To effectively serve the needs of the local community, with expertise, compassion, empathy, and understanding, by providing exceptional speech therapy services necessary to bridge the gap between limited and unlimited communication.
About
Natasha Lachapelle
Natasha is a graduate of the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology. She went on to receive her Masters of Communication Disorders from The University of South Carolina in Columbia. She is nationally certified by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) holding her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). She is licensed to practice in the state of Georgia and is also Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP) Certified.
With nearly 21 years of experience, Natasha has worked with children and adults in a variety of settings including acute care, inpatient and outpatient rehab, skilled nursing, outpatient clinics, and the school system. In 2022, she decided to open the doors to her own practice in Harris County to serve the community and the people she loves.
Natasha's outgoing and encouraging personality allows her to connect with clients in a way that allows her to build relationships. Building these relationships is the key to making her clients feel understood and supported. She specializes in providing individualized and client centered therapy. Her goal is to work closely together with clients as well as their families to identify and bolster meaningful communication.
In her free time, she enjoys being Gigi to Elliot, Parker, and Gwendolyn, spending time with her children, in addition to her wonderful husband. She is an avid reader, she loves to cook, and is always up for an adventure!
Speech therapy is often thought of as the avenue to help teach children how to say their speech sounds correctly. However, speech therapy goes way beyond just teaching speech! And, way beyond just teaching children! Speech therapy can help with many skills when it comes to communication. This specialized therapy assists with relationship building, brain development, swallowing, and improves overall quality of life. Plus, speech therapy is not meant for children alone! It benefits anyone who is experiencing difficulties with their skills of communication or interaction with others.
The goal of speech therapy is to improve the skills that allow communication to happen more effectively. There are other benefits as well. These can include:
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Improvement in the ability to understand and express thoughts, ideas and feelings
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Intelligible speech
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Increased ability to problem-solve independently
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Improved swallowing function and safety
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Achievement of school readiness skills
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Development of pre-literacy skills
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Fluent speech
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Development of practical social skills
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Better quality of life
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Greater self-esteem
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Increased independence
The ability to express one’s self is paramount. Speech therapy may help your loved one achieve a greater ability to use and understand language. It will help them to communicate with others and to express themselves to the greatest extent possible.
Why would I tell you drawbacks? Because I want to be completely transparent. I want you to understand what you are signing up for when you come to Communication Revelations.
There are concerns of a practical nature which must be considered when starting speech therapy.
Speech therapy is time-consuming, for both the caregiver and the client. It’s not enough to have a therapy session; the lessons from the session must be carried out throughout the week, at home and in the community. Communication happens everywhere! This can place added stress on a family already trying to cope with a therapy routine.
Often, speech language pathologists must work to select an appropriate communication mode for a client. Although speech is by far the most desirable choice, some client's may not easily acquire intelligible vocal speech and so other communication systems must be considered. This can often be difficult for caregivers to accept. In developing a speech therapy program for your loved one, it is important to develop a set of realistic expectations with the therapist. These expectations must be revisited from time to time as they progress. Only through periodic evaluations of the overall therapy program will you be able to determine the impact it is having on quality of life.
In the case of private speech therapy, cost may be a concern because a significant percentage of private health insurance plans do not cover speech therapy or only cover speech therapy for specific conditions. It is very important to check with your health plan about your benefits for speech therapy. Medicaid typically covers private speech therapy if appropriate goals can be defined and the child is making gains toward the goal.
We will work together to make sure you have what you need, but I want to make sure you understand your part.
Complete the intake forms that are applicable to your age and concern.
Due to insurance requirements, we require a signed physician order prior to your initial evaluation. There are also some specific requirements for different age groups:
For pediatric patients (5-years and under): A current hearing screening
For our school-aged patients:
A copy of the most current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) (if applicable) if no IEP is available a current hearing screening.
For adult swallowing patients:
A current Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS) within 6 months.
Evaluations take approximately an hour to complete. For pediatric patients, a comprehensive speech and language evaluation is administered in order to understand your child’s current abilities and needs.
For adult patients, the evaluation is based on area of need, whether it be language, cognition, or swallowing.
Results are discussed immediately following the completion of the evaluation during the same appointment. A full report will be provided to you as well within a week.
Should therapy be recommended, a Plan of Care specifically for you/your child and treatment scheduled. Treatment sessions are typically once per week for 30-minutes of individual therapy.