Your Child's First Visit to a Speech-Language Pathologist: What to Expect
As a parent, you want the best for your child's development, including their speech and language skills. Sometimes, you may have concerns about their communication milestones, and seeking the support of a speech-language pathologist (SLP) can be an important first step. In this blog post, we'll walk you through what to expect during your child's first visit to an SLP. Remember, this is a positive and empowering step towards helping your little one thrive!
Welcoming & Getting to Know You
A visit with an SLP is more like a playdate than a visit to the doctor! When you arrive at your SLP's office, you’ll immediately notice that your SLP has already set up some toys for your child to play with. No, it’s not a coincidence that your child’s favourite toys are already in the room! We use what you tell us on the intake form to set up the clinic room for your child so that they can feel comfortable and have a positive experience during their visit. Your SLP will take the time to introduce themselves and establish a friendly rapport with your child. It’s very common that we’ll be sitting on the floor and engaging with your child right away if the first thing that they want to do is play. If your child is more reserved and prefers to explore the space independently, your SLP will respect your child’s preferences and give them some time to warm up first. We understand that it's a new experience for your child, so we’ll always follow your child’s lead to create a comfortable and safe environment in order to foster trust with your child.
Information Gathering
After ensuring your child is comfortable and has something to engage with, your SLP will direct their attention to you to gather essential information about your child's development. This process typically involves asking questions about your child's birth history, milestones, current communication skills, and why you’re here for a visit. Your SLP may use a questionnaire or interview you directly to start getting to know your child from your perspective. It’s okay if you can’t recall some details exactly. We’ll use what you’re able to tell us to start forming a hypothesis about your child’s current strengths and potential areas for growth.
Observing & Playing with Your Child
This is one of our favourite parts during the session! Depending on how comfortable your child is with unfamiliar adults, your SLP may either ask you to play with your child while they watch or interact with your child directly. Your SLP will use a play-based approach to assess your child's communication skills. In other words, everything we do will look like we’re playing with your child! We might use toys, games, books, and other interactive materials to encourage your child's participation. This play-based approach helps us assess your child's speech, language, and social communication abilities in a natural and relaxed setting.
We might also ask you to try some activities with your child so we can observe how your child responds. Don’t worry, this isn’t a test for you or your child. If your child chooses not to or is not yet able to complete an activity, that’s okay! Just keep playing with your child.
Assessments & Evaluations
Based on what you tell us and our initial observations, we may recommend further assessments or evaluations to gain a deeper understanding of your child's communication strengths and areas that may require additional support. These assessments are tailored to your child's age and individual needs and may involve standardized tests, more observation time, or parent questionnaires. This is usually completed in 1 or 2 follow-up visits if needed.
Regardless of whether additional assessment sessions are needed or not, at the end of the first visit, we will always share with you our initial recommendations based on the information we gathered and our observations. You’ll also be provided with the opportunity to ask questions if anything is unclear to you and discuss with us your thoughts.
Next Steps
Once the assessment process is complete (remember the assessment can take 1 to 3 sessions depending on if further assessments are recommended), your SLP will discuss their findings with you and what the next steps will look like.
If your child’s communication is on track, your SLP will likely
Tell you what to expect to see over the next few months as your child’s understanding and talking skills continue to develop
Provide you with some strategies to continue to support your child’s language growth
Recommend that you come in again if new concerns arise
If your child would benefit from an SLP’s support to continue to develop their communication skills, your SLP will likely
Recommend a therapy approach for your child
Explain how therapy can support your child's progress and answer any questions or concerns you may have
Discuss and work with you to set meaningful goals for your child’s speech and language development
Share strategies you can start using right away to support your child’s communication development
Bringing your child to a speech-language pathologist for the first time is a proactive step towards nurturing their speech and language development. By partnering with an SLP, you are taking an active role in supporting your child's communication skills. Remember, every child is unique, and therapy (if recommended) will be tailored to meet your child's individual needs. Through the support and guidance of an SLP, you can expect a journey of growth, empowerment, and enhanced communication skills for your child.
