Working with Us
Oppenheimer Speech and language, LLC, provides in-home speech-language therapy in lower Montgomery County, Maryland
Meet your SLP
Kathleen Oppenheimer, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist with more than a decade of experience working with children and adults. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Chinese from Harvard College and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University. She started her SLP career as a LEND Fellow at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, where she provided inpatient and outpatient speech-language services. She has also been a treating clinician on a clinical trial comparing interventions for Developmental Language Disorder. Kathleen has completed additional graduate coursework in research methods and child language development.
Currently, Kathleen specializes in evaluating and treating speech sound production disorders, language delays and disorders, and literacy. Colleagues and clients appreciate how thoroughly and clearly Kathleen explains evaluation results and answers questions. She loves understanding a client's unique needs and working with families to develop individualized treatment plans.
In addition to offering in-home speech-language evaluations and treatment, Kathleen is a sought-after speaker on topics including linguistic diversity, advances in research in speech-language pathology, and science communication. She visits K-12 classrooms to talk about language science careers as a volunteer with Skype A Scientist and Maryland STEM Festival.
Kathleen lives in Montgomery County with her family.
1. Consultation Call
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone or video call to determine if we might be a good fit. I'll ask questions to learn more about what you are looking for and I encourage you to ask me questions, too. If you decide to proceed with an evaluation or therapy, we'll make a plan for the first session.
Our Process
Thank you for your interest in working with Oppenheimer Speech and Language. We are looking forward to getting to know you and your family. Here's a breakdown of the steps involved for working with us:
2. Intake Paperwork
You'll use our secure patient portal to fill out forms so I can learn more about your child and your family. This will help me plan your child's first session.
4. Discuss Evaluation Results
After the evaluation, we will have a phone or video meeting to discuss the results of testing. I'll explain the results and my recommendations, and ask for your input as well. Together we'll decide on the next steps, which could include speech-language therapy with us, referrals to additional providers, and recommendations for home activities. You will receive a written report of the results and recommendations.
3. Evaluation
Your speech-language evaluation will take place in your home or a community location. I will play or talk with your child and I may administer standardized assessments of speech and language. The evaluation activities will be chosen to be appropriate for your child's developmental level and we can take breaks at any time. I welcome parents to watch the evaluation.
5. Begin Therapy
If speech-language therapy is indicated, we will schedule sessions for your child. Therapy sessions are designed to be fun and target your child's goals in the context of meaningful activities. Most clients have weekly appointments; however, we will work together to come up with a plan that works for you and your family. Therapy takes place in your home or at a community location we agree on. Telehealth is available in limited circumstances.
Our rates
Speech, Language, and Literacy Evaluations
These rates include standardized and nonstandardized assessments, a written report of results and recommendations, and a family conference to discuss the results and recommendations. During our complementary initial consultation, we will discuss your concerns and recommend the evaluation type based on your concerns.
Speech and Language Evaluation
For:
New clients of Oppenheimer Speech and Language, LLC
Current clients who have not had an assessment in the past year
120 mins | $650
Limited Evaluation
For:
Current clients of Oppenheimer Speech and Language, LLC, if the therapist and family agree that a recent full evaluation still captures the child's strengths and weaknesses but additional assessments are needed to adjust the treatment plan
$150 per 30 minutes
Speech-only Evaluation
For:
New clients with concerns about speech sound production, where a language disorder is unlikely based on prior testing or academic performance
Includes a language screening
60 minutes | $400
Speech, Language, and Literacy Treatment
These rates include travel to and from your home or a community location where we agree to hold a therapy session. An additional travel fee may apply to sessions that take place outside our treatment radius. We will work together to choose a session length and frequency based on the results of your evaluation. Every session includes to ask questions and discuss concerns. More extensive consultations are available for current clients for a fee.
30-minute session
$100
45-minute session
$145
60-minute session
$185
Parent Consultation
$40 per 15 minutes
Get Help Paying for Therapy
We offer an income-based sliding scale that we would be happy to discuss with you during your complimentary consultation. We can also work with you to submit a grant to cover speech therapy from Small Steps in Speech or another organization. We hope to be in-network soon with Maryland Medicaid, so please check back for updates.
Oppenheimer Speech and Language, LLC is out of network with all insurance plans. Payment is expected at the time of service and all clients are required to keep a credit card on file. We accept payment by check made out to Oppenheimer Speech and Language, LLC, or by credit card through our secure portal. For services that are potentially reimbursable by insurance, we will provide a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Kathleen holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is licensed to practice speech-language pathology in the state of Maryland.
Kathleen regularly exceeds the required continuing education hours to maintain her license and certification. During your complimentary initial consultation, Kathleen is happy to answer questions about specific trainings, clinical experiences, and continuing education courses she has completed.
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Yes, we offer the following services for adults:
Articulation therapy, which addresses producing sounds correctly
Accent modification
Support with professional communication for adults whose challenges with communication are impacting their work performance
Literacy Instruction (decoding, basic literacy, reading comprehension)
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A referral is not required to begin speech therapy. However, if you plan to use out-of-network benefits, you should check with your insurance company to find out if a referral is required.
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The conditions we treat include:
Childhood apraxia of speech
Dysarthria
Phonological Disorders
Articulation Disorders
Developmental Language Disorder
Mixed receptive and expressive language disorder
Expressive Language Disorder
Language disorders associated with other diagnoses, such as Autism and genetic conditions
Dyslexia
We treat a range of conditions affecting speech, language and literacy. Many of these conditions go by many different names. If you do not see your child’s condition here, feel free to contact us to ask if we have experience with that condition.
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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Identify the Signs campaign describes characteristics of typical speech and language development. If your child is not meeting those milestones, or if you aren’t sure if your child would benefit from an evaluation, please contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Speech-language treatment can address concerns in a variety of areas, including:
Pronunciation of sounds and words
Producing words, phrases, and sentences (expressive language)
Understanding spoken language (receptive language)
Phonemic awareness and early literacy
Reading comprehension
Producing clear descriptions and narratives
Conversation and social skills
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This is a great question, and a very common one! Speech-language pathologists work on a lot more than just pronouncing words. A child who pronounces words correctly but struggles with any of the following skills may benefit from speech-language support:
thinking of the right words to use
using grammar to form sentences correctly
producing clear descriptions and narratives
expressing themselves clearly
following directions
understanding spoken information in the classroom
understanding what they read
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We come to you! We can go to your home or meet in a community location in parts of Montgomery County, Maryland (see a map of our service area). We can also coordinate with your child’s daycare, private school, or after school program to provide services there.
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Yes! Initial evaluations only take place in person. If therapy is indicated, we will decide together whether Telehealth is a good fit.
Contact Us
Please note that this form is not a secure way to contact us. Current patients can use our secure patient portal to send confidential messages. New and prospective patients can request access to the portal and we will set that up within one business day.