and a half... just a quick question to start... maybe two...
Both were born under totally normal circumstances, no complications during pregnancy or when they arrived. My granddaughter started "talking" before she was even two. By talking, I mean actually putting words together, using nouns, verbs, connectors... basically, making sense and being understood. Unućić, though... he isn't even putting two words together yet. His way of connecting things is just these little hints that I have to decipher based on his gestures and where we happen to be standing. For instance... we'll be driving in the car and he knows exactly who's in there, and when he wants to point out a dog outside while we're moving, he gets all excited and just says, "grandpa, grandma, ah, eh, woof woof..." and points. In my head, I'm translating it as, "Grandpa and Grandma, look outside, there's a dog, look at it!" That's how he communicates. Honestly, I'm getting a bit worried, but I don't want to say anything to my daughter or her husband... I don't want to suggest they go see a speech therapist or anything like that because I don't want to hurt their feelings or cause a huge family rift... 😢 (Thanks in advance for any advice! Grandpa

Oh, Gustavo2, listen to me—as both a daughter and a mother myself, I would be absolutely thrilled to have a father and grandfather who cares that much about his grandkids! Honestly, I wouldn’t see all that concern as some kind of personal attack on me or the kids, and I really don't think your daughter should view it that way either. Having a family that actually gives a damn is such a beautiful thing!
Regarding those speech delays... well, you know how it goes. Some boys just take their sweet time finding their words, even while they're busy being little athletes or incredibly coordinated with their hands. It's often said that girls tend to hit those milestones a bit earlier across the board. But seriously, please don't compare them! Every single child is their own unique little universe, developing on their own timeline.
If your grandson is enrolled in preschool, those teachers really ought to be the ones flagging any speech issues if they're actually noticeable. Most daycare centers have a speech pathologist on call or a contact you can reach out to just to chat about what's going on with the little guy. You could always reach out to Suzana Jelčić over at the Mayo Clinic.

In Cleveland, they offer these really intensive 15-day speech therapy programs with Professor darak Novosel, which sounds pretty great. And as for Suvag, they are absolutely top-notch regardless of how old the patient is. A close family friend of ours, who's 56, actually goes there for rehab after having a stroke, and they've been wonderful. Sending you my best!

Drew Martinez3 said:I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably won't be able to get therapy at the National Savings and Credit Bank through insurance since you're 24. Unless, you know, you have some connections.

I mean, maybe not... You should still try, though. I know people who used their insurance at the National Savings and Credit Bank and got an appointment within a month and started therapy in their mid-twenties.
If the referral for the National Savings and Credit Bank doesn't work out, your next best bet is Central Park; they have a really great speech therapy department there (well, they did a few years back).

Hey everyone!

Look, speech issues aren't just a kid thing—adults deal with them all the time too. Your age isn't some insurmountable barrier to fixing your pronunciation if you decide to pursue therapy. You can start by seeing your primary care physician; they can give you a referral to a specialist covered by your insurance provider. In that case, the costs are handled through your plan. Private speech therapy sessions usually run about 45 minutes—prices generally hover around $90 to $43, though some specialists definitely charge more. Ideally, you’d aim for two sessions a week. How long the whole process takes? That depends on a dozen different factors. Even though you’re likely far more disciplined and motivated than a child would be, those old habits are deeply ingrained—automating correct pronunciation takes time. It also depends on the specific type of distortion—some are much harder to correct than others. But bottom line: everything can be fixed 🙂

gustavo2, kudos to you for looking out for the grandkids! So many people just ignore developmental speech and language delays in children, but you’re actually making sure nothing slips through the cracks. My advice: sit down with your daughter and share your observations and concerns. If you need a little extra leverage to convince her, here is a useful resource http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/
Getting a professional speech evaluation and consulting with a therapist is the best move. There might not even be a reason for concern, but perhaps your intuition is exactly what will trigger early intervention and help the child overcome potential hurdles. Good luck!

Amy Turner22 said:You can use your health insurance to visit a specialist here in the States.
The process is straightforward: see your primary care physician to get a referral for a diagnostic speech pathologist.
They’ll order whatever tests are necessary, and once those are complete, you go back on the waiting list for a therapist. Expect a wait of about 6 to 12 months.🙂

I’ve noticed many people on this forum searching for specific speech therapist phone numbers.

This particular therapist is truly excellent. Every parent I know who brought their child here was thoroughly impressed by both the approach and the quick results.

------- Please send any private information via PM rather than posting it publicly on the forum. Thank you. -------

Hey everyone, my kid just hit the five-year mark. We actually moved to a different country about two years ago. I haven't noticed any issues with their vocabulary until recently, but now there’s this slight hesitation in their speech because they spend so much time speaking English that their American English is starting to trip over itself sometimes.
The stuttering usually happens right at the start of a sentence when they're rushing to say something—like if they ask, "When, when, when do we have to leave?" That "when" part gets stuck, whether they're speaking English or their other language. When they get excited and try to speed up, they just end up repeating that first word.
Is this happening because of being bilingual? Should I be worried?

Is this hiccup happening only during specific moments—like when you’re heading out the door—or is it just a constant thing?
From a psychological standpoint, kids tend to rush through their words when they're hyped up or feeling anxious. Maybe try repeating what they said back to them, just super calm and slow-paced.

analogsailor40 said:Does this stall happen only in specific moments (like when you're heading out somewhere) or is it constant?
From a psychological standpoint, kids tend to rush their speech when they're excited or feeling anxious. Try repeating what they said back to them in a calm, slow manner.

It’s happening more often lately. Like, if we're headed to the beach? He'll throw out a few sentences, and if we don't jump in right away, he just repeats the exact same question—but this time without the stutter. "When are we going to the beach?"

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A31 using Reddit

It looks like this thread has gone quiet. I just wanted to share my experience trying to get an appointment in Savannah.

I’m 33, and I’ve struggled with a pronounced R-sound issue my entire life.
After a family tragedy left me in shock, it felt like my speech worsened—I started stumbling over words more often. It became incredibly frustrating having to repeat myself constantly because people couldn't catch what I was saying the first time around.

I finally sat down with my doctor today to discuss it, and she gave me a referral for a speech therapist. I called Savannah, and they scheduled me for January 29th—which is only three days away. There is no twelve-month wait, at least not for the initial evaluation. I don't have any special connections; I just made a standard phone call and that was that.

I'm hoping that once the diagnosis and initial therapy are set, things will start moving quickly.
It was worth the effort. Honestly, after reading stories about waiting a year or being turned away because you're an adult, I was almost ready to give up.