Step Up For Students and Support for Your Child at Coastal Orofacial Wellness

Oct 21

You notice the little things. Your child has wonderful ideas but struggles to put them into words or sounds. Reading homework ends in frustration. Other people have trouble understanding what your child says, and you find yourself translating.

Finding help is one decision. Figuring out how to pay for it is another.

For eligible Florida families, a scholarship through Step Up For Students may help make individualized services more accessible. At Coastal Orofacial Wellness PLLC, I work with families to connect their child's needs with appropriate speech, language, reading, and oral function support.

What is Step Up For Students

Step Up For Students is a nonprofit scholarship funding organization that administers several Florida scholarship programs. For families exploring therapy, one particularly relevant option is the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, often called FES-UA.

This scholarship provides an education savings account for approved expenses, including eligible therapies and educational services. It can support a combination of resources rather than being used only for private school tuition.

Each scholarship has its own rules. Approval for one program does not mean every therapy or tutoring service is covered.

Why families consider applying

The practical benefit is having more options when planning your child's support. Eligible funding may reduce the amount your family pays out of pocket for approved services and help you choose a qualified provider who fits your child's needs.

That flexibility can make room for focused work on everyday challenges: being understood, explaining an idea, following directions, or approaching a reading assignment with greater independence.

A scholarship itself does not guarantee progress. Meaningful support starts with understanding your child, setting appropriate goals, and adjusting instruction or therapy as needs change.

Personalized support at Coastal Orofacial Wellness

Coastal Orofacial Wellness PLLC welcomes families using Step Up For Students scholarship funds for eligible, approved services.

I'm Marianne Salem, M.S., CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist with 26 years of experience, Orton-Gillingham training and certification in orofacial myofunctional therapy.

My practice serves children and families in Martin and Palm Beach Counties, including Hobe Sound, Jupiter, Tequesta, Stuart, Palm Beach Gardens, and North Palm Beach. In-person and virtual options are available, with in-home services offered according to location and availability.

Speech and articulation

For a child who is difficult to understand, therapy can target speech sounds and help carry those skills into conversation. Goals are selected according to the child's evaluation and functional needs.

Language and communication

Support may address understanding spoken information, developing sentences, building vocabulary, organizing thoughts, and telling a clear story. The goal is communication that helps your child participate at home, in learning, and socializing with family and peers.

Reading support using an Orton-Gillingham approach

Individualized instruction can address sound-letter relationships, decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and comprehension. Lessons are paced to the child's skills and learning needs, with opportunities for guided practice.

Orofacial myofunctional and oral function services

When clinically appropriate, services may address oral resting posture, tongue and lip function, swallowing patterns, and oral habits. Collaboration with dental or medical professionals may be recommended, including when there are concerns about nasal breathing or tongue restriction.

These are services offered by the practice, not a list of automatically covered scholarship expenses. Reading instruction, myofunctional therapy, feeding or swallowing services, and other specialized services require confirmation under your child's particular scholarship.

Could your child qualify

FES-UA serves eligible Florida students with qualifying disabilities or conditions. Speech impairment, language impairment, autism, and specific learning disabilities are among the listed categories. A concern alone does not establish eligibility; required documentation and other program criteria must be met.

Visit Step Up For Students for the current eligibility requirements and application instructions and learn how participation could affect your child's educational placement and services.

How to get started

1. Review the scholarship options at stepupforstudents.org and identify the program that fits your child.

2. Follow the application instructions and gather the required documentation.

3. If awarded, accept the scholarship and confirm that funds are available before arranging payment.

4. Contact Coastal Orofacial Wellness to discuss your child's needs and confirm the specific service and payment process.

5. In EMA, use Marketplace and Find Providers to look for Coastal Orofacial Wellness PLLC. Contact me if you need help locating the practice.

Provider participation does not guarantee approval of every expense. Review the current handbook and purchasing guide before committing scholarship funds or paying for services with the expectation of reimbursement.

Start with a conversation

You do not need to have every answer before reaching out. A complimentary 15-minute phone consultation gives us an opportunity to discuss your concerns and whether my services may be a good fit.

Already have a Step Up scholarship? Read my step-by-step guide to using Step Up For Students for Speech/Language therapy. Mention it when you contact me so we can discuss eligible service options and next steps.

Website: coastalorofacialwellness.com

Email: info@coastalorofacialwellness.com

Breathe better, speak clearly, read confidently, and thrive.