Why Speech Therapy Starts with an Assessment | Waterloo Speech-Language Pathologist Explains скачать в хорошем качестве

Why Speech Therapy Starts with an Assessment | Waterloo Speech-Language Pathologist Explains

Hi, I’m Rhonda MacKinnon, a private speech-language pathologist and owner of Communicating Together Therapy & Wellness Associates in Waterloo, Ontario. I support children and teens with speech, language, and literacy development using individualized, evidence-based approaches grounded in research. In this video, I explain why speech therapy begins with an assessment — and why this step is essential for building a meaningful, personalized plan that supports your child’s communication development. Here’s what I share in this video: • Why there’s no single strategy that works for every child. • How a personalized assessment helps us understand your child’s strengths, needs, and communication profile. • What happens during the three key parts of an assessment:  1. Parent or guardian interview  2. Informal observation and play-based interaction  3. Formal assessment, when appropriate • How individualized goals lead to more efficient progress and stronger long-term outcomes. • Why speech therapy is a partnership, and how your child’s interests, personality, and developmental stage guide every step of the process. Why is this message important? ✔️ It helps parents and guardians understand what to expect before starting speech therapy. ✔️ It shows how thoughtful assessment prevents guesswork and helps create a clearer path forward. ✔️ It emphasizes collaboration, family priorities, and child-centred decision making. ✔️ It highlights that therapy is most effective when goals fit your child’s strengths and needs, which an assessment helps to identify. 🔔 Subscribe for more videos about child speech, language, and communication development. 👍 Like & share if you found this helpful. 💛 Thank you for helping raise awareness about individualized, strengths-based speech therapy and the important role assessment plays in shaping meaningful, child-centred therapy. For More Information and Resources 👉 Related blog: • Is This Just a Phase? When to Seek Speech-Language Support (https://communicatingtogether.ca/%f0%...) 👉 Visit: https://communicatingtogether.ca/ for resources, blogs, and information about speech therapy for children and teens in the Waterloo area. 👉 Community Resources: Free & Low-Cost Support (in Waterloo Region) (https://communicatingtogether.ca/comm...) Visit our blog: • https://communicatingtogether.ca/blog... Connect with us: • Instagram: @rhondacommunicatingtogether • LinkedIn:   / communicating-together-therapy-wellness-as...   • Bluesky: @communicate-rhonda.bsky.social ⚠️ Disclaimer: This video is for general informational purposes only. Please consult a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) for guidance specific to your child.