Pediatric Assessment Services

NSLS offers different levels of service options to assess your child's communication skills. Please call our office with any questions, or to schedule an appointment.

Screenings

Preschool or daycare screenings are completed on a one-by-one basis and usually take 10-15 minutes per child. Parents of children who attend the preschool or daycare sign a form agreeing to have their child's speech and language skills screened. Results are tallied following the screening and are sent home to families that same day. Parents are also welcome to make an appointment to bring their child to Norfolk Speech & Language Services at any time for a screening.

Birth - Age 3 Consultations

Birth through Age 3 consultations provide a comprehensive assessment of a child, but are not considered to be an evaluation since the clinician completes no formal testing. Before a consultation, he family is asked to complete a brief questionnaire regarding the child's speech, language and cognitive development. During the consultation, the NSLS therapist will assess the child's skills through observation and parent interview. Consultations last 30-45 minutes. If there is a concern, NSLS will recommend treatment and will monitor development and note progress at intervals dependent upon the age of the child.

NSLS performs Level One evaluations to learn about a child's skills in relation to his or her peers. This is done by comparing his or her performance on standardized measures and by comparing his performance within the context of his or her total development.

A Level One evaluation is usually scheduled for the evaluation of speech sound development, voice or fluency. During the evaluation, the child will be given a test which measures their speech skills, and a general language sample will be collected and analyzed. The evaluation lasts one-hour and includes a brief written report.

Level One Evaluations

Level Two Evaluations

A Level Two evaluation consists of more in-depth testing than a Level One evaluation. Deeper assessment is required for children and adolescents who demonstrate difficulties with speech sound production or with oral and/or written language comprehension and use. Level Two evaluations are normally scheduled when a child or adolescent is having academic difficulties due to auditory and/or language processing difficulties, sensory integration needs, attention difficulties, or delays in reading or writing ability. This evaluation usually requires two, 60- to 90-minute sessions in order to determine why a child is struggling in their academic, social or functional setting. A Level Two evaluation includes a comprehensive, written report following testing.