Comprehensive Evaluations

We offer comprehensive speech and language evaluations tailored to the unique needs of each child to help identify strengths and areas for growth, ensuring each child receives the support they need on their journey to communication confidence.

-If your child does not have a current evaluation and/or school IEP, we will likely recommend an initial evaluation to help us create a plan for their individualized therapy services.

-If your child was evaluated within the past year, or has a current IEP, services may begin once our staff has reviewed these documents.

Speech therapist in a maroon 'Embrace Neurodiversity' t-shirt, smiling while writing notes at a desk in a colorful and welcoming office environment

Initial Evaluation

At Westside Speech and Language Pathology PLLC, we understand that every child is unique, and our initial speech and language evaluation reflects this principle.

During this comprehensive assessment, our experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs) engage in a holistic approach to understand your child's communication needs fully. Our evaluation process begins with a warm and welcoming environment designed to put both parents and children at ease. Through a series of informal interactions, structured tasks, and standardized assessments tailored to your child's age and developmental stage, we gather valuable insights into their speech, language, and communication skills. From assessing speech sound production and language comprehension to social communication and pragmatic language abilities, our goal is to provide a comprehensive snapshot of your child's communication strengths and areas for growth. This initial evaluation serves as the foundation for developing personalized therapy plans that address your child's unique needs, ensuring they receive the individualized support and guidance they deserve.

Areas We Assess

  • Our comprehensive speech and language assessments are designed to identify and address a variety of communication challenges your child may face. We evaluate multiple areas to provide a thorough understanding of your child's strengths and needs.

    Areas Assessed

    - Receptive Language: Assessing your child's ability to understand and process spoken language.


    -Expressive Language: Evaluating how effectively your child can express their thoughts, ideas, and needs.


    - Articulation/Phonological Disorders: Identifying issues with speech sound production and patterns that may affect intelligibility.


    - Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Diagnosing motor planning difficulties that impact your child's ability to produce clear and consistent speech.


    - Pragmatic Skills: Examining your child's ability to use language appropriately in social contexts, including understanding and using nonverbal cues, conversational skills, and social interaction.

    Recommendations and Support

    Based on the assessment results, we provide personalized recommendations and strategies to support your child's communication development. Our goal is to equip your child with the skills they need to communicate effectively and confidently in all aspects of life.

  • We are able to provide formalized evaluations to support or rule out a dyslexia diagnosis. For students who have a dyslexia diagnosis, we review previous testing and conduct a short diagnostic session to determine specific treatment goals.

    Comprehensive Evaluations

    • Use of standardized assessments in phonemic awareness, language comprehension, and oral and written language skills.

    • Review previous assessments, school reports, and your child's medical history to gather comprehensive background information.

    Recommendations and Support

    Some students may need treatment for reading, writing, or spelling deficits without meeting the criteria for a diagnosis of dyslexia. In such cases, we offer personalized assessments to identify their unique challenges and create effective intervention strategies.

    We are dedicated to providing targeted interventions to enhance your child’s literacy skills and boost their confidence.

  • A formal diagnosis of Executive Functioning Disorder is best given by a medical doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. However, we can provide documentation to support the diagnostic process and offer recommendations to parents.

    Assessment Process

    Executive functioning skills are assessed during the comprehensive speech and language evaluation process.

    Review previous assessments, school reports, and your child's medical history to gather comprehensive background information.

    Conduct interviews with both the parent and the child, using questions developed by leading researchers in executive functioning.


    Recommendations and Support

    Once all information is reviewed and analyzed, we make tailored recommendations to best support your child. Even if a formal diagnosis is not made, your child may still benefit from learning specific executive functioning strategies to help at home and school. 

    Our goal is to equip your child with the skills they need to succeed in all aspects of life.

“She cares so deeply for her students and it shows in the greatness that she brings out in them. He’s almost done with Kindergarten now and she is still checking in on him and rooting for his progress. She was a fierce advocate for him throughout the year and always worked hard to keep his progress going.”