Assessments
Understanding Your Child's Communication Needs
A comprehensive speech and language assessment is the first step towards understanding your child's communication abilities and identifying the most appropriate support.
At Words Speech Therapy, we believe that every child has unique strengths, abilities and communication needs. Our assessments aim not only to identify areas of difficulty but also to understand how your child communicates, learns and participates in everyday activities.
What Does the Assessment Involve?
The assessment process begins with a detailed discussion with parents or caregivers to understand their concerns, the child's developmental history and current communication abilities.
Depending on the child's age and individual needs, the assessment may include:
- Parent and caregiver interviews – Understanding developmental history, communication concerns and the child's everyday experiences.
- Clinical observations – Observing the child's communication, interaction and play in structured or natural settings.
- Formal and informal assessments – Using appropriate assessment tools, play-based activities and language samples to explore specific communication skills.
- Collaboration with others – Gathering relevant information from teachers, caregivers and other professionals when necessary.
We recognise that children may communicate differently across environments and with different people. Therefore, information from families and familiar communication partners is an important part of our assessment process.
Areas We Assess
Depending on the concerns identified, the assessment may explore one or more of the following areas:
- Receptive language – Understanding spoken language, instructions, questions and concepts.
- Expressive language – Using words, sentences and language to communicate thoughts, needs and ideas.
- Speech sound development – Speech clarity, pronunciation and speech sound patterns.
- Social communication – Using communication for social interaction, conversation and participation.
- Play and early communication – Developing interaction, shared attention, gestures and communication through play.
- Fluency – Speech fluency, including stammering.
- Voice – Voice quality, pitch and other aspects of vocal communication.
- Literacy-related language skills – Language abilities that support reading, writing and learning.
How Long Does an Assessment Take?
The assessment duration varies depending on the child's age, communication needs and the areas requiring evaluation.
An initial assessment typically takes approximately one hour. Some children may require additional sessions or observations to develop a more comprehensive understanding of their communication abilities.
We aim to make the assessment process comfortable, engaging and responsive to each child's needs.
Assessment Findings and Recommendations
Following the assessment, parents will receive feedback about their child's communication strengths, areas requiring support and recommended next steps.
A written assessment report can provide:
- A summary of relevant developmental and communication history
- Assessment findings and clinical observations
- Identification of communication strengths and difficulties
- Clinical impressions or diagnosis, where appropriate
- Recommendations for intervention, further assessment or referral
- Guidance for parents, caregivers and teachers
Not every child who attends an assessment will require ongoing speech-language therapy. Where appropriate, we may recommend parent coaching, home-based strategies, monitoring or consultation with other professionals.
Making Informed Decisions Together
We believe that assessment is more than identifying a difficulty. It is an opportunity to understand your child, recognise their abilities and work together to make informed decisions about the support they may need.
Our goal is to provide families with a clear understanding of their child's communication development and practical guidance for the next steps.