Assessment FAQ
Q: What’s the purpose of an assessment?
A: An assessment allows a speech-language pathologist or school psychologist to observe and describe a child’s strengths and weaknesses and to compare their performance to those of other children of similar age or grade level. For speech-language pathologists, an assessment helps determine what therapy if any is needed. For school psychologists, it provides the information required to make recommendations for treatment.
Q: How soon can you assess my child?
A: Typically, right away.
Q: How much time does an assessment take?
A: This depends on the specific concerns being addressed as well as on your child’s age. Initially, you and your child will meet with a speech-language pathologist for between one and five hours. You could be asked to come to the clinic more than once to ensure your child is rested and ready to do his or her best each time.
The assessment — or some portion of it — may be videotaped or audiotaped.
Q: If you assess my child and he or she needs therapy, how long does it take to get started?
A: We’re typically able to start therapy right away. There may be a longer wait time depending on both the family’s schedule and that of the clinicians who will be treating your child.
Q: Can I skip the assessment and just describe my child’s difficulties to the speech-language pathologist and show her my child’s report?
A: The speech-language pathologist will question you about how your child communicates and performs at home and at school. However, it is also important to use more objective measures to determine the child’s capabilities, which is where an assessment comes in.
Q: What do you mean by objective measures?
A: An assessment provides objective scores and information by comparing your child’s performance to those of other children of the same age and grade level.
During an assessment, the child answers questions, name or point to pictures, follow directions, tell or retell short stories, say sounds, read words and write sentences, amongst other things. The speech-language pathologist or school psychologist then compares these results to those of other children to determine whether your child is performing at the expected (average) level or above or below it, and ultimately writes a report.
Q: Why does a report have to be written?
A: By professional law and ethical guidelines protecting the public, a speech-language pathologist or school psychologist is required to produce a written report of any assessment conducted. In addition, the MFC believes reports provide valuable information to parents and educators about a child’s skills, support needs and how to objectively measure progress.
Q: Why are assessments so expensive?
A: Assessments are labour-intensive. In addition to spending time with you and your child, the clinician scores and analyzes tests. Prior to writing a full report making treatment recommendations and setting treatment goals, he or she may also need to transcribe things your child has said during assessment or call or meet with teachers, daycare providers or other professionals. The cost of the assessment reflects the time it takes to perform these tasks.
Q: Can I get help to pay for the assessment?
A: The Montreal Fluency Centre is pleased to offer financial assistance to help reduce costs of assessment and treatment. Any family is welcome to apply for this assistance by completing the online bursary application. Those who qualify may be eligible for a reduction of up to 50% of the assessment fee.
Q: If my child has had a speech-language pathology assessment elsewhere, can he or she be treated at the Montreal Fluency Centre?
A: If your child has been assessed by a qualified speech-language pathologist within the past 12 months and you can provide a written report containing objective test scores and/or developmental information, he or she may be eligible to start treatment at the MFC right away.
If more than 12 months have elapsed since assessment, information may no longer be accurate, and a new assessment could be required. It may be possible to begin treatment of school-age children based on assessments that are up to two years old, depending on the academic needs and profile of the child.
In some cases, a child may need to undergo a specific assessment or screening to determine suitability for a specialized group program.
Q: My child has already had a psycho-educational assessment, so why do I need an assessment by a speech-language pathologist?
A: Psychologists and speech-language pathologists often collaborate, but their areas of expertise are different. A psychologist does not assess a child’s language skills in detail the way a speech-language pathologist does. A child may be referred for speech and language assessment by a psychologist if the psycho-educational assessment indicates that language difficulties are at the root of academic or social problems. In turn, the speech-language pathologist may recommend a psycho-educational assessment if it is suspected a child’s problem goes beyond speech and/or language.
Q: Are assessments at the Montreal Fluency Centre always done the same way?
A: The MFC has spent years developing assessment protocols and procedures. The tests, activities, procedures for analysis and report formats are all well-established. Our speech-language pathologists are trained in the protocols of each assessment they use.
Q: Can any child with a communication problem be assessed at the Montreal Fluency Centre?
A: Most can, but there are exceptions.
The code of professional ethics governing speech-language pathologists and school psychologists precludes clinicians from offering services outside their area of expertise. Thus, if a child’s needs were beyond the MFC’s scope of practice, we would be unable to treat that child. In such cases, we would make every effort to refer the child to an appropriate agency for help.
Q: How can I arrange an assessment?
A: You can set up an assessment by opening a file. Our intake coordinator will contact you to determine what kind of assessment is appropriate for your child. She can also answer questions, as well as offer you an assessment appointment time.
