If you or your child's doctor have concerns about your child's communication development, you should contact a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). SLPs are specially trained to assess your child’s strengths and weaknesses regarding speech sound production, use of words and sentence structure, language processing, and stuttering. Following a full evaluation, the SLP will explain your child's scores in comparison to other children his/her age, and then make recommendations for treatment or suggest a referral to another professional. Evaluations may take multiple sessions depending on the number of tests needed to capture all of your child's abilities, your child's willingness to participate and their attention to task. Your questions are welcome. The SLP will be glad to go over specific questions, more than once if necessary.

What information will the speech therapist collect?

• Case history

  • includes birth, medical, developmental, and educational information

• Parent Interview

• Observations

  • of play and interaction with people and toys

• Review of auditory, visual, motor, and cognitive status

What assessments will the speech therapist administer?

• Oral-mechanism exam

  • assesses structure and function of lips, teeth, tongue, palate

• Standardized and Criterion Referenced tests to assess

  • Understanding and use of different words

  • Correct use of words in correctly formed sentences

  • Use of language for different purposes

  • Pronunciation of speech sounds

  • Physical ability to produce speech

  • Voice quality

  • Fluency or smooth flow of speech

  • Feeding needs

During the evaluation process you as the parent should be prepared to assist only when the speech therapist requests you do so. Questions and items on the assessments are very particular and must be administered in a specific way in order to contribute to the overall score. 

It may be helpful to come prepared with a comforting toy, activity or snack item to offer your child as an encouragement to participate. 

Return to the Better Learning Therapies Services list.