Why Your Child May Need to See A Speech Language Pathologist

Hooray!  May is Better Speech and Hearing Month.  Here’s why your child may need to see a speech-language pathologist.

A speech-language evaluation is important for your child to participate in to rule out any speech and/or language difficulties.  Difficulties with attention, learning, development, and mood can be a result of language difficulties.  During a speech-language evaluation, the speech-language pathologist will screen your child’s hearing.  Your child’s articulation or how your child makes speech sounds will be assessed.  The speech-language pathologist will evaluate your child’s understanding of spoken language as well as his or her use of spoken language.  The speech-language pathologist may assess higher-level language skills which would include skills such as making inferences, problem-solving, and figurative language.   The speech-language pathologist may also assess social language knowledge and use as well as speech fluency (stuttering).  A screening of auditory processing skills is also possible.