Speech and language screenings help to identify whether your child’s communication skills are considered age-appropriate, or if further assessment is warranted. They are typically brief in duration (~20 min) and allow your therapist to get an initial impression of your child’s abilities to ensure that no communication issues go unnoticed. During screenings, children are typically asked to participate in a brief conversation and complete simple activities that target specific speech & language skills. Results yield a “pass” or “did not pass” for each targeted skill area, and are sent home with or without a recommendation to pursue further assessment. If your child does not pass the screening, a comprehensive speech-language evaluation will most likely be recommended.

Dyslexia screenings and kindergarten readiness screenings are also offered in addition to general speech-language screenings.

Evaluations are more comprehensive than a speech and language screening. They help to determine the type and severity of a speech-language delay or disorder, and guide the development of individualized therapy goals for your child. All evaluations include a parent interview, observation and formal assessment of speech-language skills. Re-evaluations are typically recommended every 6-9 months to measure progress and set new targets.

(Note: if your child has received a speech-language evaluation from another provider in the past 12 months, we can accept this in lieu of conducting our own).

Speech and language therapy involves the treatment of speech sound production, receptive/expressive/pragmatic language, voice/resonance, disfluency/stuttering, literacy skills, and working memory/executive functioning. All therapy appointments are scheduled in advance and are usually 30-45 minutes in duration. This session time includes a brief summary with parents to discuss carryover activities and recommendations for home practice. Depending on the results of your child’s evaluation, therapy may be recommended 1x, 2x, or 3x per week. The frequency and duration of therapy can be adjusted depending on your child’s diagnosis, attention, and participation skills.