Our services.

In-clinic and online appointments.

  • Come visit us at our Point Loma office for naturalistic speech therapy and occupational therapy! In addition to clinic appointments, North Star’s online services make it easy for your child to receive an evaluation and therapy on your schedule.

    Each speech therapy or occupational therapy appointment includes individualized, evidence-based treatment, parent coaching, and a personalized home plan.

  • We accept Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) payments, self-determination program (SDP) payments, health savings account (HSA) payments, flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and private pay. Our prompt pay rates are as follows:

    25 minutes: $67.50 -$85
    50 minutes: $135 -$150
    Evaluation: $310 -$380

    Prices include prompt pay discount for HSA, FSA, and private pay when payment is made on the day-of the appointment.

Speech-language evaluations and therapy.

  • Our strengths-based speech and language assessments identify areas of strength, emerging skills, and skills that have not yet emerged in the areas of speech (talking with the mouth), receptive language (understanding words), expressive language (using words), and social communication across all modalities. The goal of a speech and language evaluation is to better understand how therapy can improve the client’s ability to communicate in the ways that are important to them.

    North Star specializes in speech-language pathology and parent coaching for: early intervention (babies and toddlers), children diagnosed with autism and early signs of autism, speech sound disorders, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), child language disorders, minimally-verbal, nonverbal, or nonspeaking individuals, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) or speech-generating device (SGD) users. We also support teens and adults who have difficulty communicating due to a developmental diagnosis or disability.

  • We accept Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) payments, self-determination program (SDP) payments, health savings account (HSA) payments, flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and private pay. Our prompt pay rates are as follows:

    25 minutes: $67.50 -$85
    50 minutes: $135 -$150
    Evaluation: $310 -$380

    Prices include prompt pay discount for HSA, FSA, and private pay when payment is made on the day-of the appointment.

Occupational therapy evaluations and treatment.

  • North Star’s occupational therapists (OTs) identify areas of strength, emerging skills, and skills that have not yet emerged in the areas of sensory processing, motor coordination, self-care skills, and executive functioning. The goal of an occupational therapy evaluation is to better understand how therapy can improve a client’s ability to participate meaningfully in the daily tasks that are important to them.

    Our occupational therapists specialize in: early intervention (babies and toddlers), children diagnosed with autism and early signs of autism, motor differences, community participation, self-care and daily living skills, and prevocational skills. We also support teens and adults who have difficulty participating in activities of daily living due to a developmental diagnosis or disability.

  • We accept Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) payments, self-determination program (SDP) payments, health savings account (HSA) payments, flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and private pay. Our prompt pay rates are as follows:

    25 minutes: $67.50 -$85
    50 minutes: $135 -$150
    Evaluation: $310 -$380

    Prices include prompt pay discount for HSA, FSA, and private pay when payment is made on the day-of the appointment.

Caregiver coaching

  • Research evidence suggests that children whose caregivers receive parent coaching make faster progress that children whose parents don’t. Most speech therapy and occupational therapy includes parent education, where the therapist might speak with you for a few minutes at the end of the appointment and give you a handout with strategies to practice at home. Parent coaching is different. During parent coaching, you are included as an active participant throughout each speech or occupational therapy appointment. North Star’s parent coaching includes didactic instruction as part of a triad (you, the client, and the therapist), opportunities to practice with your child, self-reflection, and feedback. If your child already receives SLP or OT services with a different provider and/or you prefer to receive weekly therapy from an in-network provider, supplemental parent coaching, once or twice per month, can help you learn strategies to speed your child’s progress, reduce stress, and feel empowered in how to guide your child.

    Contact us for more information.

  • We accept Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) payments, self-determination program (SDP) payments, health savings account (HSA) payments, flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and private pay. Our prompt pay rates are as follows:

    25 minutes: $67.50 -$85
    50 minutes: $135 -$150
    Evaluation: $310 -$380

    Prices include prompt pay discount for HSA, FSA, and private pay when payment is made on the day-of the appointment.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluations, programming, and training.

  • North Star completes evaluations for speech generating devices (SGDs) for Tricare Prime and Tricare Select enrollees. We can also complete evaluations and make recommendations for individuals who wish to self-fund purchase of a speech generating device.

