Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of the program (and are discounts available)?
The cost of LEAP is available at the following website: https://hespclinic.umd.edu/about-us/forms-fees
We offer a sliding scale if the tuition presents a significant financial burden. We require you to submit your previous year’s tax returns in order to make a determination regarding whether you qualify for a discounted rate.
Do you accept insurance?
We don’t accept insurance, so all services are out-of-pocket. You may submit a claim to your insurance company, with our invoice, but we don’t work directly with any insurer. Note that, because we provide speech and language therapy services as well as academic instruction, only a portion of the services we provide will be eligible for reimbursement. We can provide an itemized invoice to give to your insurer that specifies the breakdown of these costs.
What is the structure of the program/how many days per week is the program/hours of the program?
LEAP is a half-day program that runs 3 days/week and has morning and afternoon classes. The morning session runs from 8:45am to 12:15pm and afternoon runs from 12:45pm to 4:15pm.
Is a full day possible?
We only offer a half-day option at this time.
How many therapy sessions will my child receive per week?
Children in LEAP receive speech and language therapy 3x/week for 30 minutes, totaling 90 minutes of therapy per week. In addition, children receive push in services and pre-literacy instruction in our classroom.
What is the age-range of the program?
We serve children from ages 3 to 5 years of age. On occasion, children have started LEAP before their third birthday, but we will only accept these children on a case-by-case basis.
Who provides the services?
Services are provided by graduate student clinicians in our Master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology. All services are supervised by licensed speech-language pathologists.
Do I have to have an evaluation before I start?
All children need to have an identified speech and language need in order to receive services. A recent speech-language evaluation typically serves this purpose. That being said, we do take in children who have not had a recent evaluation, or who have a suspected speech and language issue. For these children, we will provide a full evaluation upon enrollment.
Does my child need to be toilet-trained?
Yes, we require that all children are fully toilet-trained before starting.
How can I apply?
We will send you application and when you return it (via email or regular mail), we will schedule you for a visit. During the visit, you will come with your child. We will conduct an interview with you regarding relevant case history information, and then we will conduct a classroom observation. Visits to LEAP typically occur when the program is in session and we have children here. The purpose of the visit to determine if your child will be a good fit for LEAP. After the visit, we will contact you regarding potential enrollment in the program.