Initial Speech Therapy Evaluation
What is an Initial Speech Therapy Evaluation?
For caregivers of children who receive speech-therapy services, the evaluation process can sometimes feel overwhelming, complicated, or perplexing. This blog post aims to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about speech therapy evaluations and re-evaluations.
1. What is the purpose of an initial speech therapy evaluation?
A speech therapy evaluation can assess a child’s communication skills in a singular area or any combination of the following areas: articulation (speech sounds), receptive language (understanding of language), expressive language (use of language), AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), fluency (stuttering), pragmatics (social language), voice (vocal quality), and/or feeding and swallowing.
2. How does the SLP decide what areas to evaluate?
Prior to the evaluation, the SLP will typically complete a screening, interview the child and/or their caregiver(s), use questionnaires, or use clinical observations to determine the potential areas of concern and generate an evaluation plan. You can find more information about Valued Voices screenings and consultations on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
3. What tools & methods are used in an initial evaluation?
A thorough evaluation combines formal and informal testing measures to generate a well-informed outline of the child’s strengths and areas of need. Not every standardized assessment will be a good fit for a child’s unique abilities and personality. For example, standardized assessments that are normed on analytical language learners will not likely allow a gestalt language processor to display their true language abilities. The SLP will use their clinical judgement to select the most appropriate assessment measures for a child.
When standardized assessment measures fail to capture the unique skills and needs of a child, the evaluating SLP may choose to utilize a combination of non-standardized measures such as language sample analysis, speech sample analysis, caregiver report, skills checklists, or clinical observations.
4. Is there an age restriction for an initial evaluation?
Pediatric SLPs can evaluate a child of any age! When babies or children are too young to imitate or follow directions for formal assessment measures, the SLP will utilize early intervention tools, caregiver input, and clinical observation to make an evaluation of the child’s communication development.
5. What is the outcome of an initial evaluation?
When the initial evaluation is complete, there may be standardized scores, percentile ranks, and/or age-equivalency scores reported for the standardized assessment administered. Informal measures may result in subjective information or clinical analysis. The SLP will synthesize all information gathered during the evaluation process to generate a report about the child’s communication skills. The evaluation may result in a diagnosis. For example, “F80.0 speech sound disorder”.
If there are areas of need identified after the evaluation, the SLP will propose a treatment plan to address these areas of need. The treatment plan will include baseline data, present levels of performance, target goal areas for speech therapy, and recommendations for the frequency and duration of services.
6. How long does testing take for an initial evaluation?
The length of the evaluation will depend on the identified areas of need as well as the child and caregiver’s participation in the evaluation process. It is important for the SLP to establish rapport prior to evaluation and to make modifications as needed throughout the evaluation process. Testing for articulation will most likely be completed within one evaluation appointment. When an evaluation probes several areas of concern (such as articulation, fluency, and language), or a child requires significant prompting for participation, testing can span multiple sessions.
7. Is an initial evaluation required?
This decision is made on a case-by-case basis. For children who have never participated in a speech therapy evaluation, an initial evaluation is typically recommended prior to starting services. If the child has recently completed a speech therapy evaluation elsewhere, it may be possible to complete a records review and client/caregiver interview in lieu of a standard evaluation.
It is very important for the evaluating SLP to be made aware of any previous evaluations. Most standardized assessment tools are considered “invalid” if they are administered more than once within a certain time frame. If a child was previously evaluated within this time frame, the SLP will carefully select assessment measures to obtain the most accurate and valid assessment results.
8. What if I don’t agree with the results of the evaluation?
If a caregiver or client disagrees with the results of an evaluation, it is important to discuss any questions or concerns with the evaluating SLP. Although you may think of the SLP as the “expert” on communication, you are ultimately the “expert” on your child. At Valued Voices, we believe that the evaluation process should be individualized, collaborative, informative, and beneficial for all involved! Learn more about our team here.
What is a Speech Therapy Re-Evaluation (Re-Eval)?
1. What is the purpose of a speech therapy re-evaluation?
A speech therapy re-evaluation assesses a child’s communication skills after a designated length of time has passed since the initial evaluation. The re-evaluation will provide scores and information that will be compared to the initial evaluation. This comparison is used to measure the progress that has been made with intervention, determine if there is a continued need for services, and guide goal and service recommendations for continued treatment.
2. When does a re-evaluation take place?
Typically, a re-evaluation occurs one year after an initial evaluation in the private practice setting and three years after an initial evaluation in a public-school setting. There may be exceptions to this timeline depending on the child’s age, insurance coverage, or other unique variables.
3. How does the SLP decide what areas to evaluate during a re-evaluation?
There are many variables that factor into planning a re-evaluation. All areas of need that were targeted during the treatment period will be considered for a re-evaluation. For example, if a child was receiving speech therapy services to support articulation and expressive language needs, these areas will be assessed during a re-evaluation. Additionally, any new areas of concern that arose during the prior treatment period will be discussed with caregivers and added to the evaluation. For example, if a child who was receiving speech therapy services for an articulation disorder begins to show signs of stuttering, the SLP may propose assessing articulation and fluency during the re-evaluation even if fluency was not originally assessed during the initial evaluation.
4. What tools & methods are used in a re-evaluation?
As with an initial evaluation, a thorough re-evaluation uses both formal and informal testing measures and honors the unique abilities and areas of need of an individual child. Many times, a standardized assessment measure that was administered during an initial evaluation will be re-administered during a re-evaluation to compare the child’s baseline scores with their current scores. However, it should be noted that administration of the exact same test is not required to judge a child’s development across time and an SLP may select an alternate testing tool for many reasons. For example, an alternate assessment may be utilized during a re-evaluation if the child ages out of the testing range of a previously administered assessment or if the previously administered assessment is judged to be inappropriate for the child’s present level.
5. What is the outcome of a re-evaluation?
After a re-evaluation, the SLP will write a re-evaluation report that compares the initial evaluation scores and observations to the re-evaluation scores and observations. The SLP will synthesize all available data to describe the changes that have taken place in the child’s communication skills over time. Then, the SLP will either propose a continuation of services or discharge/discontinuation of services. If speech therapy services continue, the SLP will either adjust goals according to the most recent areas of need, propose new goals, or recommend discontinuation of specific goals based on the results of the evaluation.
If you are interested in learning more about Valued Voices, our speech-therapy services, or how we might be able to support your family, please book a consultation.
TAYLOR LASKY
Taylor, a speech-language pathologist with a Master of Science from Chapman University, is dedicated to empowering her clients and their families in a welcoming, family-focused environment. Passionate about early intervention, she uses play to enhance communication and social development, creating dynamic and personalized therapy sessions. Believing in a tailored approach, Taylor leverages each client’s strengths and interests to ensure meaningful progress while making therapy both fun and functional.