Therapy FAQ
Q: What’s the purpose of therapy?
A: Therapy allows for the systematic teaching of the aspects of communication that are difficult for your child. Based on information gathered during assessment, therapy sessions involve activities designed to help your child learn by practicing and expanding on language skills in a fun, motivating way.
Q: When should my child start therapy?
A: Research indicates that the earlier therapy begins in a child’s life, the more effective it will be. We encourage parents to follow up promptly: if the assessment recommends therapy, the sooner it starts, the better!
Clinical studies also suggest that children who begin therapy later in childhood still perform better in the long run than children who require therapy but don’t receive it. Early intervention is important — but better late than never.
Q: How soon can my child start therapy?
A: We’re typically able to start right away. There may be a longer wait time depending on both the family’s schedule and that of the clinicians who will be treating your child.
Q: How many therapy sessions will my child need?
A: The speech-language pathologist will review the number of sessions with you. A “therapy block”, as it’s called, may consist of four to twelve sessions, depending on the type and goals of the therapy.
Q: How can I help my child get the most out of therapy?
A: You can help maximize your child’s progress in several ways.
It’s crucial your child consistently attend weekly therapy sessions for the duration of the therapy block. This enables him or her to maintain rapport with the clinician and stay goal-focused and motivated.
As a parent, you may be invited to attend or even participate in therapy sessions. This allows you to observe the speech-language pathologist’s methods and learn how to work with your child at home. Following the home program is an essential element of success.
Q: What is a home program?
A: The home program features a list of goals to work on with your child each week and provides activity suggestions, methods and materials. Prepared by the speech-language pathologist at the end of each weekly session, the home program reflects the therapy goals addressed that day, as well as your child’s progress since the last session.
Q: Isn’t the speech-language pathologist supposed to be working with my child and not just playing?
A: Trained to deliver therapy in fun, motivating ways, speech-language pathologists who work with children often use toys and games during sessions. What looks like mere play is actually planned and structured activity that fosters learning and promotes language skills.
Having fun during therapy also serves as an incentive to keep your child wanting to attend sessions.
Q: How can I tell if therapy is helping my child?
A: You can expect to see your child perform better on the goals set out by his or her therapist. For example, your child may start using longer phrases when speaking or applying strategies to read words. However, you may not see changes after only a few therapy sessions. In some cases, achieving goals may take a child months or even longer. This will depend on the child’s needs and on how consistently therapy is attended and the home program followed.
Progress is checked by the speech-language pathologist regularly.
Q: How long do we work on the same therapy goals?
A: In some cases, goals may need to remain the same for several weeks to ensure your child has acquired the targeted skill. The clinician can modify the methods used to best support your child’s learning profile and preferences.
Q: What happens if we miss a session?
A: We expect families to do their best to attend weekly sessions. This way, the therapist can accurately monitor progress and help your child reap maximum benefits from therapy. Should you need to cancel a session, the therapist will make every effort to offer you an alternative appointment for that week. Consistency is key.
Q: What happens when we finish our therapy block?
A: The speech-language pathologist will review goals and. She will also discuss what comes next, which could be ending or continuing therapy or consulting with another professional.
Q: When can we stop therapy?
A: In general, the speech-language pathologist will recommend stopping therapy when your child demonstrates skills that are within the predicted range for his or her chronological age.
In some cases, the clinician may recommend stopping therapy for other reasons — so a child can receive supportive services from another specialist, for instance, or to allow newly acquired skills to become firmly established through use in real life.
Q: Can I get help to pay for therapy?
A: The Montreal Fluency Centre is pleased to offer financial assistance to help reduce the cost of treatment. Any family is welcome to apply for this assistance by completing the online bursary application. Those who qualify may be eligible for a reduction of up to 75% of the therapy fee.
Q: Can any child with a communication problem receive therapy at the Montreal Fluency Centre?
A: Most can, but there are exceptions.
The code of professional ethics governing speech-language pathologists and school psychologists precludes clinicians from offering services outside their area of expertise. Thus, if a child’s needs were beyond the MFC’s scope of practice, we would be unable to treat that child. In such cases, we would make every effort to refer the child to an appropriate agency for help.
Q: How can I make a therapy appointment?
A: To seek treatment for your child, please start by opening a file or by emailing our intake coordinator at info@montrealfluency.com.
Your child must have been assessed by a certified speech-language pathologist within the previous twelve months, either at the Montreal Fluency Centre or elsewhere. If assessment occurred elsewhere, you must provide a copy of the assessment report, so we can determine the best course of action for your child. Finally, our intake coordinator will conduct a phone interview with you, answer your questions and offer you a therapy appointment time.