Another Speech/Language Evaluation Question

[HeidiD]

What areas are typically assessed? For instance, are reading and handwriting typically included as part of a speech/language evaluation for a 10 yo?

Also, would an SLP be able to determine whether articulation problems are being caused by dental crowding and an underbite?

[Dobela]

I know someone else will give more information that ismore complete but I will tell what I know.

Reading and handwriting are not included in a speech language evaluation. Handwriting can be included in an occupational therapy eval though.

All aspects of receptive and expressive language are assessed. If there are problems with expressive language, every SLP I have ever worked with has assessed the mouth structure as well.

[HeidiD]

I know someone else will give more information that ismore complete but I will tell what I know.

Reading and handwriting are not included in a speech language evaluation. Handwriting can be included in an occupational therapy eval though.

All aspects of receptive and expressive language are assessed. If there are problems with expressive language, every SLP I have ever worked with has assessed the mouth structure as well.

Wow! Thanks for the info. I took my son for a speech/language eval as a prelude to CAPD testing, and I also wanted to know if his need for braces and problem with dental crowding were interfering with his articulation (seems like his articulation grew worse as his teeth came in). I sent him in alone, and after he was done, she called me in and told me his reading was "variable" (his eyes "jumped around" and he had to be "redirected" repeatedly while reading) and his handwriting was very poor - way below grade level. I told her we knew that - he's dyslexic and dysgraphic and has been receiving OG-based reading instruction for several years. She told me that although she is "not a reading specialist" she would schedule appointments to work with him on reading. I mentioned that perhaps vision therapy might be more useful at this point, considering he has visual tracking difficulties, but she was very dismissive toward that idea. She appeared to have a dislike of homeschooling and kept reiterating that public school services are the way to go, even after after I made it clear that we preferred to continue to pursue private treatment at this point.

When I asked if his dental crowding and need for braces was affecting his articulation, she said she couldn't tell.

In the past, we've had evals done through the public school, and I thought the OT was the one to check handwriting, and I didn't recall the speech therapist checking reading, so I was kind of surprised at the things she focused on. And over a month later, I still don't have a written report to review. I wish I had had a clearer idea of what this assessment should have entailed before we went.

Do you ever go into the evaluation room with your child? She said some strange things to me, implying that he is an only child, isolated by homeschooling who does nothing but stay in the house with me! This was so bizarre - he's one of seven, active in sports and church and various other interests. I'm wondering how she could have come up with such false conclusions!

[Dobela]

I have always been welcome in the evals of my child. I have not always chosen to be in them however.

Someone else mentioned here that the SLP was teaching/assessing reading and that is just plain odd to me. Even when I was working in public middle schools, the SLP didn't teach reading. She might use stories occassionally to help a child practice sounds or to help increase oral comprehension and vocabulary, but never taught reading to teach reading.

We have been fortunate and found a fabulous vision therapist so I am very quick to recommend it. I think part of the reason she is so good is because she has a special needs child and takes therapy very seriously. In 3 months my son has made HUGE progress with vision therapy and I can't say enough good about it. He was in OT for the last 2 years and didn't make as much progress with visual perception in those 2 years as he has in the last 3 months.

As far as the mouth - my dd has been receiving speech for over a year now. She is 2 and has oral motor problems that also cause eating issues. With all of this she has a slight underbite that is driving her speech therapist crazy. She just knows that if we could get braces on her by age 5 then we could correct several problems at once, including probable future articulation problems. My dd's dentist thinks we are both crazy LOL. However, the dentist did say that if she is having serious articulation problems later (like at age 5 or older) then he would refer us on to a specialized pediatric dentist at the children's hospital to let them assess her as well. So yes, I would think that how your child's mouth is formed could effect speech. Did she assess tongue movement or anything like that as well? My dd also was unable to move her tongue correctly. Now that we have her moving her tongue correctly, many of our other concerns are going away.

