Cancellations:
Consistent participation in your child’s scheduled therapy session increases their potential for successful acquisition of the skills that are being targeted. However, we recognize that from time to time it may be necessary to cancel sessions, either due to a child’s illness, family emergencies or preplanned travel.
The following is a description of our policy regarding cancellations, failure to attend sessions without notice and illness.

Please review these policies in order to reduce future confusion and you can feel free to address your questions about the policy with your therapist. We greatly appreciate as much notice as you can provide.  If you decide that you should cancel please call our number (770-887-0181) at any time night or day and leave a message or contact your therapist at the number they have provided you.
When your child is/has been sick please use the following guidelines:

• If your child has had a fever in the last 24 hours or has been medicated for a fever in the last 24 hours please call and cancel therapy. Medication may be masking symptoms and thus your child may still be contagious.
• If your child has thrown-up or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours please call and cancel therapy.
• If your child has green and/or thick discharge from their nose or cough please call and cancel therapy.
• If your doctor has given specific guidelines about not participating in outside activities for a certain period of time (in order to allow antibiotics to take affect) please call and cancel therapy.

When a family emergency arrives, such as, the death of a loved one, please call as soon as possible. We recognize that such circumstances often require families to leave town with little notice so you may find it helpful to make sure that our phone number is in you planner or palm so that after you have arrived at your destination you can still call to notify us of your need to cancel. If you know you are traveling for a holiday, vacation or have scheduled a doctor’s appointment that conflicts with therapy we ask for at least a week’s notice of the anticipated absence.

In either case, illness or emergency, if you have given at least 12 hours notice there will be no charge for the missed sessions. If you child misses four (4) consecutive sessions, even with ample notice, we reserve the option to offer the time slot to the next client on the waiting list. When a new time slot becomes available for your child we will do all we can to set up a new schedule for them.

If you fail to notify us of an inability to attend or forget to come/ be at home for your child’s session more than 2 times, we reserve the option to offer the time slot to the next client on the waiting list. We may or may not reinstate your child’s scheduled session time.

Essential Communication, Inc. Financial Policy

• We accept checks, made out to Essential Communication, Inc.
• We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. 
• Clients are responsible to notify Essential Communication, Inc. of all address changes and phone number changes as soon as they occur.
• We will accept payment at each appointment, OR
• We are happy to bill you monthly with the complete balance due in our office within 21 days of the statement date.
• When requested we will bill your insurance provider one time only for each date of service when services are billable under a qualified medical procedure code. Following receipt of the insurance provider’s response, we will bill you for any unpaid balance. Please note that not all services provided by Essential Communication, Inc. meet requirements for qualified medical procedure codes and are billable at the current hourly rate. For example, consultations with school staff, parent conferences, video review or attendance at Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings do not have medical procedure codes and will remain the sole responsibility of the client’s parent/guardian.
• Failure to pay a balance due in full and within 21 days of the statement date may result in a 1.5% monthly finance charge on the outstanding balance and/or an interruption or discontinuation of services.
• Clients remain responsible for any fees associated with returned checks or legal services utilized by Essential Communication, Inc. in collection of an unpaid balance.