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At-home & outdoor mobile speech therapy for children 18 months or older on the Central Coast

Mia Leeper, M.S. CCC-SLP

Welcome! I’m Mia, speech-language pathologist, mom, and aspiring naturalist. I grew up right here in Arroyo Grande. I hold a B.A. in Art History from Mills College and a M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tulsa. I’m licensed to practice in California and I’m certified through the American Speech Language Hearing Association. I have been practicing as a speech-language pathologist since 2017 in a variety of settings and am now passionate about offering therapy that aligns with the way I live and parent. My approach is shaped by my experience gentle parenting, teaching kid’s yoga, and leading a kid’s nature group. Aside from my profession, my life’s current focus is homeschooling my two children, learning how to best care for myself and my family, and exploring our world.

Therapy looks like this…

  • Initial evaluation is approached holistically and is comprised of a thorough history, taken via the questionnaire and in person discussion, as well as one on one informal assessment with your child. Unless a disorder or delay has already been identified, the initial assessment can determine whether therapy is needed.

  • Support for speech and language disorders is based on connection, language-enriched play, following the child’s lead as much as possible. Therapy is typically screen free (aside from AT/AAC). Rewards for a desired skill are my undivided attention and encouragement in order to encourage intrinsic motivation. I have training in DIR Floortime, which informs my practice. Speech and language goals are targeted with evidenced based approaches such as modeling, auditory bombardment, and errorless learning. Social skills are addressed through turn taking, joint attention, and reading social cues. Progress is monitored and goals are met, adapted, and added along the way.

  • Gentle guidance will be provided to recommend any appropriate changes to the parent’s approach toward their child’s communication. So much of parenting is how we model communication and how we listen and respond to our children. Practical advice is informed by my professional expertise and my own experience in the trenches parenting young children.

  • Why meet outside? Being outdoors promotes overall well-being for the child, you as the parent or caregiver, and me as the therapist. It also allows the child to move around freely, to explore, and to wonder. Nature offers opportunities for vocabulary, descriptive language, narrative skills and story telling, sequencing, inferencing, sensory engagement (colors, shapes, sizes, textures, smells, patterns), counting, curiosity, and learning of foundational concepts (seasons, time, weather, life-cycles).

  • Speech and language treatment, in and of itself, supports literacy. Additionally, therapy sessions may include read alouds, sensory approaches to encourage print awareness, building narrative skills, and caregiver guidance. I am passionate about children’s books and the benefits of reading aloud to your child, which go far beyond literacy to include strengthening your bond and social-emotional learning.

  • Phone consultation or initial evaluation determines need for treatment, as stuttering can be developmentally appropriate for children under 5. Holistic treatment involves counseling, caregiver coaching, environmental modifications, as well as training in strategies to improve fluency. Please follow this link for instructions to submit a language sample.

  • Simple, evidenced-based mindfulness practices can be implemented within our sessions for emotional regulation in order to work through communication break-downs, to encourage focused attention, and to complement traditional therapy methods.

  • Personalized visuals aids can be created using your own photos to support our goals and for your unique needs. Visual aids can be helpful to clarify routines and improve narrative skills. A customizable PDF is created by myself using Canva. The template is then delivered to you by email for further customization and additional of photos (which I am unable to add due to privacy requirements). If helpful, I can laminate the document once it is finalized and printed. This involves an additional fee, typically $25 per page.

  • "Mia worked with my 4 year old daughter for about a year. She was non-verbal at the time, diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech. We made great strides during our time with her, and she always made therapy fun! As importantly, she supported my child emotionally and made her feel seen and loved. I recommend her without reservation!"

    Allison

  • "Mia worked with my daughter early on in our speech therapy journey. My daughter needed to work on several things and Mia helped to figure out what to start with. She was also able to figure out how to motivate my daughter to fully participate in her own therapy. The time my daughter worked with her was extremely beneficial and we still speak fondly of Mia."

    Jennifer

How this works…

  • I provide services in the Five Cities (Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, and Oceano) and in San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast of California. If you live in other areas of San Luis Obispo County or northern Santa Barbara County, we can still meet within the Five Cities or SLO.

  • Therapy can be held at an outdoor location, or at your home. Once established, I may be able to provide services at your child's school or daycare. A setting conducive to productive therapy is minimally distracting and comfortable.

  • Unfortunately, learning to contract with and bill insurance is quite an undertaking and not something I’m able to tackle at this time since this is a very small business.

    Paying out of pocket offers us more independence and flexibility in our treatment plan since it removes the need to cater to insurance company requirements.

  • The initial 60 minute evaluation costs $225 and 45 minute treatment sessions are $125.

  • A physician's referral is not required when paying out of pocket.

  • I have a Masters of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology, I'm licensed by the State of California, and I hold a Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). Please see the ABOUT page for more information.

  • I can schedule appointments weekdays between 9 and 4 as well as on weekends occasionally, on a case by case basis. I take approximately 5 patients at a time. If no openings are available, you can choose to be added to a waitlist.

  • To inquire about making an appointment, please send me an email at mia@sagebrushspeechtherapy.com. Allow 1-3 business days for a response. I appreciate your patience!

  • The best way to ask more questions would be to email me at mia@sagebrushspeechtherapy.com.