Adv|sory Informat|on for arents

What to Lxpect when a Ch||d kequ|res an Assessment w|th a Speech and Language
1herap|st



An lnlLlal assessmenL appolnLmenL for a chlld LhaL has noL aLLended for speech and language
Lherapy (SL1) can be a daunLlng experlence for boLh parenL and chlld.

Pereln ls lnformaLlon on whaL Lo expecL and whaL wlll happen....Llps and advlce conLalned
also.

1he Lnv|ronment

Speech and Language Lherapy cllnlcs are fllled wlLh Loys and Lhe Speech & Language
1heraplsL (SL1) wlll Lry Lo puL your chlld aL ease Lhrough play and Lry Lo geL Lhem seLLled
before Lhey move on Lo Lhe nexL secLlon, whlch lnvolves a dlscusslon wlLh Lhe parenL and a
brlef lnLervlew on your chlld's medlcal and developmenLal hlsLory.

Case n|story

A !"#$ &'#()*+ ls an lnformal lnLervlew LhaL Lhe SL1 wlll conducL wlLh one or boLh parenLs. lL
ls usually [usL a sLrucLured conversaLlon on your chlld's blographlcal, medlcal and
developmenLal hlsLory, whlch can also lnclude some dlscusslon of Lhe chlld's currenL level of
language use and oLher communlcaLlon-relaLed quesLlons. 1he purpose of Lhe Case PlsLory
ls Lo geL a full plcLure of Lhe chlld and Lhelr developmenL and Lo help Lhe SL1 ldenLlfy any
facLors LhaL may have conLrlbuLed Lo your chlld's dlfflculLles.

1|ps for 8e|ng repared: 8efore Lhe assessmenL sesslon Lry Lo bralnsLorm lnformaLlon on
your chlld's developmenLal hlsLory as your SL1 may requesL lnformaLlon such as Lhe ages
LhaL your chlld sLarLed:
- 8abbllng (maklng sounds)
- uslng Lhelr flrsL words
- uslng Lwo words LogeLher
- Crawllng
- Walklng
- uresslng lndependenLly
- leedlng lndependenLly
- uslng Lhe LolleL lndependenLly

?our SL1 may also ask for lnformaLlon abouL how many words your chlld currenLly uses. 1hls
can be dlfflculL Lo Lhlnk of off-hand, so anoLher 1I ls Lo keep a CommunlcaLlon Log. 1hls ls a
small book/ pad LhaL you can keep nearby and use Lo wrlLe down Lhe words LhaL your chlld
uses. Lvery Llme LhaL you hear your chlld use a new word, you can wrlLe lL lnLo Lhe Log and
keep lL as a record. 8y dolng Lhls, you can easlly add up Lhe number of words LhaL your chlld
uses and pass Lhls lnformaLlon on Lo Lhe SL1. AnoLher ldea ls Lo brlng Lhe CommunlcaLlon
Log along Lo Lhe lnlLlal AssessmenL appolnLmenL Lo show Lhe SL1.

1he Assessment.

1he way ln whlch Lhe assessmenL ls carrled ouL wlll depend on your chlld age and ablllLles.
lor younger chlldren Lhe assessmenL wlll be carrled ouL Lhough playlng wlLh dlfferenL Loys
such as dolls, Leddles, Lea seLs, blocks, eLc.. 1he SL1 may observe Lhe chlld playlng alone or
wlLh you or Lhelr slbllng lnlLlally and Lhen become more lnvolved ln Lhe play Lhemselves. lor
younger chlldren ln parLlcular, a parL of Lhe assessmenL may lnvolve a parenLal
quesLlonnalre, whlch ls a sLrucLured lnLervlew lnvolvlng quesLlons abouL your chlld's skllls.
SL1s recognlse LhaL parenLs hold a wealLh of lnformaLlon on Lhelr chlldren's skllls and Lhese
lnLervlews glve Lhe SL1 a good lnslghL lnLo your chlld's level of ablllLy.

lor older chlldren (of school-age or above) Lhe assessmenL ls more formal and wlll usually be
carrled ouL uslng sLandardlsed assessmenLs. 1hese are Lyplcally ln Lhe form of plcLures and/
or words, where Lhe chlld wlll be asked Lo ldenLlfy, name or remember lnsLrucLlons based on
Lhe lnformaLlon conLalned on Lhe page. SLandardlsed assessmenLs are ones whlch are
dlvlded lnLo dlfferenL secLlons (or subLesLs) and musL be carrled ouL by Lhe SL1 ln a parLlcular
way. 1he scores of Lhese assessmenLs allow Lhe SL1 Lo compare your chlld's performance
agalnsL oLher chlldren of a slmllar age.

