Evaluations are tools that we use to determine if a client presents with any disorders or deficits that would qualify them for therapy or intervention.
You can schedule an evaluation with or without a screening. They can be a great option for a more in-depth examination of a client’s skills. Based off an evaluation, we can provide diagnoses of different delays or deficits and recommend treatment!
Screenings are shorter tools we use to determine if we think a client needs further evaluation or more testing. You cannot be diagnosed with a speech disorder through a screener and screenings are not as in-depth. A full evaluation gives a more detailed look at skills and abilities and allows us to compare their skills to others their age. Based off evaluation scores, we can diagnose a variety of disorders and delays.
Testing lengths often depend on the ability to participate, but evaluations are often limited to a one-hour session. Depending on the concern and selected testing materials, another one-hour session for evaluation may be recommended.
Evaluations are conducted by our speech and language pathologists, who may ask clients and parents/guardians questions concerning their medical history and present concerns. Speech pathologists will often use standardized evaluations in order to compare and contrast a client’s skill to others based on standardized measures.
The speech language pathologist will ask further questions during the beginning of the evaluation regarding concerns and medical history. From there, the clinician will choose appropriate standardized testing materials to complete in order to address these concerns.
For children, clinicians will often also utilize toys and various motivating items to encourage and engage the client in play and perform testing.
Evaluations will often rule out or confirm diagnoses; once a client is given a diagnosis based off an evaluation, the clinician will recommend therapy services to address their difficulties. Clients will also receive a full report based off the evaluation materials so that they can share this information with doctors, specialists, teachers, and more.