Informational Tax Letter

Dear Parents:

We are occasionally asked if payments made to the Atlanta Speech School are “medical expenses” for income tax purposes and health care flexible spending accounts. We leave the specific answer to that question to the qualified tax advisor of each parent who can assess this matter based upon your child’s particular circumstances. Below is information regarding our objectives and programs to assist you and your tax advisor in making this determination.  

Our goal is to help children realize their full potential through a variety of educational and therapeutic programs. Our programs serve students and clients with varying exceptionalities including: hearing losses, language-based learning disabilities, speech and/or language delays and disorders, and difficulties in sensory integration and gross and fine motor coordination. Eligibility for enrollment in our programs, with the exception of the Anne & Jim Kenan Preschool and some of the After School and Summer Programs, is based upon psychoeducational, speech/language, occupational therapy and/or audiological evaluations by either qualified professionals in the community or our team of experienced diagnosticians with backgrounds in learning disabilities, reading, psychology, speech-language pathology, deaf education, audiology and/or occupational therapy.  

Teachers individualize instruction based on a student’s unique learning profile and encourage each child to become an independent learner. Speech-language pathologists, specially trained classroom teachers, audiologists, psychologists, learning disability specialists, reading specialists, and occupational therapists meet the needs of our students through personalized intervention. The Katherine Hamm Center and Wardlaw School are designed to be short-term and aim to prepare students to enter a mainstream educational setting. Stepping Stones is designed for developing children with specific weaknesses in speech and/or language development. The Learning Lab, Occupational Therapy Clinic, Speech-Language Pathology Clinic, and Audiology Clinic are designed to help the participants to be more successful in their classrooms and daily routines. In each of these programs, students and clients receive specialized, explicit, and individualized instruction to address their disabilities. We hope this information regarding our objectives and programs is helpful. We recommend that you discuss your child’s program with your tax advisor. As always, pleases do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions about your child and our programs.  

Sincerely,    

Comer Yates  Executive Director