Speech and language assessment
The starting point of any treatment: a structured assessment of speech, language and communication.
The assessment is the meeting where we establish precisely what is holding a child's or adult's communication back, and what is already working well. Without it, therapy would be guesswork.
At ORATIO the assessment is not a single test but a structured look at several areas at once: the production of sounds, vocabulary, sentence construction, understanding of spoken language, fluency, and how language is actually used in real situations.
When an assessment makes sense
- The child speaks less than expected for their age.
- Pronunciation is not understood by people outside the family.
- The child does not follow simple instructions.
- Sounds or words are repeated, or speech blocks.
- A skill the child previously had has been lost.
- A teacher or nursery has raised a concern.
- An adult's speech has changed after a neurological injury.
It is not premature
Parents often wait, because they are told it will come in time. Sometimes it does. But early intervention is the professionally recommended practice, and an assessment commits you to nothing: it gives a clear answer about where your child actually is.
If the assessment shows development within expectations, you know that for certain and that is the end of it. If it shows a difficulty, the work has started at the right time.
How the assessment works
It begins with a conversation with the parent: developmental history, the specific concern, how the child communicates at home and at nursery. This is part of the assessment, not a formality.
Then we work directly with the child, through activities and materials suited to their age. The child is not tested in the tense sense of the word - they play, point, name and talk, and their level is read from that.
What follows the assessment
At the end you receive a clear picture: what was observed, what will be worked on, and in what order. The individual treatment plan is built from that, with concrete objectives.
Session length and frequency are set after the assessment, because they depend on the nature of the difficulty and on the person's own rhythm. They cannot be promised in advance.
The parent's role
The parent is the best source of information about the child and, later, therapy's main partner. Being present and observing during the assessment helps, because the exercises continue at home.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does the first assessment take?
- It depends on the child's age and on which areas need looking at. When we arrange the appointment by phone or WhatsApp, you will know in advance how much time to allow.
- Should I bring medical reports?
- If earlier reports exist - audiometry, assessments by other specialists, reports from nursery or school - bring what you have. They shorten the route.
- Does therapy start at the same appointment?
- No. The assessment comes first, because the treatment plan is built on it. Therapy begins once the objectives are set.
The first step is a conversation.
Book a first consultation, or write with a question. We answer on WhatsApp and by phone.