Speech-Language Pathology

ChildServe’s Speech Therapy program serves children and young adults (birth-21 years) who have communication, cognition and/or functional feeding problems. Children must also fit the following qualifications:

• Medically stable
• Free of actively contagious condition
• Able to tolerate exposure to other people and children and transport to/from ChildServe
• Able to keep endurance up through prescribed therapy sessions

If your child exhibits one or more of the following symptoms, he or she may benefit from ChildServe’s therapy services.

By 6 months of age does not:

• make eye contact
• take turns with actions or vocalizations 

By 12 months of age does not:

• Understand and respond to own name
• Babble using long and short groups of sounds
• Use speech sounds rather than only crying to get attention

By 18 months of age does not:

• Imitate individual words
• Follow simple commands
• Identify 1-3  body parts
• Say 3-20 or more words
• Gesture

By 2 years of age cannot:

• recognize objects or pictures
• speak (or speaks only in single words at 2.5 years of age)

By 3 years of age cannot:

•  be understood by family and/or caregivers
•  correctly produce vowels and such sounds as p, b, m, w in words
•  repeat when not understood without becoming frustrated

By 4 years of age cannot:

• be understood by individuals with whom they do not associate regularly
• be understood by family and/or caregivers
• correctly produce t, d
• be asked to repeat without becoming sensitive

By 5 years of age cannot:

• be understood in all situations by most listeners
• correctly produce most speech sounds including k, g and f
• be asked to repeat without exhibiting frustration

Other symptoms may include the following:

• Difficulty forming friendships because he/she is unable to interact with others at an age-appropriate level, especially due to inability to follow rules of conversation
• Trouble recalling and using new information because of problems with language, attention and memory
• Abnormal voice tone (i.e. hoarse, raspy, breathy or if the child likes to scream or talk loudly)
• Stuttering
• Inability to manage the transition from bottle to table foods
• Difficulty with feeding or swallowing
• Picky eating or refusal of food types and textures

Parents/guardians, members of the child’s care team, or the child’s case manager may make a referral or request more information. Call 515-331-4518 to speak with a Medical Social Worker who will help identify a funding source and send out an application for services.

Therapy services are funded through Iowa Medicaid, private insurance, or private pay. Services are authorized by the individual’s payor source and require a physician’s order, which ChildServe can help the family find. The fees for each specific child and service will be discussed during the intake process.

ChildServe’s facilities and equipment are designed specifically for children. Therapy services take place year-round at the following locations:

• ChildServe – Ames
• ChildServe – Johnston
• ChildServe – Iowa City
• ChildServe – Cedar Rapids
• ChildServe – Des Moines

We also offer on-site speech therapy for children enrolled in childcare at the ChildServe Childcare Center in Johnston or children receiving Day Health services at our ChildServe – Des Moines location.

Hours of operation for Johnston and Ames:

• Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Hours of operation for Iowa City:

• Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• VitalStim
• Nasometer/Visipitch