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by Rynette R. Kjesbo, M.S., CCC-SLP
When a teacher or parent has concerns about a student’s speech or language
abilities, he/she can refer the student to a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who will
first screen the child. A speech and/or language screening is a quick check to see if a
student’s skills might be delayed and require further in-depth evaluation. Screenings
performed by an SLP often include:
- Speech (articulation and phonology) – A speech screening might reveal if a student has difficulty producing specific sounds (articulation) or uses inappropriate sound patterns (phonology).
- Language (receptive and expressive) – A language screening can uncover delays in what a student is able to hear and understand (receptive language) and how well a student is able to communicate his/her wants and needs (expressive language).
- Voice – A voice screening allows an SLP to judge whether or not the student’s vocal quality (pitch, hoarseness, loudness, etc.) is age and gender appropriate.
- Fluency – A fluency screening might show that a student has disruptions in speech (disfluencies/stuttering) that are not typical of his/her same-age peers.
- Hearing – a hearing screening can determine if a student has a hearing loss which can impact his/her speech and/or language abilities.
| Screening |
Evaluation |
| Screenings take less time than evaluations. (A typical screening lasts approximately 15-20 minutes.) |
Evaluations take more time than screenings. (Evaluations usually take over an hour.) |
| Often, students’ skills are assessed informally through conversation or play-based tasks. |
Students’ skills are formally assessed using structured tests and assessments. |
| Standard Scores are NOT obtained. The result of a screening is typically reported as “Pass” or “Fail.” |
Standard Scores ARE obtained. (Standard Scores are used to compare a student’s performance to his/her same-age peers.) |
| Results are used to determine whether or not an evaluation is needed and the areas that need to be addressed in an evaluation. |
Results are used to determine if intervention is needed and the goals that should be addressed during the intervention. |
After the Screening
After the screening is complete, the SLP makes recommendations. If a student
“fails” a screening, the SLP will recommend that the student receive a full evaluation.
The results of the screening help an SLP determine which areas of speech/language to
formally assess. Even if a student “passes” the speech/language screening, the SLP may
make additional referrals to other disciplines (such as an occupational therapist, reading
specialist, etc.). Additionally, if a student “passes” a screening, the SLP may recommend
no further action, or may request a follow-up screening in a few months.
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