LIGHTS ON LEARNING 


KELLIE HENKEL

A summary of these policies is posted on the website, invoices, session calendar invites & Calendly.

The full policy document can also be viewed on google forms & documents.

• Google Forms
• Google Documents

HOURLY RATE:


All sessions are based on a clinical hour (50 minutes). The hourly fee applies to all family-centered time including evaluations, therapy, reports, meetings, consultations, phone calls & trainings, etc. Family-centered time is billed in 10-minute increments.

• Payment is required at the time of scheduling for the Fixed schedule & on the 25th for the FLEX schedule.
• Payment after the session is only accepted if a signed contract is in place.
• Yearly Fee Increase: Every year on 9/1, the hourly fee will increase by $5 per hour.

NO REFUNDS:

Please see the cancellation policy. In summary, 48-hours cancellation notice is needed to be eligible for any make-up sessions. If the cancellation is less than 48 hours, the billable time can be used for family-centered billable services. Please indicate how you want the billable time to be spent prior to the scheduled session. If you canceled with 48-hours’ notice, make up sessions will be offered and need to be used within 30 days. No refunds will be given.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

48-hour cancellation policy

• If you cancel with 48-hours’ notice, you can schedule make up sessions. The sessions need to be made up within 30 days of the cancellation date. For example: If you cancel one week, the next week you may have 2 sessions (your weekly appointment, plus a make-up session). Make up session availability will vary week to week. You can schedule make up sessions on Calendly.
• Make up sessions: https://calendly.com/lightsonlearningacademy/make-up-therapy-session
• If you cancel with less than 48-hours’ notice, you are not eligible for make-up sessions and you will be billed in full for the missed session. If you need to cancel with less than 48-hours’ notice (due to the child being sick or traveling due to sports or vacation), please consider online sessions for the child, online parent consultation or any billable service below. You must indicate how you want the time spent prior to the scheduled session. The billable time can be used for any family centered service including but not limited to:

• Progress report
• Review and feedback on IEP documents
• IEP goal writing
• Teacher training or collaboration
• Parent training or consultation
• Child centered language stimulation lesson plan
• Educational consultation: math, handwriting, reading, or spelling
• Customized educational materials made specifically for your child
• Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) customization
• Custom Articulation practice set
• Homework sheets: speech, language, handwriting, math, reading, spelling
• Collaboration with other therapists and educators
• Graphing testing scores for IEP advocacy
• Assessment, therapy, or consultation with a sibling
• Other: feel free to suggest a family centered service that would be helpful

SCHEDULING MODELS:


FIXED & FLEX


Please read below to determine which model best matches your needs.

• FIXED MODEL: 
To reserve and keep weekly therapy sessions, I require clients to prepay for all sessions once a month using a tuition-based model. Prepayment is required to hold reserved weekly therapy sessions. The Fixed model allows families to keep their preferred day/time each week. A consistent schedule allows for maximum progress. If you are on the fixed schedule and need to change your schedule (summer), the change will be considered permanent, and your previous therapy spot will be released. You can cancel sessions as needed with 48 hours’ notice and schedule make up times. Make up hours can be limited and vary week to week. The monthly tuition/fee is not reduced for canceled sessions. Tuition will be the same even if you need to cancel sessions. 

Tuition: The tuition for the month is based the number of days in each month. Most months will be the same tuition. Some months will be less due to occasional office closures or the month having fewer days. For example, if your weekly session falls on a Monday and the office is open 4 Mondays that month, you will be charged for all 4 Mondays (regardless of your ability to make all the sessions or not). Keep in mind that I hold your weekly therapy spot, regardless of your attendance. This model is similar to private schools, camps, music lessons, etc. If I’m holding a weekly therapy appointment for your child and my office is open, you will be billed for the session. 

Invoicing: Invoices are sent by the 1st of each month outlining all session dates for the following month. Payments are expected no later than the 25th of the month. Please make a note of your reoccurring appointments. Schedule changes or termination of services should be made before monthly billing cycle. By paying the invoice, you agree to all policies and the outlined dates of service in the invoice.
• FLEX MODEL: 
The FLEX model is best for families who want sessions every other week or once a month. This model works best for families who want to pay one session at a time. This also works for families who can’t commit to weekly sessions due to scheduling conflicts or budget limitations. The time and day of the offered sessions will vary week by week. Prepayment of 4 sessions is preferred for the FLEX schedule to make the scheduling process easier. Sessions can also be scheduled the same day which works for families who may be concerned about the cancellation policy (for example, if your child gets sick often).
• INSURANCE: 
Insurance is not accepted but a superbill can be provided for possible reimbursement. Call your insurance to find out what the coverage is for speech language therapy. The diagnosis code (ICD10) is typically F80.9 and the CPT code is always 92507. Lights On Learning would be an out of network provider. If insurance approves the reimbursement, the payment would be sent directly to the parent. Not all the services are covered by insurance. Some of the services that are not covered by insurance are: math intervention, IEP advocacy, meetings, parent consultation and report writing.

