Can Speech Pathology Assessments Be Done via Telehealth?
For many families, accessing a speech pathology assessment can involve travel, time away from school or work, or long waits for a local appointment. Telehealth can provide another option, allowing some speech and language assessments to be completed online from the comfort of home.
At Grow & Tell, our paediatric speech pathologists can complete a range of speech pathology assessments via Telehealthfor suitable children. This includes assessments of speech sounds, language and stuttering, depending on your child’s age, needs and ability to participate in an online assessment.
What Is a Telehealth Speech Pathology Assessment?
A Telehealth speech pathology assessment is completed online with a qualified speech pathologist rather than in the clinic.
Your child and the speech pathologist meet through a secure video platform. Depending on the reason for assessment, the speech pathologist may use structured activities, conversation, observations and formal assessment tools to understand your child’s communication skills.
The aim is the same as an in-person assessment: to develop a clearer understanding of your child’s strengths, identify areas where they may need support and determine appropriate recommendations or therapy goals.
What Speech Assessments Can Be Completed via Telehealth?
Not every assessment or every child will be suited to an online format. However, a number of speech pathology assessments may be completed successfully via Telehealth.
At Grow & Tell, these may include:
Speech Sound Assessments
Speech sound assessments look at how a child produces and uses sounds when speaking.
They can help identify difficulties with speech clarity, articulation and speech sound development, including concerns such as a lisp.
During a Telehealth assessment, the speech pathologist can listen to your child producing particular sounds, words and sentences and observe how they use speech during conversation.
The Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) is one of the speech sound assessments that can be completed via Telehealth for suitable children. It helps our speech pathologists assess how a child produces speech sounds and identify patterns in their speech development.
Language Assessments
Language assessments explore how a child understands and uses language.
Depending on your child's age and needs, this can include areas such as:
understanding instructions and spoken language
vocabulary and word knowledge
sentence structure and grammar
expressing ideas
recalling and processing spoken information
higher-level language skills.
For suitable children, formal language assessments available via Telehealth may include the CELF Preschool-3 and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – Fifth Edition (CELF-5).
We also offer the Preschool Language Scales – Fifth Edition (PLS-5); however, this assessment needs to be completed face-to-face at one of our clinics rather than via Telehealth.
The most appropriate assessment and format will be recommended by your speech pathologist based on your child’s age, presenting concerns, attention and ability to participate reliably in the assessment.
Stuttering Assessments
Telehealth may also be appropriate for assessing stuttering in school-aged children.
The speech pathologist can observe your child's speech across different speaking activities, discuss when and where stuttering occurs and gather information about how it affects communication at home, school and in social situations.
This helps determine whether support is recommended and what approach may be most appropriate.
Is My Child Suitable for an Online Speech Assessment?
Suitability is considered individually.
For some formal language assessments, children need to be able to attend to basic instructions and demonstrate joint attention skills so that the speech pathologist can administer the assessment appropriately.
Age isn't the only consideration. Attention, communication abilities, the reason for referral and the type of assessment required can all influence whether Telehealth is the best option.
If we're unsure, our team can discuss your child's needs with you before booking an assessment.
What Do We Need at Home?
One of the benefits of Telehealth is that you generally don't need a complicated setup.
A computer or tablet with a reliable internet connection, camera and microphone is usually sufficient. Choosing a quiet space with minimal distractions can also help your child concentrate.
Your speech pathologist will let you know beforehand if anything else is required for your child's particular assessment.
For younger children, a parent or caregiver may need to remain nearby to assist where appropriate.
What Happens After the Assessment?
Once the assessment is complete, your speech pathologist will interpret the results alongside information gathered from you and observations made during the session.
Depending on the assessment and service requested, this may lead to recommendations regarding therapy, strategies for home or school, further assessment or liaison with other professionals.
Where ongoing support is recommended, families may be able to continue with Telehealth speech therapy, meaning assessment and therapy can often be accessed without needing to travel to a clinic.
Can We Access Telehealth Speech Assessments Outside Sydney?
Yes. One of the biggest advantages of Telehealth is that families don't need to live close to one of our Sydney clinics to access support.
Grow & Tell provides Telehealth speech pathology to children and families across Australia, including regional and interstate communities where accessing paediatric speech pathology locally may be difficult.
Families in Sydney can also choose Telehealth when attending ourSt Leonards or Rhodesclinics isn't convenient.
Telehealth or Face-to-Face: Which Is Better?
Neither option is automatically better for every child.
Some children participate extremely well online, while others benefit from being assessed face-to-face. Certain assessments or presenting concerns may also be better suited to an in-person appointment.
Our goal is to recommend the format that allows the speech pathologist to obtain useful and appropriate information about your child's communication.
If Telehealth isn't suitable for the assessment your child requires, we'll let you know.
Looking for a Speech Pathology Assessment?
If you're concerned about your child's speech sounds, language development or stuttering, our team can help determine what type of assessment may be appropriate and whether it can be completed via Telehealth.
Grow & Tell provides paediatric speech pathology support through our Sydney clinics and Telehealth across Australia.
Get in touch with our team or book online to discuss a speech pathology assessment for your child.