Pere ls an ldea of some of Lhe more general Lhlngs LhaL your SL1 may assess:

Speech sounds 1hese are Lhe sounds LhaL are comblned Lo make words. 1he
words Lhemselves and how your chlld uses Lhem are parL of
Lhelr language sysLem.

Cro-motor]
Motor Speech
?our chlld's ablllLy Lo move Lhe muscles of Lhelr mouLh. 1he
purpose of Lhls assessmenL ls Lo examlne how your chlld can
use Lhe muscles of Lhelr mouLh for boLh speech and non-
speech Lasks. An Cro-moLor assessmenL can also be carrled ouL
as a cenLral parL of an assessmenL for leedlng, LaLlng, urlnklng
and Swallowlng (lLuS) dlfflculLles.

kecept|ve Language
Sk|||s
1hls means your chlld's undersLandlng of Lhe language used by
oLhers ln conversaLlon.

Lxpress|ve Language
Sk|||s
1hls ls how your chlld uses words/ senLences Lo express
hlmself/ herself and geL hls/ her message across.

I|uency] Stutter|ng ]
Stammer|ng -
Lxamlnlng boLh prlmary and secondary characLerlsLlcs of
sLammerlng. ln Lhls lnsLance your SL1 may dlscuss Lhe process
of assessmenL wlLh you aL Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe sesslon.

Ieed|ng, Lat|ng,
Dr|nk|ng and
Swa||ow|ng (ILDS)
lor chlldren who have dlfflculLy wlLh any of Lhese.
A lLuS assessmenL ls noL a sLandard parL of every lnlLlal
assessmenL. 1hls wlll only be carrled ouL lf concerns have been
ralsed abouL your chlld's lLuS skllls.
A lLuS assessmenL for a chlld wlll usually lnvolve observlng
your chlld eaLlng a meal ln order Lo assess Lhlngs llke droollng,
chewlng skllls, Lhe safeLy of Lhe chlld's swallow, seaLlng poslLlon
and posLure durlng meals, ablllLy Lo feed lndependenLly,
negaLlve reacLlons Lo cerLaln foods, colours, and LexLures.


Ieedback.

Cnce Lhe assessmenL has been compleLed your SL1 wlll glve you some verbal feedback on
Lhe lnformaLlon LhaL Lhey have gaLhered. ?ou wlll also be presenLed wlLh an opporLunlLy Lo
ask quesLlons and dlscuss Lhe assessmenL and resulLs wlLh Lhe SL1.

1I: lL may be useful for you aL Lhls Llme Lo Lake some noLes on whaL Lhe SL1 ls saylng as lL
can be a loL of lnformaLlon Lo process durlng a conversaLlon. 1aklng noLes wlll allow you Lo
reflecL on Lhls lnformaLlon afLer you have lefL Lhe appolnLmenL and also Lo keep Lhls
lnformaLlon for your records.

?our SL1 wlll dlscuss Lhe plan for movlng forward wlLh you and whaL sLeps wlll need Lo be
Laken Lo besL sulL your chlld's needs. 1he SL1 wlll also dlscuss wheLher or noL Lhere ls a need
for a block of speech and language Lherapy as lndlcaLed by Lhe resulLs of Lhe assessmenL. A
follow up appolnLmenL wlll Lhen be scheduled lf necessary.


What the rofess|ona|s kecommend:-

When aLLendlng for an assessmenL wlLh a Speech & Language 1heraplsL Lhe mosL lmporLanL
Lhlng ls Lo be relaxed and prepared for Lhe sesslon by followlng Lhe Llps above.

8y brlnglng your chlld for an assessmenL you are Laklng a poslLlve sLep Lowards helplng Lhem
Lo reach Lhelr poLenLlal, so do noL worry abouL Lhe ouLcomes, Lhlnk of lL as Lhe flrsL sLep
Lowards helplng Lhem.

A Speech and Language 1heraplsL ls Lhere Lo help and may be able Lo answer any quesLlons
or address your querles by phone before Lhe assessmenL sesslon.

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lf you are concerned LhaL your chlld has communlcaLlon or feedlng dlfflculLles consulL your
local Speech and Language 1heraplsL/ local healLh cenLre / C.