• CLOSURES: 
The office is typically CLOSED a few weeks every year but please check for with the director on those specific dates as they vary year to year. The office is always closed on Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day. The office is also closed a few days around Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and a week in the summer (end of July/early August). 

• IN PERSON SESSIONS:
 The therapist will meet you by your car in the driveway to start the session. Please do not come to the office before being greeted at your car. This allows the therapist to sanitize thoroughly between sessions. This also keeps sessions confidential. The 50-minute session starts at the time you are greeted at the car.

• SUPERVISION: 
Parents are welcome to stay for the session or drop off their child. Some children do better without their parents for multiple reasons. Let’s talk about what option is best for your child. If you drop off, please return on time. Remember the sessions are all clinical hours (50-minute sessions). If you drop off your child, please wait in the car or run errands and return on time. If you are waiting with siblings, please do not allow siblings to play in the driveway or on the property (for safety and liability reasons). Siblings are not to be left in the car unattended. If you have other children, I encourage you to take them to the closest park while you wait. Pioneer Park is the closest (located off Foster Road) and is only 3 minutes (1 mile) from the office.
• ONLINE / TELE-THERAPY SESSIONS: 
Zoom is the online platform that is used for all tele-therapy sessions. Teletherapy doesn’t work for all children. Direct teletherapy typically doesn’t typically work very young children or severely handicapped children. If you are doing online sessions, you may need a whiteboard and whiteboard markers. You will be sent a list of any additional supplies that are needed once a therapy plan for your child has been established. You may also need an iPad or iPhone with a gooseneck clamp to capture your child’s hands if the child has academic goals (reading, spelling, handwriting or math). If you choose tele-therapy please check the following: good Wi-Fi in the location you will be doing the therapy, good lighting, good camera/microphone, headphones, quiet room, suitable desk, and chair (sitting in a bed is not recommended). Zoom needs weekly updating, so make sure your app is updated before the session begins. Make note of the zoom ID. It will be the same for every session. A zoom waiting room is used to protect confidentiality. Once you log into zoom using the zoom ID, zoom will alert the therapist and you will be let into the zoom room. If the child is not signed on within 10 minutes of the scheduled appointment, the zoom meeting will end, you will be billed in full for the session and no make-up session will be offered. Make a note of your scheduled time. Zoom meeting room: 998-423-9680. It is highly recommended that the student uses a good computer or iPad. Chromebooks are not recommended as the audio and visual quality are poor.

FREQUENCY OF THERAPY:


Each student is different and needs a different amount of intervention to close the achievement gap and make progress. Progress is dependent on the following factors: severity of the condition, frequency of therapy, carryover practice and co-existing conditions (poor processing speed, poor working memory, executive functioning deficits, ADD, visual processing deficits, & auditory processing deficits).

In general, for a child that is 1 year behind, 1-2 sessions a week is recommended. For a child that is 2 or more years behind, 4-5 sessions per week is recommended. This number is an estimate and would change depending on the child’s unique needs and how many deficit areas are being addressed in therapy (speech, language, reading & math). Progress is very dependent on carryover practice, frequency of therapy, commitment to the process and co-existing conditions. There is no magic wand.



SUMMARY

1. Prepay for all sessions once month at a time using a tuition-based model to hold your weekly therapy spot on the FIXED schedule. Invoices sent by the 1st of each month. Payment is due in full by the 25th of each month.
2. Prepay for all sessions at the time of scheduling to hold the therapy spot on the FLEX schedule. No session will be held without payment.
3. 48-hour cancellation policy. If you cancel with 48-hours’ notice, you may schedule make up sessions. Make up sessions need to be used within 30 days. If you cancel with less than 48-hours, you can use the time for any family-centered service (online parent consultation, progress note, IEP review, etc.) Please indicate how you want the billable time to be spent before the session time.
4. No refunds.
5. Fee increases by $5 each year on September 1st.


PAYMENT = AGREEMENT TO POLICIES AND OUTLINED DATES

NO REFUND POLICY FOR MEMBERSHIPS