I also now refuse to work with someone that is not understanding of homeschooling (if at all possible). I know that the current SLP isn't real fond of the idea, and since she has known me for many years is surprised we homeschool, but she doesn't make comments to me about it, nor does she make comments about it to my children. My son's OT and VT are very supportive. They both say that they consistently see the most progress in children that are homeschooled.

[HeidiD]

In 3 months my son has made HUGE progress with vision therapy and I can't say enough good about it. He was in OT for the last 2 years and didn't make as much progress with visual perception in those 2 years as he has in the last 3 months.


**Wow, that's tremendous! I'm hopeful that my son might benefit from VT as well.


As far as the mouth - my dd has been receiving speech for over a year now. She is 2 and has oral motor problems that also cause eating issues. With all of this she has a slight underbite that is driving her speech therapist crazy. She just knows that if we could get braces on her by age 5 then we could correct several problems at once, including probable future articulation problems. My dd's dentist thinks we are both crazy LOL.


**I don't think it's crazy. In fact, my son also has an underbite, and it was our family dentist who suggested it might be a problem. I can see it is - when I look into his mouth while he's speaking, his bottom teeth are quite clearly getting in the way of his tongue. He's scheduled to have 4 teeth out followed by braces. I just wanted to be sure that there was nothing else interfering with his articulation that might need therapy, rather than assume it was just the teeth. Another of my kids had terrible articulation and after the braces came off, now speaks with complete clarity.


Did she assess tongue movement or anything like that as well?


**You know, I have no idea what she assessed besides reading and writing. :tongue_smilie: Hopefully, if I get a report, that will shed a bit more light on things.


I also now refuse to work with someone that is not understanding of homeschooling (if at all possible).


**Yes, I think it's important to have a positive relationship - a team approach. If there's a strong bias against homeschooling, that team approach is hard (maybe impossible) to develop.


My son's OT and VT are very supportive. They both say that they consistently see the most progress in children that are homeschooled.


**That's excellent. Isn't it nice to get positive feedback?!!! :)

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

What areas are typically assessed? For instance, are reading and handwriting typically included as part of a speech/language evaluation for a 10 yo?

Reading and Writing *can* be a part of an evaluation -- depending on the referral information and/or prescription from the referring physician (if an MD is making the referral). Both of these forms of communication are part of our scope of practice.

They physical eye-hand component of handwriting, however would not be evaluated and treated, but a good SLP will note if it would be beneficial for a referral to OT.

Also, would an SLP be able to determine whether articulation problems are being caused by dental crowding and an underbite?

An "oral-motor" evaluation is a standard part of an evaluation (just like when you go to the dentist and the dental hygienist does an oral cancer screening). S/he will look to see if there are any structural reasons for any articulation problems or dis-coordination.

HTH! Alane, who left the glamorous life of speech-language pathology for the big bucks of home education.:lol:

[HeidiD]

Reading and Writing *can* be a part of an evaluation -- depending on the referral information and/or prescription from the referring physician (if an MD is making the referral). Both of these forms of communication are part of our scope of practice.

They physical eye-hand component of handwriting, however would not be evaluated and treated, but a good SLP will note if it would be beneficial for a referral to OT.



An "oral-motor" evaluation is a standard part of an evaluation (just like when you go to the dentist and the dental hygienist does an oral cancer screening). S/he will look to see if there are any structural reasons for any articulation problems or dis-coordination.

HTH! Alane, who left the glamorous life of speech-language pathology for the big bucks of home education.:lol:


Thanks for the info. I got a prescription from our pediatrician for a "speech/language evaluation" pursuant to a CAPD assessment and for that reason, assumed the evaluation would focus on speech and auditory processing rather than on reading and writing. Live and learn. :)

[newbie]

For CAPD dx you need an audiologist who is familiar w/CAPD and a neurophsych eval, perhaps a WISC, and a WIAT for ed. info.

A WISC and a WIAT will give you more fine motor info. So you can request OT.

I , only know this because I just finished triennial evals , after all those dist. forgot Speech /Lang.

Basically, to come up w/a clear CAPD picture, you need audio, neuropsych and Speech /Lang evals. After this, you can get a clear picture of what road you need to take.