Speech-Language Evaluation Process

Put simply, speech is the clarity of sounds we use to communicate and language is the what (vocabulary), how (grammar) and why (social purpose) of communication.  A general Speech-Language Evaluation typically lasts 1 - 2 hours in-office or online via Zoom.  We'll take a look at some or all of the following areas: 

SPEECH:

• Speech Sound Development
• Motor Speech Skills
• Oral Mechanism Evaluation

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LANGUAGE: 

• Vocabulary Knowledge (Semantics)
• Grammatical Word Endings (Morphology)
• Sentence Level Grammar (Syntax)
• Understanding and Retelling Narratives (Discourse)
• Social Language (Pragmatics)
• Other areas as needed. 

What can a Speech-Language Evaluation Diagnose?

• Developmental Language Disorder (read more HERE)
• Speech Sound Disorder 
• Word Finding Disorder
• Childhood Apraxia of Speech (read more HERE)
• Social-Pragmatic Language Disorder

  
A general Speech-Language Evaluation cannot diagnose:

•  Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Dyslexia (this is completed through a longer language-literacy evaluation)
• Learning disabilities outside of language
• Stuttering (this will require a fluency evaluation by a speech-language pathologist with a specialty in fluency)

When should we have a speech and language evaluation?

The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association recommends the following guidelines:
https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm