Psychological Assessment for Speech & Language Impairments
As a parent, nothing is more worrying than watching your child struggle to express themselves. You may already be in speech therapy, yet progress feels slow or uneven. A psychological assessment for speech and language impairments looks beyond pronunciation or vocabulary. It uncovers why your child is having difficulty—whether the root is cognitive, auditory, emotional, or a combination—and maps out the next best steps for growth.
Why Psychological Assessment Matters for Speech & Language Delays
Separating Language vs. Intellectual Challenges
A child who cannot follow instructions may appear to have low intelligence, but the issue could be auditory processing, working memory, or attention. Accurate testing tells the difference so you never underestimate your child’s true abilities.
Identifying Co-Occurring Developmental Conditions
Speech delays often co-occur with other conditions such as:
- Autism spectrum traits (social-communication gaps)
- ADHD (attention-driven language lapses)
- Learning disorders (phonological dyslexia, written expression issues)
Spotting these early prevents years of mis-targeted therapy.
Informing Evidence-Based Therapy Targets
Once we know the type and severity of each challenge, we can tailor goals instead of using one-size-fits-all exercises. This saves time, money, and frustration.
Assessment Services We Offer
| Focus Area | What We Measure | Tools Used |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive cognitive-language battery | Non-verbal IQ, reasoning, language comprehension | Leiter-3, TONI-4, CELF-5 |
| Auditory processing & phonological memory | Sound discrimination, recall of sequences | NEPSY-II, CTOPP-2 |
| Social-communication assessments | Eye contact, turn-taking, use of gestures | ADOS-2, SRS-2 |
| Academic achievement vs. ability discrepancy | Reading, writing, math compared to IQ | WIAT-4, KTEA-3 |
Who Needs an Assessment?
Signs to Watch for at 18 Months–5 Years
- Fewer than 10 words by 18 months
- Cannot combine two words by age 2½
- Speech that is 50% or less intelligible to strangers at age 3
Red Flags for School-Age Children
- Difficulty retelling a story in sequence
- Struggles with rhyming or sounding out new words
- Teacher reports “bright, but answers are off-topic”
When Unintelligible Speech Masks True Potential
If teachers say, “We can’t score his oral tests because we can’t understand him,” a psychological assessment for speech and language impairments reveals whether the issue is articulation alone or something deeper like expressive language disorder.
Our 4-Step Assessment Process
- Intake & developmental history interview
We talk with parents for 45 minutes, covering pregnancy, milestones, family history, and current concerns. - Play-based & standardized testing sessions
Two child-friendly sessions (90 minutes each) using toys, games, and interactive software to keep motivation high. - Classroom & home observation reports
With your consent, we visit school or review video recordings to see language in real-life settings. - Multidisciplinary review & feedback meeting
Within seven days you receive a printed report and a 60-minute meeting where our psychologist explains results and therapy recommendations.
Tools & Technologies We Use
- Leiter-3 & TONI-4 nonverbal IQ tests – ideal for children who are minimally verbal
- CELF-5 & TOLD-P:5 language indices – measure semantics, syntax, and pragmatics
- NEPSY-II phonological processing subtests – target pre-reading skills
- Digital scoring & real-time progress dashboards – log in from home to watch gains week-by-week
Benefits of Choosing Cadabams CDC
- Child-friendly environment with colorful rooms, sensory toys, and on-site café for parents
- Certified psychologists trained in both speech-language pathology and developmental psychology
- Same-week appointment slots—no 3-month wait-lists
- Integrated speech-therapy planning—our speech therapists sit in on feedback meetings so therapy starts the very next day