Speech therapy in Ann Arbor: finding the right support

Ann Arbor families have a distinctive resource in the University of Michigan, whose clinical programs — including the communication-focused work connected to UMACC and U-M speech and language services — provide speech-language therapy, alongside a healthy set of private clinics and independent SLPs across Washtenaw County. Some multidisciplinary and ABA clinics also have SLPs on staff, which can make coordinating care easier.

For funding, most state-regulated private insurance plans cover medically necessary speech therapy, and Michigan's Medicaid program covers it for eligible children. For Medicaid families, speech therapy connected to the Autism Benefit may be coordinated through the Washtenaw County CMH system, while medically-based speech therapy can also be accessed through Medicaid-enrolled providers directly. Separately, eligible students can receive speech-language services at school as part of their IEP at no cost to families — though school-based services are geared to educational needs and may look different from clinic-based therapy. Many families use both.