Speech by Katie is committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of your child. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard the information you share with us — and your rights regarding that information.
Speech by Katie is a private speech-language pathology practice operated by Katie Tashkin, MS, CCC-SLP, serving families in the Tampa Bay area and throughout Florida via telehealth. Our website is located at www.speechbykatie.com.
For privacy-related questions, please contact us at the information provided at the end of this policy.
We collect information in two ways: information you provide to us directly, and information collected automatically when you visit our website.
When you fill out our contact form, request a consultation, or communicate with us by phone or email, you may provide:
When you visit our website, certain technical information is collected automatically, including:
This information does not identify you personally and is used solely to understand how our website is being used and to improve the experience for visitors.
We use the information you provide for the following purposes:
We do not use your information for marketing purposes, sell your information to third parties, or share it with advertisers.
Speech by Katie is a HIPAA-covered entity. Information related to your child's health, diagnosis, therapy goals, and treatment is considered Protected Health Information (PHI) and is handled in strict accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
As part of initiating services, you will receive and be asked to sign a separate Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which is the authoritative HIPAA disclosure document governing the use and disclosure of your child's PHI. That document supersedes the general language in this website privacy policy with respect to clinical information.
Electronic communications (email, text) are used for scheduling and general correspondence. If you wish to share or receive clinical information electronically, we will discuss appropriate secure channels with you.
Speech by Katie uses Talkli.ai as a practice support platform to share therapy goals, session notes, home practice guidance, and progress tracking with enrolled families. Talkli is a separate third-party service with its own terms of service and privacy policy.
When you are linked to Katie through Talkli, the following information may be shared with the platform:
Enrollment in Talkli is optional. Families who prefer not to use the platform may still receive full therapy services and can request that session notes be provided by email or printed copy instead.
We encourage you to review Talkli's privacy policy directly. Katie evaluates third-party tools for their commitment to data security and privacy before using them in her practice. Use of Talkli is governed by a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) consistent with HIPAA requirements.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:
We may share your child's clinical information with teachers, school teams, physicians, or other providers when you provide written authorization. You may revoke this authorization at any time.
We work with a small number of trusted service providers who help us operate our practice and website. These may include:
These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as directed and to maintain appropriate security standards.
We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or professional licensing obligations — for example, mandatory reporting requirements under Florida law related to the welfare of a child.
We may disclose information without your authorization when necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, consistent with applicable law and professional ethics standards.
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to understand how visitors use the site. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.
We use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or similar) in aggregate, anonymized form to understand which pages are visited most, how long visitors stay, and where they come from. This information does not identify individual visitors and is used solely to improve our website.
You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. Doing so will not affect your ability to use the website or to contact us.
We do not use cookies for advertising, retargeting, or cross-site tracking purposes.
Because Speech by Katie serves pediatric clients, we are particularly mindful of children's privacy. Our website is directed at parents and guardians, not at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13 through our website.
Information about a child that is submitted by a parent or guardian through our contact form is used solely to facilitate the therapeutic relationship and is protected as described in this policy and in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
If you believe that a child has submitted personal information to us directly, please contact us immediately and we will promptly delete it.
Depending on where you reside, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you or your child. For clinical records, this right is governed by HIPAA and your Notice of Privacy Practices.
You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal and professional obligations to retain certain records. Clinical records are subject to retention requirements under Florida law and HIPAA.
Where we rely on your consent to process information (such as sharing records with a school team), you may withdraw that consent at any time by notifying us in writing.
Florida residents may have additional rights under the Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR) where applicable. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below.
We will respond to verifiable requests within 30 days. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law.
Clinical records for pediatric patients are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years following the last date of service, or until the patient's 18th birthday plus seven years — whichever is longer — as required by Florida law and HIPAA regulations.
Contact form submissions and general correspondence that do not result in a client relationship are retained for no longer than two (2) years.
Website analytics data is retained in anonymized, aggregate form with no fixed expiration.
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. These measures include:
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have concerns about the security of information you have shared with us, please contact us immediately.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, applicable law, or the services we offer. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website or services after a change is posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how your information has been handled, please reach out:
Katie Tashkin, MS, CCC-SLP
Serving Tampa · Clearwater · St. Petersburg and throughout Florida via telehealth
📞 813-431-3526
✉️ Use our contact form
🌐 www.speechbykatie.com
For HIPAA-related requests or complaints, you may also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at www.hhs.gov/ocr or by calling 1-800-368-1019.