Many parents arrive tense at the first appointment, expecting a test with a result. A speech and language assessment is not an exam, and the child does not pass or fail. Here is what actually happens.
1. The conversation with the parent
It starts with you. Developmental history, the specific concern that brought you, how the child communicates at home and at nursery, what you have tried. This is not a formality - the parent is the best source of information, and everything that follows is read against this background.
2. The work with the child
Then we work directly with the child, through activities and materials suited to their age. The child plays, points, names and talks. From that we read their level across several areas at once: pronunciation, vocabulary, sentence construction, understanding, fluency, and the use of language in context.
If the child is young or shy, that does not spoil the assessment. Observation in free play yields a great deal of information, sometimes more than structured tasks.
3. The picture at the end
At the end you receive a clear picture: what was observed, what is within expectations, what will be worked on and in what order. The individual treatment plan is built from that, with concrete objectives.
What to bring with you
- Earlier reports, if they exist - audiometry, assessments by other specialists, reports from nursery or school.
- Your own notes: the words the child says, the situations where the difficulty worsens.
- The questions you want to ask - write them down before you come, because they are forgotten in the appointment.
Therapy does not begin at the same appointment. The assessment comes first, because the plan is built on it.