Speech-Language Evaluations
A speech-language evaluation may sound intimidating, but it’s the best way to determine if your child’s communication skills are within the average range when compared to other children their age.
The purposes of a speech-language evaluation is to:
Determine if a child’s speech-language skills are age-appropriate, or “typical”
Decide if North Star can meet the needs of your family and child
Make recommendations about what services are necessary
Establish goals for therapy
Evaluations last approximately one hour. During the evaluation, the speech-language pathologist (SLP) will watch how your child plays, communicates, and interacts; ask you questions about your child’s development and skills; evaluate your child’s skills by playing with them or asking them to complete certain tasks; and make recommendations.
During the evaluation, the SLP looks at many aspects of communication and development:
Receptive language: what your child understands
Expressive language: how your child communicates using gestures, words, or sentences
Speech production: the way your child makes sounds and says words
Social (pragmatic) language: the way your child uses social skills including eye contact
Play: how your child interacts with objects
Fluency: how easily your child is able to produce sounds
Voice: the quality of the sounds your child makes
Overall development: skills including sitting, walking, running, playing, attention, literacy, and academics, including screening for autism
At the end of the evaluation, the SLP will let you know whether your child’s communication skills are age-appropriate or whether therapy is necessary to improve their skills. The therapist might also make recommendations for other services, including a developmental evaluation, occupational therapy, or physical therapy.
Still have questions about what to expect? Contact us.
