Finding Our Voice will administer a Speech and Language screener to every Kindergarten child in attendance at Geraldton Primary School, who has obtained parental consent.
School Screening
The screening sessions will be 30 – 40 minutes long, depending on the needs of the child.
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Screening Test will be used for children over the age of 6;6 and the Screen of Communication Skills (SOCS) will be used for children under the age of 6;6 years old.
These assessments can quickly identify the children who are at-risk for difficulties in managing the language demands of the classroom. It is an evidence-based and efficient method of differentiating between typically developing children and children identified as having a language disorder.
For older children, we administer the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – 5th Edition (CELF-5) Screening Test. This screen provides norm-based criterion score by age.
Other Screening Criteria
In addition, non-standardised language tasks may be included in the screening process depending on the age and presentation of the child:
- Paragraph retell and / or answering comprehension questions
- Sentence repetition tasks
- Answering questions about questions with complex syntactic forms
- Saying vocabulary words in a sentence
- Explain / define word meanings
- Blending / segmentation tasks
- Following directions with complex syntax / grammar / vocabulary
- The goal of the screening is to identify red flags, not diagnose.
The results of these screens will then be analyzed and a report will be returned to both the school and the parents for each child who participated. This report will include:
- A description of the assessment tasks
- Child’s abilities (below, within, or above normal limits)
- The child’s results in comparison to age norms
- A summary of areas that are developing well and those that need support
- Recommendations for therapy as required
Further Intervention
If the parents would like to proceed with a more in-depth assessment or intervention with their child the following will be discussed:
- Required interventions and services we provide
- Initiating a speech and language evaluation
- Psychologist and/or social worker (or other personnel) collecting more
screening information - Move to a full-case study evaluation to evaluate multiple domains, where
the presence of neurological differences is of concern.
It will also highlight the individual children who will qualify for and benefit from an application for Early Intervention Funding through the
NDIA. The reports will be returned to the parents and school within two weeks of the assessment period.
For schools located in rural regions, Finding Our Voice will return within a 2-month time period to administer the full assessment of the children identified as at risk, pending parental consent. This visit will ensure complete speech and language assessments required for each child will be completed in full and applications will be made to acquire funding for the identified children.
Your Journey With Us
1. Book Now
Contact us via the ‘Book Now’ tab. Please include your child’s name, age, and the reason for referral.
2. Contact Us
We will contact you, via email or telephone, regarding an assessment time. This will occur within 2 weeks of your first point of contact.
3. Assessment
Your Speech Pathologist will determine a clinical Speech, Language, and Literacy assessment plan based on your child’s age and developmental level.
4. Create Therapy Goals
Evidence based speech therapy goals will be established based on the outcome of the assessment.