It’s recommended to have your child evaluated by a speech-language pathologist if your child exhibits one or more of the following:

• Speech

  • Difficulty articulating individual or multiple speech sounds

  • Speech that is difficult for unfamiliar listeners to understand

  • Vocal quality that sounds hoarse, breathy, or overly nasal

  • Difficulty producing longer or more complex words

• Language

  • Less than 10 true words at 18 months old

  • Difficulty combining words into short phrases by age 2

  • Difficulty learning new vocabulary or language concepts

  • Difficulty answering questions or telling simple stories

  • Difficulty following directions

  • Difficulty with reading skills and comprehension

  • Has difficulty or experiences frustration when trying to express ideas and needs

• Social Pragmatic Language (Social Communication)

  • Absence or few instances of babbling, eye contact, smiling, or gestures in infancy and early childhood

  • Difficulty socializing with peers or participating in conversations

  • Limited use of gestures such as pointing, waving, or showing objects

  • Difficulty understanding social cues such as facial expressions or tone of voice

• Feeding

  • Picky eating or strong adverse reactions to certain foods

  • Limited variety of accepted foods or food groups

  • Difficulty chewing or managing certain food textures

  • Difficulty transitioning to new foods or mixed textures

  • Frequent gagging, coughing, or distress during meals

Yes, an evaluation is required before therapy services can begin to ensure that goals and treatment recommendations are appropriate for your child’s current needs.

If your child has completed a speech-language or feeding evaluation within the past 12 months, that report may be reviewed and accepted in place of a new evaluation. If a recent evaluation is not available, an initial assessment will be scheduled prior to starting therapy.

An evaluation typically includes play-based interaction, observation of your child’s current skills skills, parent interview, and the use of formal or informal assessment tools when appropriate. After the evaluation, you’ll receive a formal report with recommendations, outlined goals, and a treatment plan if services are recommended.

Sessions are play-based and individualized to each child. Therapy may include games, books, movement activities, and structured practice embedded into fun and meaningful interactions.

Guide & Grow Speech Therapy provides services throughout the San Francisco area.

Services may take place in your home, within community settings (such as parks, libraries, community centers, etc.), at your child’s daycare or preschool when permitted by the program, or through secure telehealth sessions. This flexible approach helps support skill development within the routines and spaces where your child learns and interacts most.

Sessions typically last 30-50 minutes, depending on your child’s age, attention, therapy goals and the clinician's professional opinion. The frequency and duration of sessions are individualized based on your child’s needs.

We work with children of all ages across a wide range of abilities. If you're wondering about support for a particular challenge or diagnosis, use our contact form to reach out!

At this time, Guide and Grow operates as a private-pay practice and is not in-network with insurance plans. We are considered an out-of-network provider; however, a detailed superbill can be provided upon request for families who wish to seek potential reimbursement through their insurance. We encourage families to contact their insurance provider directly to understand their out-of-network benefits prior to starting services, as reimbursement is determined by the insurance company and cannot be guaranteed.

Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form and we’ll give you a call! Following the initial call/consultation, we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.