Speech and language assessment is a medication process, which measures the communication skill of a person. The process includes assessing, describing and interpreting an individual’s communication ability. The integration of a variety of information is required for the evolution process.
A speech-language therapist conducts speech and language assessment. A Complete Speech-language assessment includes the following requisites:
- Case history, including medical status, education, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds and information collected from teachers and other relatives.
- Interview of patient/ client
- Review of auditory, visual, motor, and cognitive status
- Standardized and/or non-standardized measures of specific aspects of speech, spoken and non-spoken language, cognitive-communication, and swallowing function, including observations and analysis of work samples
- Identification of potential for effective intervention strategies and compensations
Brief on Speech and Language Assessment:
Speech and language assessment often can be confused with the term speech-language evaluation. However, there are significant differences between evaluation and assessment. The term evaluation refers to the procedures used by qualified personnel to determine a child’s initial and continuing ability.
On the other hand, assessment is a part of the multidisciplinary evaluation. A clinician needs to involve other assessment staff to complete the multidisciplinary evaluation. Speech and language assessment is an ongoing process used by a speech-language therapist to identify the child’s unique strengths and needs, followed by the appropriate intervention to meet or satisfy those needs.
A speech-language pathologist performs an in-depth examination of cognition and speech using standardized tests and skilled evaluation. The physical therapist evaluates hearing and muscle strength testing, with the help of methods such as articulation and phonation.
Diagnosis
The differential diagnosis of Speech and language inability is based on behavioral evaluation including audiological, neurological, psychosocial, educational speech and language assessment.
What Kind of Tests will the Child be Given?
The therapist also briefly check the motor skills of the child which involves coordinating muscle movements walking, running, drawing and writing abilities. Hearing screening is a part of speech and language evaluation. The clinician also checks the child’s mouth, looking for any structural problems with the tongue, lips, teeth or roof of the mouth. The tests can be both formal and informal.
Formal Test
The formal test refers to comparing your child with other children of the same age. In this test, the clinician asses the overall age level, at which your child performs. The tasks that put the child into trouble are also noted. The test also includes:
- Receptive Vocabulary
- Expressive vocabulary
- Receptive grammar
- Expressive grammar auditory memory
Informal Test
As per the informal test, the clinician verbally communicates with the child. Even pictures and images are shown to the child to clear out foggy ideas. In the case of an infant or toddler, the clinician observes the activities the child performs. It even takes a keen interest to understand how a child behaves with his or her toy. Additionally, keeps a note on how well the child understands the words along with instructions.
Treatment:
After the assessment, the proper treatment of speech and language problems is determined. The treatment is different for each child. Mostly, the clinician suggests an epilepsy surgery in case, the issues are related to the brain. This surgery is most effective when seizures originate in a single location in the brain.
The majority of epilepsy surgery can be performed under general anesthesia. Epilepsy surgical teams differ substantially in their comfort and are familiar with different aesthetic effects.
The closure thought, through a complete Speech and language assessment, the speech-language specialist finds out a child’s strengths and weaknesses to communicate with others. After the detailed assessment, the necessary decision about the treatment can be determined. Overall, speech-language assessment assures that it is curable.
