If you’re planning a speech pathology assessment for your child, you may be wondering what actually happens during the session. Many parents feel unsure about what to expect, but understanding the process can make the experience far more comfortable and empowering.
A speech assessment is simply a structured, supportive way for a speech pathologist to understand how your child communicates, learns, and interacts, so they can create the right therapy plan.
This step-by-step guide explains exactly what happens in a speech pathology assessment, what speech therapists look for, and how the results help your child.
1. Pre-Assessment Conversation: Understanding Your Child’s Needs
Before any formal testing begins, your clinician will gather important background information. This helps the speech pathologist understand your child’s developmental history and current challenges. They may ask about:
- Speech or language concerns you’ve noticed
- Medical, hearing, or developmental history
- School or preschool feedback
- Your child’s strengths, interests, and personality
This information forms the foundation of a personalised speech therapy plan. This could be gathered during the assessment session, or you may be asked to complete some paperwork beforehand so that the bulk of the assessment can focus on your child, with the therapist only asking follow up questions to clarify if needed.
2. Warm-Up Through Play or Conversation
To help your child feel comfortable, the session usually starts with a relaxed warm-up.
For younger children, this may involve toys, books, or play-based activities. For older children, it may be simple conversation (but most likely some games too - you’re never too old for games!).
During this time, the speech therapist observes your child’s natural communication skills, including how they speak, listen, interact, or respond. It’s also a good opportunity for them to grasp things like your child’s ability to follow instructions, take turns, make inferences and answer questions.
3. Standardised and Informal Assessment Tasks
A high-quality speech pathology assessment uses a mix of formal and informal tools to create a well-rounded picture of your child’s communication skills.
Standardised Assessments
These structured tests compare your child’s skills to children of the same age. The standardised tests your speech pathologist chooses will depend on the areas of concern you’ve identified. They may assess:
- Speech sound production
- Understanding language
- Expressive language
- Vocabulary and grammar
- Narrative and sentence structure
- Phonological awareness (a key early literacy skill)
- Reading and spelling
These assessments provide clear, evidence-based results that guide therapy decisions.
Informal Assessments
These tasks are flexible and are generally not scored. Informal assessments may include:
- Play-based language samples
- Conversational assessments
- Reading or writing activities
- Observations of social communication
Informal tasks give further insight into your child’s real-world communication, and may be selected over standardised assessments for a number of reasons.
4. Assessing Speech Sounds and Oral-Motor Movements
If your child has unclear speech or difficulty producing certain sounds, the speech pathologist may assess:
- Individual speech sound production
- Overall speech clarity
- Tongue, lip, and jaw movement
- Stimulability (whether they can produce a sound with guidance)
This helps determine whether your child has phonological, articulation, or motor-based speech difficulties.
5. Assessing Receptive and Expressive Language
A comprehensive language assessment explores how your child understands and uses language.
Receptive Language (Understanding)
The speech pathologist may assess your child’s ability to
- Follow directions
- Answer questions
- Understand vocabulary, concepts, and sentence structure
Expressive Language (Speaking)
This includes your child’s ability to:
- Form sentences
- Use grammar correctly
- Tell stories
- Describe events
- Use age-appropriate vocabulary
Identifying strengths and challenges in these areas helps guide targeted speech therapy goals. Your child’s social communication styles and higher level language can also be assessed, including things like being able to inference, express and understand emotions, and navigate conversations and social conflicts.
6. Assessing Literacy and Phonological Awareness
For school-aged children, the assessment may also examine early literacy skills linked to reading and spelling success. These include:
- Rhyming
- Syllable awareness
- Blending and segmenting sounds
- Letter-sound knowledge
- Reading fluency and accuracy
- Spelling and written language samples
This is especially important when investigating concerns related to dyslexia or reading difficulties.
While they are not as common, voice and fluency assessments are also something your speech pathologist is able to complete. They will tailor the assessment to your child’s specific needs, interests, and the concerns you have identified.
7. Parent Debrief: Clear Feedback and Next Steps
At the end of the appointment, the speech pathologist will share their initial observations. You may have a more in depth conversation after the clinician has had a chance to reflect on the session and score up any assessments completed.
This conversation may cover:
- Your child’s strengths
- Areas of concern
- Whether further testing is needed
- What therapy might involve
This is your chance to ask questions and clarify anything you’re unsure about.
8. The Assessment Report and Therapy Recommendations
After the session, you will receive a detailed speech pathology assessment report or management plan, which typically includes:
- Background information
- Standardised assessment results
- Informal observations
- Strengths and challenges
- Recommended therapy goals
- A tailored therapy plan
This report acts as the roadmap for your child’s future speech therapy sessions whether that involves weekly therapy, short-term intervention, or home-based strategies.
Final Thoughts: Why a Speech Pathology Assessment Matters
A speech pathology assessment is the first step in supporting your child’s communication development. It provides clarity, direction, and personalised recommendations based on your child’s unique needs.
If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language, or literacy skills, an early assessment can make a profound difference.
Get in touch with me today to book a speech pathology assessment or ask any burning questions!