Online Speech Therapy

You have some concerns about your child's speech and or language skills but you are unsure about what to do. Some have told you to see a Speech-Language Pathologist while some have told you to wait and your child should "grow out of it". So, what should you do? It is in your child's best interest to have a speech-language evaluation completed. If the Speech Pathologist recommends therapy, the earlier your start the better! If they do not recommend therapy, then at least you have put your mind at ease.

So what is included in a speech-language evaluation? There are three parts to a typical evaluation:

Before the Appointment:
When you schedule your appointment the Speech Pathologist will send you a developmental history form. This history form provides valuable information about your child's birth, medical, developmental, educational and family history. It helps them choose assessment measures that would be most appropriate for you child based on their history and your concerns.

Try to schedule the appointment at a time when your child is at their best. If the appointment time is right before lunch and they tend to get cranky before they eat, this is probably not a good time to schedule this appointment. You want your child to be willing to engage in the evaluation tasks so choosing a time when they are typically happy is your best choice.

During the Appointment:
The Speech Pathologist will assess your child's current skills in a variety of areas to determine the presence, nature and extent of a speech-language delay or disorder. The Speech Pathologist will complete formal (standardized) and informal tests in several areas. These areas include:
Language: Assesses how well your child is able to understand things said to them (receptive language) and how well they are able to express their wants, needs, thoughts and ideas (expressive language)
Articulation: Assesses how your child produces the sounds in words as well as how easy (or difficult) it is to understand your child.
Voice: Assesses the way your child's voice sounds including; pitch, loudness, quality and resonance.
Fluency: Assesses the child's forward flow of speech, this is more commonly referred to as stuttering.
The Speech-Pathologist may also complete an oral-peripheral examination looking at the muscles involved in speech to ensure they have proper strength and range of motion. In addition, the Speech Pathologist will look at interaction skills and behavioral skills throughout the evaluation. If you note specific areas of concern such as problem solving, word finding, etc. formal test can be completed to test that specific area(s).

Please ask any questions you have about the evaluation. The Speech Pathologist is there to help you understand what they are doing and why. They can provide general information, ideas of things to do at home, etc. Don't be afraid to ask "silly" questions, you would be surprised at how many other parents have asked the same question!

After the Appointment:
After the appointment has been completed you will receive an evaluation report. This report will describe the tests that were completed and provide your child's standard scores and percentile ranks. It will also include informal assessment information and observations. In the evaluation report, the Speech Pathologist made some recommendations. These recommendations may include referral to other specialists, such as an audiologist for a hearing evaluation, or occupational or physical therapist for a motor skills assessment, etc. They may recommend additional assessments be completed (making another appointment in the very near future) or that the child be re-evaluated at a later date. The Speech Pathologist may recommend therapy and will include their recommendations for the type, frequency, length, and goals of the therapy program. The Speech Pathologist may not recommend therapy if it is not deemed appropriate at that time.

If a referral has been made, schedule this appointment as soon as you can. It is a good idea to provide a copy of the evaluation report to that specialist. This allows them to read what the Speech Pathologist observed that lead to the referral as well as what was completed during the speech-language evaluation. This is valuable information to the person completing the assessment.

If therapy was recommended, schedule an appointment to begin therapy. This can be done with the Speech Pathologist who completed the evaluation or another Speech Pathologist depending on availability. Speech therapy is designed to teach new skills and behaviors and modify current behaviors to improve the areas of concern noted during the evaluation. The treating Speech Pathologist will go into more detail about their therapy program when you schedule your therapy appointment.

What is Speech Therapy like?
Speech Therapy is very dynamic and individual. Therapy sessions should be tailored to meet the specific needs of your child and designed around your child's interests. Therapy is generally held one time per week though this can vary depending on the needs of your child (some children receive therapy two or more times per week). It is important to remember that therapy is a process and that mastering the new skills and behaviors takes time. As every child is different, every therapy program is different thus I am not able to provide details about a therapy session here, however some generalities of therapy are provided below.

During each therapy session, your child will complete a variety of activities that are designed to address their specific goals. They may play games, read books, complete worksheets or arts and crafts projects, have a snack, etc. The Speech Pathologist will attempt to find activities that engage your child while working on their goals. The Speech Pathologist should offer you "homework" activities that you can complete between therapy sessions. These are beneficial as they allow for additional practice and help your child carryover the skills they learned in therapy to other situations and people. At the end of the therapy session the Speech Pathologist should review the homework activities and answer any questions you may have about that therapy session. You will get progress reports that show the progress your child is making toward meeting their goals, these may come periodically (such as every 12 weeks or at the end of the quarter) or more frequently if you request daily, weekly or monthly progress reports. Remember to ask any questions you may have, the Speech Pathologist is there to help you!
For Further Information:
If you would like additional information about the evaluation or therapy please feel free to contact us at any time via e-mail at info@independentspeech.com or phone at 602-793-2958.

You may visit our website www.independentspeech.com where you will find some useful information about speech therapy and our practice.