Your First Visit
Before your first visit
Before your first visit to our clinic, it is a good idea to prepare your child as to what they can expect to ease any anxiety. We recommend that you tell them that they will be coming to play with toys and games and to look at some pictures.
When You Arrive
We will have toys and books for your child in the waiting room while you complete standard consent forms. Once we have collected the consent forms, we will have you and your child follow us into the therapy room. In the therapy room, your child will be greeted with several toys and games to make him feel as comfortable as possible.
Once They Enter The Therapy Room
The therapist will collect personal information about the child from the parents while your child is encouraged to explore the room and play freely. It is important that your child feel comfortable for us to get an accurate portrayal of their skills. Depending on the age of your child, questions may be asked such as birth and medical history, main concerns, at what age did they achieve speech and motor milestones or academic ability/concerns and any other information that you feel is pertinent.
A Standard Assessment
A typical assessment (depending on the age of your child) would normally consist of informal observation of your child during free and structured play. This is where we look at a range of communication skills such as understanding concepts, answering questions, following 1 to 2-step instructions as well as their social skills, their speech clarity and ability to use a variety of vocabulary words, sentence structure and grammar. We will also complete a formal assessment that measures articulation skills along with language testing. This assessment looks at a variety of areas which we can then measure and compare to same-aged peers.
Once The Assessment is Complete​
Once the assessment is complete, we will provide extensive feedback and recommendations. We will also send you home with strategies and resources that you can work with right away.
If therapy is recommended, you have the option of working with a Communicative Disorders Assistant or a Speech-Language Pathologist, the benefits of which will be discussed at your first visit.
Payment is completed and a receipt will be issued at the end of the assessment for you to submit for reimbursement from your insurance provider.
What to expect after your first visit
Therapy sessions are typically 30-45 minutes in length. If your child requires therapy, we usually recommend that most children receive therapy every week for maximum benefit and progress. However, not every child is the same and our therapy schedule can be very flexible to accommodate your family’s needs. We don’t want you to feel pressure to make any decisions regarding therapy options following the assessment, so we will follow up with you within two weeks of the assessment to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
We are here to help!