    In addition, North Star is thrilled to partner with the California Department of Rehabilitation to offer access to the Voice Options Program through a grant from the CA Public Utilities Commission. Through Voice Options, any Californian who is nonspeaking, nonverbal, or has difficulty communication can receive a free augmentative-alternative communication device and up to three house of training or therapy. Read more about the Voice Options Program and how you can get a free iPad with an AAC app (such as TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life, TD Snap, Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4Text) to use as an AAC device.

    Our SLPs specialize in AAC assessments, programming, and training. We can support you in individualizing your AAC device to meet your needs, in addition to teaching device-users, parents, caregivers, and other providers how to use the device.

  • We accept Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) payments, self-determination program (SDP) payments, health savings account (HSA) payments, flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and private pay. Our prompt pay rates are as follows:

    25 minutes: $67.50 -$85
    50 minutes: $135 -$150
    Evaluation: $310 -$380

    Prices include prompt pay discount for HSA, FSA, and private pay when payment is made on the day-of the appointment.

Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)

  • We accept IEE requests on a case-by-case basis. We typically accept 3-4 IEEs per calendar year in the areas of: speech-language, augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) and/or assistive technology (AT), and occupational therapy. We specialize in IEEs for students who are minimally speaking who may or may not use AAC. We can also provide IEEs for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

    IEEs are typically paid for by the school district. Our services include negotiation with the district for appropriate reimbursement for the IEE, chart review, in-person assessment, school observation, teacher and staff interview, evaluation report writing, and attendance at the IEP meeting to share IEE results. Please contact us if you wish to discuss if North Star is the right provider to complete an IEE for your child.

  • The cost per IEE is typically around $3000 for students residing in San Diego, which includes approximately 20 hours of therapist time at $150 per hour. We accept IEEs outside of San Diego on a case-by-case basis; IEEs that require travel may cost an additional $2000-6000 to account for travel time and expenses. Families can pay out-of-pocket for an IEE and request reimbursement from the school if desired.

Constellations: NEW Community-Based Social Recreation Programs

  • Now offering community-based, recreation sessions facilitated by North Star. Constellations in the park offers individuals of all ages to connect with others and build the confidence to shine brightly!

    North Star uses a child-led, neurodiversity affirming approach in their work with families. As a result, community-based, recreation sessions are play-focused with a strong emphasis on building self-efficacy in all of the social and recreational elements it takes to play. For many individuals with high support needs, community outings can be challenging to the sensory system, resulting in dysregulation and unsafe behaviors. North Star’s skilled staff work closely with caregivers to develop safe play skills while navigating the challenges of being outdoors in a public space. Naturally occurring social interactions with others at the park becomes a means to building social confidence and practice developing friendships. North Star’s creative approach makes it easy for children to safely develop recreation and leisure skills, and empowers families to utilize strategies across the environments they negotiate in everyday life.

    Location:
    Bonita Cove Park in Mission Beach
    3119 Mariners Way 
    San Diego, CA 92109

  • We developed this program to:

    1. Promote quality of life and leisure exploration in children and adults of all ages

    2. Support social opportunities that naturally occur in the community that many individuals with disabilities miss out on

    3. Develop safe play skills in a large, open, public space where parents or caregivers may otherwise be unable to bring their child due to concerns with safety, behavior, or impulsivity

    4. Provide practical strategies for parents negotiating community environments with their children

    Participants will: 

    1. Increase recreational opportunities by supporting their ability to safely play in their community. 

    2. Access naturally occurring social opportunities in their community through expert-facilitated, neurodiversity-affirming social skills support

    3. Improve their ability to interact with other children given facilitation and support as needed.

    4. Improve impulse control and self-regulation to support community recreation opportunities

    5. Increase safety and social awareness

    6. Enhance their confidence in a natural, community-based setting

    Caregivers of participants will: 

    1. Learn social skills, behavior support, problem solving, sensory regulation, and executive function strategies in a recreational context

    2. Feel empowered to use strategies to support recreation, safety, and social skills in all community-based environments

  • $125 per 1-hour session

    Community-based social recreation appointments are available on Fridays between 9 and 12. These appointments cannot be funded through insurance since they are not therapeutic. Appointments can be funded through private pay. We are in the process of getting this program approved as a social recreation activity through the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC). Contact us to learn more!