Hello hello and welcome back to (reading) the 4th episode of The Speech Parent Podcast: Should I Get My Kid Tested for Speech Therapy? Remember, you can always listen to these episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podbean!
I’m Emily Bower, and I’m so glad you’re here. If you’re a parent, you often wonder about your kid’s development and whether or not they’re on the right track. Or at least I always do 🙂 And if you’re concerned about your child’s development and wondering if you should pursue getting them tested for speech therapy – this blog post is for you!
Quick Recap
In last week’s post we talked about what causes a speech language delay or disorder and in post/episode #2 we talked about what a speech language pathologist is.
So if you’re unsure on those things go back and give them a listen, or if you have any questions related to literally anything – please DM me on social media @thespeechparent, email me at thespeechparent@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!
Tested for Speech?
Now let’s jump into today’s question – should I get my child tested for speech language therapy? Aka is my child behind where they should be, is it worth the effort, etc.?
Many parents I’ve met are unsure about pursing testing because they don’t want to look dumb or like they’re overreacting for their concerns. Others don’t want to pursue testing because they think their kid will grow out of it, the doctor hasn’t mentioned anything or they just don’t think it’s worth the effort.
Whatever camp you fall into, I get it. I had the knowledge and skills from my SLP training to know that my son was behind in a lot of areas. But my doctor friends will tell you that I freaked out when my baby girl first got baby acne and sent them pictures wondering if I needed to rush to the hospital for an allergic reaction or something 😂 When you don’t know what to do (especially in regards to your child) it can cause a lot of anxiety and stress.
But I don’t want that for you!
That’s why my go to response to this question is YES. Yes, if you have any concerns, you should seek out testing even if your doctor doesn’t act concerned. Because then t
here are 2 things that happen when you get your child tested for speech therapy: you get answers and therefore peace of mind. If your child qualifies and needs therapy, great, you’re already past the biggest hurdle of getting started and now they can get the help they need. If your child doesn’t qualify, also great, because now you have peace of mind that they’re on the right track or that you can be watching to see if progress or need to be retested. Either way it gives you answers so you can stop worrying about it!
And before you say – but Emily, won’t it be embarrassing if it was all for nothing? Nope! As an SLP, I can say that we love parents who care about their kids development and really enjoy getting to share the happy news that they’re right on track. As a speech parent, the road to advocating for our kids is long and often difficult – but I promise you it’s worth it!
Getting Your Child Tested for Speech Therapy Can Be Expensive
But as a speech parent I also understand that the evaluations our kids get as well as the therapy itself can be SO EXPENSIVE. Even if you want to get your kid into therapy, it may be really hard to justify it right now with how tight finances are for most of us. I get it. It’s a big reason I started The Speech Parent. To get you some resources and support you need – for free!
And part of my mission of equipping you to advocate for your child to get what they need is to tell you about all the ways you can get speech therapy for free! Unless you have Medicaid or another really awesome insurance that will pay for everything, going to a private clinic for an evaluation or therapy can be really expensive. At the time this episode, there are supposedly 18 states and D.C. that have implemented TEFRA – but qualifying for that will be a an entire episode on its own.
But Did You Know..
Did you know that the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act aka IDEA enables kids of all ages to receive speech therapy *FOR FREE* if they meet the qualifications?
Part B of this law is usually implemented by your local school system and supports ages 3-21 while part C of the IDEA supports ages birth through 3 and may be implemented by various agencies. The governor of each state designates a lead agency for part C to be in charge of early intervention. In Arkansas where I live, part C the lead agency is Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) and the program is called First Connections. In Oklahoma, they have SoonerStart.
You can google this information but to help make it easier I’ve done the research for you. You can find your state’s early intervention program (and their phone number!) by going to thespeechparent.com/state
Get a Speech Evaluation for Free
So now that you know that the evaluation and therapy could **potentially** be free, are you more motivated to seek it out? I hope so! I hope you want to get your kid tested for speech concerns! And if your child doesn’t meet their qualifications but you still have concerns, then I’m here to help with things you can do at home! I want to empower you to help your kid at home while also reminding you that your most important job is being their mom or dad or whoever. The therapist can do the heavy lifting for you if necessary, your job as a parent is important all on its own!
All that to say, you may want to know if they’re meeting the general milestones we look for in screening to determine if an evaluation is warranted. I’ve got that guide for you FOR FREE – and you can snag it by going to thespeechparent.com/milestones
The guide breaks down what your child should be doing at each age in several different categories. For example:
- From 7 months to 9 months of age they should look at you when you say their name
- 13 to 18 months they should follow simple directions like “come here” or “show me your nose”
- 4 to 5 years of age they should use location words like “behind and between” and time words like “yesterday and tomorrow” correctly
First Step is to Talk To Your Doctor
So if you’re worried that your child may have a speech or language delay, the first step would be to talk to your doctor! Your child’s pediatrician can refer you to a speech language pathologist that can evaluate your child to see if they qualify for therapy. Like I said, I always always recommend getting an evaluation if you’re on the fence. If you’re wondering if you should get your child tested for speech concerns – you should! You never know and there’s no harm in finding out – you can get peace of mind!
I hope this week’s episode empowered you to seek out that evaluation if you haven’t already! And don’t forget to go to thespeechparent.com/community to get your exclusive access code into our Facebook community where you can get answers from people who have stood where you are and you can feel safe to share. Again that link is thespeechparent.com/community
Thanks for (reading) the fourth episode of The Speech Parent podcast. Your support means the world to me and I’d love for you to share this blog post with any of your friends who are looking for a community like ours. You are not alone, and I’m so glad you’re here.