Speech and Language Pathology in School Settings - Diagnosis of Communication Disorders

Diagnosis of Communication Disorders

In a school setting, children are often screened when they start kindergarten. This process involves a rapid assessment to determine which children need further testing, diagnosis, or treatment. Often, a screening is a sort of informal interview between an SLP and a child or group of children. The child may be asked to give their name, count, pronounce the names of pictured objects, and answer open-ended questions. The purpose of these tasks is to elicit a brief language sample from the child which the SLP will use to evaluate articulation, fluency, and other aspects of speech. Screenings usually last about five minutes (Oyer 10).

After a screening is done, an individual diagnosis must be made. This involves a one-on-one evaluation which may last two hours or more. If an individual has been referred for testing, either by a doctor, teacher, or other professional, the screening process is skipped and testing starts here. This session allows the SLP to gather information that will help in the diagnosis of a speech or language problem, as well as provide insight to possible causes, goals and objectives for therapy, and which techniques will work best for that individual. Individual evaluations often include the following components:

• A visual examination of the oral cavity and throat (typically with a flashlight and tongue depressor) to determine whether the physical structures appear to be capable of speech production
• Tests of articulation of speech sounds in words and sentences as well as alone
• A measure of the ability to hear the difference between correct speech sounds and sounds actually produced
• Tests of expressive language and spontaneous speech
• Evaluations of fluency and voice
• A hearing test
• A case history

After this evaluation, the SLP will review the results and information gathered and determine whether the individual would benefit from speech therapy. Goals and objectives of therapy are outlined and a specific treatment plan is created, drawing on the strengths and weaknesses and unique situation of that individual (Oyer 11).