Speech Pathologists are trained to use high quality, clinical evidence to select robust assessments, ethically administer them to clients of all ages and presentations, interpret the data, identify strengths and weaknesses in their client’s communication and/or swallowing profiles, and report these results and recommendations appropriately to their clients, their families, and management team.

About our Speech Pathology Assessments

At Hills District Speech Therapy, we strive to provide outstanding speech pathology assessment services to our current and new clients. The start of a strong therapeutic relationship with our clients begins with a warm hello and an opportunity to get to know more about them – their history, their strengths, their concerns, and needs. This is best achieved through conducting a comprehensive speech pathology assessment.  A thorough initial assessment allows us to collect all the required information, so we can then carefully analyse and interpret the findings to formulate an appropriate intervention/management plan.

We offer Telehealth (Online) Speech Pathology Assessments!

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What do we use to assess our clients?

Our therapists utilise a range of tools and sources of information to build a comprehensive profile of their clients during an initial assessment. Decisions around how an assessment should be conducted is often made by considering:

  • The concerns of the client and their carer/legal guardian
  • The client’s age, cultural and linguistic background and life circumstances
  • The setting in which the assessment will be conducted (i.e. face to face at the clinic/home/aged care facility, or online)
  • What tools we have within our reach at our clinic
  • The most recent, high quality research on best assessment practices.

Here are some examples of tools and procedures we may use during an initial or review assessment:

  • Standardised tests
  • Non-standardised tests
  • Informal tests and probes
  • Carer questionnaires
  • Carer and health professional interviews
  • Language and speech samples
  • Observations
  • Physical and functional examinations of mouth and nasal areas
  • Food and fluid trials (swallowing)
  • Digital recordings-audio & visual
  • Fluency ratings
  • Low and high-tech device trials

When do I receive a report?

We pride ourselves in composing well-written, detailed assessment reports for our clients, their carers and wider management team. The process of collating, interpreting, and reporting on findings from the client’s assessment can often mean that a report may take up to 3-4 weeks to complete from the day of the assessment. We also offer our clients a priority report option should the client have an upcoming meeting. Nevertheless, we are always more than happy to discuss such requests during and after your first consultation.