Communication assessments & Therapy

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What is it? When is this assessment needed?

Communication assessments involve investigating an individual’s communicative strengths and difficulties to investigate if therapy is appropriate/needed. Communication assessments may be appropriate if you have:

· Difficulties understanding or comprehending words/pieces of information

· Difficulties using verbal communication, including producing clear speech

· Difficulties reading and writing

· Difficulties producing a clear voice

· Difficulties producing fluent speech (such as in stuttering)

What are the benefits to having this assessment completed?

A communication assessment:

· Provides information regarding areas of strength and difficulty of an individual’s communication skills

· Allows the Speech Pathologist to create a tailored intervention approach to meeting the client’s communication goals

· Allows for a baseline of communication skills so that therapy gains can be measured after a block of therapy. 

· May inform the diagnosis of communication impairments (e.g. Aphasia)

What's involved?

The Speech Pathologist will comprehensively assess or screen all aspects of an individual’s communication through a range of assessment tools, including:

· Receptive Language

· Expressive Language

· Fluency

· Voice

· Speech Sounds

Then provide a report with recommendations for you.  This may include some therapy, or use of communication strategies and/ or Assistive Technology.