The Hello Clinic

Yes! Our schedule is always in flux, so please contact us for current options. We’re open Monday through Friday, 9-6 pm.

Speech therapy sessions are 30 minutes long and start at $115 per session. Occupational therapy sessions are 45 minutes long and start at $180 per session. All evaluations are booked for an hour and a half, during the mid-morning. Speech evaluations start at $275 and OT evaluations start at $315.

The length of therapy depends on your goals, your frequency of therapy, and your dedication to practicing at home. Your therapist will evaluate your specific situation and draw on their experience to help identify realistic expectations.

Yes! We are in-network with Regence BCBS, Moda, and PacificSource. We also take Kaiser for speech therapy, but by referral only. If you have a different insurance company, the private pay rate is due at the time of your appointment. You may be able to receive reimbursement from your insurance if your plan has out-of-network benefits. We do not bill OHP, Medicaid, or Healthshare plans. 

A formal ASD diagnosis, or a medical diagnosis, helps you get the support your family needs, especially within the context of accessing medically necessary therapies and services.

• Insurance Coverage for Therapies: Medically necessary therapies for ASD are often covered by insurance including, but not limited to, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and occupational therapy. 
• Financial Support: A diagnosis is required when applying for social security or disability benefits. 
• Plan for Care: A diagnosis helps identify your child’s support needs. For example, your child might need to develop social communication and self-regulation skills.
• Future Research: The more data we gather through evaluations, the more we can improve services for autistic children and adults.

Check out Autism Diagnosis: The Complete Guide for Parents for more information.

1 in 36 children is diagnosed with autism according to the latest reports.

Here are some reasons why:

• Medical professionals understand autism better. More doctors are trained to test for autism and other developmental and language delays.  
• The definition of autism has evolved in recent years which means that an autism diagnosis covers more conditions to help more people get the services they need.

For more information check out Common autism diagnosis questions: Answers from Dr. Melanie Hsu

Yes, but there is room for improvement. We don’t have a single, perfect diagnostic tool for autism and there are a lot of factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis. There are a few “gold standards” that are used for diagnosis.

The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Some other common things speech therapists can help with:

• Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
• Forming speech in a clearer way
• Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
• Understanding and responding to questions
• Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
• Noticing and understanding body language
• Feeding and swallowing
• Stuttering