SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY ASSESSMENTS AND EVALUATIONS

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY ASSESSMENTS in Dubai

Children experiencing delays in speech and/or language during early development if untreated may end up with little or no means of communication which can in turn have a significant negative impact on their behavior, may lead to mental health issues, reading difficulties, and academic failure as well as negatively impact social relationships.
Our team includes highly qualified Speech-Language Pathologists that are certified by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), to provide your child with the assessment and follow up care they will need.

Our team also offers highly specialized training to assist children and their families to communicate using a suitable modality to develop and maintain relationships, and assist children to interact across various environments and situations. Our skilled Speech and Language Pathologists are also equipped to assist in the treatment of Voice Disorders, Fluency Disorders and Pediatric Feeding Difficulties.

Speech and Language Disorders:

Speech and Language disorders are the most common of childhood disabilities affecting about 1 in 12 children, and include a wide variety of conditions that at the core have challenges in effective communication.

The terms Speech and Language have very different meanings. If your child has trouble with speech, he/she struggles with the “how-to” of talking; the coordination of the muscles and movements necessary to produce speech. If your child has trouble with language, he/she struggles with understanding what he/she hears or sees. Your child may struggle to find the right words and/or organize those words in a meaningful way to communicate a message or hold a conversation.

What are Speech and Language Disorders?

Speech Disorders

Articulation-the way we say our speech sounds
Phonology-the speech patterns we use
Apraxia – difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds
Fluency- stuttering
Voice – problems with the way the voices sounds, such as hoarseness

Language Disorders

Receptive Language- difficulty understanding language
Expressive Language- difficulty using language
Pragmatic Language – Social communication; the way we speak to each other

Other Disorders

Deafness/Hearing Loss – loss of hearing ; In the case of children with cochlear implants or those with very good benefit from hearing aids , therapy includes aural/oral (re)habilitation or Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) and in the case of late amplification or limited benefit from hearing aids, therapy includes developing lip reading, speech , and /or alternative communication systems.
Oral-Motor Disorders- weak tongue and/or lip muscles
Swallowing / Feeding Disorders- Difficulty chewing and /or swallowing

CEIMC and CLEMC takes pride in ensuring your child’s evaluation utilizes the most-up-to-date and valid assessment materials. Our speech and language assessment is outlined below and includes:

Review of case history (to be completed by parents).
Initial consultation with Speech and Language Therapist (optional).
Standardized testing (including related checklists, parent questionnaire).
Scoring test(s), analyzing data, and typing up the formal assessment report and goals.
Parent meeting to discuss assessment results.

The case history provides the Speech and Language Therapist with relevant background and medical history, which may provide possible reasons or contributing factors for the child’s speech and/or language difficulties. It also helps the Speech and Language Therapist to determine what further questions need to be addressed in making a differential diagnosis.

Standardized testing will be performed along with observations including speech/language samples, examinations (Ex. Oral Motor Mechanism Examination) and possible checklists related to the area(s) being assessed. The purpose for administering standardized assessments is to make comparisons of your child’s speech and/or language development to those of his/her age-matched peers. Furthermore, it aids the clinician in determining if a delay or disorder exists.

Once testing and observations (including speech/language samples) are completed, the clinician will develop a comprehensive written assessment report, which involves a thorough analysis and interpretation of the assessment results. This report is considered a medical record and provides parents and other professionals, who may be working with your child, information regarding the child’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of speech and language skills.

Furthermore, additional referrals or pertinent information in fostering the child’s speech and language development may be noted. Lastly, it will indicate whether Speech and Language therapy is warranted, the recommended frequency and duration of treatment, and the initial treatment goals/objectives; which are developed based on the assessment results.