Skip to main content

Speech Therapy

Register

Speech Therapy

Helping Youth Find Their Voice & Build Meaningful Connections

Communication is about more than speaking words—it’s how we connect with others, build relationships, navigate social situations, and participate confidently in the world around us. At World Upside Down Arts Studio, our current speech-language services focus on social communication through PEERS® for Adolescents, an evidence-based program designed to help teens develop practical skills for making and keeping friends and navigating everyday social situations.

Our PEERS® program is led by licensed Speech-Language Pathologist Ashlie Jefferies and provides structured instruction, practice, coaching, and parent involvement to help teens build skills they can use beyond the therapy setting.

speech therapist Ashley Jefferies headshot

PEERS® for Adolescents

PEERS® for Adolescents is a 16-week, evidence-based social skills program developed at UCLA for teenagers who experience challenges with social communication and relationships.

The program teaches practical, real-world skills including:

  • Making and keeping friends
  • Starting, entering, and maintaining conversations
  • Finding common interests with peers
  • Using humor appropriately
  • Choosing appropriate friends
  • Handling teasing and bullying
  • Managing disagreements and social conflicts
  • Planning and participating in social activities
  • Building confidence in everyday social situations

PEERS® uses a structured, skills-based approach that includes direct instruction, role-playing, social coaching, and weekly practice assignments.

Register

Parent Participation Is Part of PEERS®

One of the unique and essential components of PEERS® is parent participation. While teens learn and practice social skills, parents participate in concurrent sessions where they learn how to support, coach, and reinforce those skills at home and in everyday situations.

This parent-assisted approach helps teens take what they learn in the program and apply it to real-life interactions at school, at home, in the community, and with peers.

Who Can Benefit from PEERS®?

PEERS® may be a good fit for adolescents who:

  • Want to make or maintain friendships but struggle to know how
  • Have difficulty starting or maintaining conversations
  • Experience challenges reading or responding to social situations
  • Struggle with teasing, bullying, rejection, or social conflict
  • Want to feel more confident interacting with peers
  • Would benefit from direct teaching and practice of social skills
  • Have autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other social-communication challenges

Participation is based on individual appropriateness for the program.

Our Goal

The goal of PEERS® is not to change who a teenager is or teach them to simply “fit in.”

Our goal is to give young people practical tools that help them communicate more effectively, develop meaningful friendships, navigate difficult social situations, and feel more confident in their social world.

At World Upside Down Arts Studio, we want every young person to have opportunities to find their voice, discover their strengths, build meaningful relationships, and participate more fully in their community.

Interested in PEERS®?

If you think PEERS® for Adolescents may be a good fit for your teen, complete our registration form to begin the process.

Register

Speech Therapy FAQs

Get your questions answered and discover what makes Speech Therapy unique at World Upside Down Arts Studio!  

Fill out the registration form on this webpage so we can set up a time to evaluate your case. Be prepared to submit the following (if they apply):

  • A front and back copy of your primary insurance card (required)
  • A front and back copy of your secondary insurance card
  • Recent speech-language evaluations
  • School-based IEP (Individualized Education Program) or 504 Plan
  • Recent psychological, developmental, or educational evaluations
  • A prescription from your child's pediatrician for speech/language therapy.

Please ask your provider to send the referral directly to our billing department via Email (HIPAA-compliant): billing@worldupsidedown.org or Fax: 864-692-4418. If you have any questions or need assistance obtaining the referral, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Once we confirm that coverage is included in your insurance plan and your application is complete, we will send you a Financial Agreement to sign and then schedule your assessment. After this assessment, we will put together their treatment plan and submit it to your insurance company. Upon receiving the authorization to start services from the insurance company, we would move forward with creating a therapy schedule for your child.

**Please note that the length of time needed to move through the intake process is dependent on many internal and external factors, including, but not limited to, your specific primary funding source and our caseload availability.**

Insurance Coverage
We are currently in network with:

  • South Carolina Medicaid (Fee-For-Service and TEFRA)
  • South Carolina Medicaid MCOs:
    • BlueChoice HealthPlan (Healthy Blue)
    • Humana Healthy Horizons
  • Private Insurance Providers:
    • Blue Cross Blue Shield
    • Aetna

Insurance Credentialing in Progress
We are in the process of credentialing with South Carolina Babynet.

For questions about insurance or billing for therapy services, please contact us at: aba@worldupsidedown.org

If you've noticed that your child has behavior that is unlike other children, you may not know what to do. We've put together a quick resource list to help you get started in supporting your child and yourself in the process!

Each private insurance policy is different and comes with its own limitations and coverage benefits.

Prior to beginning therapy services, our billing team will verify your insurance benefits based on your policy and provide you with a Letter of Financial Responsibility. We know dealing with unexpected expenses is challenging, and we want to ensure you’re well-informed before beginning with our practice.

If your insurance plan doesn’t offer coverage for therapy services or offers only limited coverage, we make every effort to work with you to ensure you can obtain the services you need.

Our clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, excluding specific federal holidays. Appointment availability varies by service and provider.

To schedule an appointment or inquire about current availability, please text us at 864-334-8353 or email us. We look forward to serving your family.

Location
World Upside Down Arts Studio
1200 Woodruff Road, Building H7
Greenville, SC 29609

Directions
Enter the Merovan Center complex from Woodruff Road at the stoplight by TD Bank and go straight. Building H is the last building in the complex and will be on your right.

We offer Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and the  PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills)  for Adolescents program.  

Speech Therapy services are offered to pediatric patients (2 years through 18 years of age).