Evaluation Process at Sidekick

We are excited you have trusted Sidekick Therapy Partners with your child’s speech and language evaluation! We look forward to working with you as a team to address your child’s needs. You may be wondering what the evaluation process will entail, so here are a few tips on what to expect when you come!

It may look like play - Play skill development goes hand-in-hand with cognitive and language development. Children learn through play; as therapists, we learn about your child’s language skills by watching and engaging with them through play. During this time, we are looking for their understanding of vocabulary, their ability to follow directions, their understanding of the use of objects, and much more.

We may ask you to join in - We want to obtain a well-rounded and accurate picture of your child’s language skills. We may ask to watch you interact with them, in the hopes of creating as natural an environment as possible. We will also ask you questions to determine if what we are seeing in the session matches what you are seeing in the home.

What we are looking for- As Speech-Language Pathologists, we do not diagnose disorders or syndromes. We are specifically looking for speech and language delays. This is our area of expertise. We, of course, take into account any associated diagnosis that we are aware of, but our focus is solely on speech and language, and making appropriate referrals, if necessary.

We are testing, but it should not feel that way - We sometimes use a “standardized assessment” as a measure of your child’s speech and language skills. This is useful because we are able to compare your child’s abilities with those of their same-aged peers. This helps us understand what areas your child has room for growth in, and is useful in qualifying for therapy services. However, even when administering a standardized test, we are creative in how we use these assessments We never want your child to feel like they are being “tested.” We are able to administer many standardized tests in a way that feels like play to the child.

Our goal is to create a safe, engaging, and supportive environment that challenges your child to develop the skills they need to be successful. You are an important part of that process. If you have any other specific questions about the evaluation, or what to expect, please reach out to us at any time.

Lynde Blakely M.A., CCC-SLP