Speech Therapy Insurance Coverage Guide Canada

Speech Therapy Regulations Across Canada

The regulations of speech therapy differ for each province in Canada. In general, issues, difficulties, and how the system works are almost the same with little differences for each territory in Canada, says the CEO of Speech-Language and Audiology Canada, Joanne Charlebois. Charlebois also states that while waiting periods are much longer in Ontario than in other provinces, people whom she has spoken with across the other provinces complain also about the waiting durations.

Here, you can find the information about how the system works in each province across Canada;

Ontario Three ministries are responsible for speech therapy for children in Ontario (the Ministry of Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Community and Social Services). The age and the severity of children’s speech problems are important, and the division of children is made according to these two points. Also, Ontario has a speech and language program for preschoolers. School-aged children who have language problems, such as comprehension of words, sentences, or not being able to speak, are able to see the school’s speech pathologist. Also, Community Care Access Centres are for children struggling with stuttering, pronunciation, articulation, and voice, where contracted speech pathologists are employed.
British Columbia The organization of children’s speech therapy is done by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), and the Ministry of Education. Similar to Ontario, children of preschool and school-age are divided into two categories, which affect where they see a therapist. School-age children contact the school boards, and when they are directed to speech pathologists, they usually recommend consulting services instead of one on one speech therapy. Unlike Ontario’s system, in B.C., children with autism are in the no-wait list, meaning that the cost for therapy per year for children under the age of six are paid up to $22,000, and this rate becomes $6,000 after the age of six.
Alberta Health Services are responsible for speech therapy in Alberta. Unlike Ontario and B.C, children are not divided based on their age for the treatment they are to receive. The health service provides both a preschool and a school plan. The school program, which is different from Ontario’s, can be done within the schools without referring out to Community Care Access Centres (CCACs).

Saskatchewan The responsibility of speech therapy is on school districts. However, they all draw a distinction between children being under the age of three, aged three to five, and aged six to eighteen.
Manitoba School districts are responsible for speech therapy services, as it is in Saskatchewan. The in-school speech pathologists have a few options for speech therapy. It can either be a one-on-one speech therapy or a classroom-based program.
Quebec Quebec’s system is similar to Ontario’s. Services for speech therapy are provided through the Local Community Service Centers (CLSC), which is similar to Ontario’s CCACs.
Nova Scotia There are 35 speech and language pathologists, and 28 speech and hearing centers in the province. They provide treatment and assessment for both adults and children. Speech-language pathologists with a teacher’s certificate are also present on the school boards.
Prince Edward Island Children are provided with free speech services until they start school.
Northwest Territories Visits to isolated and remote communities could only be done once or twice a year by speech therapists. Instead of in-person therapy, the province provides a service called telespeech by speech therapists removing the barriers of provincial limitations , and one could easily see a therapist via technological devices.
Nunavut Statistics of Canada indicated in 2013 that there are no speech pathologists in the province.