can someone point me in the right direction..

[lauren grier]

as to where one would get a speech eval done for a preschooler? would it be something like headstart or.... why am I drawing a blank here lol. thx peeps.

[nikkiARNGwife]

We had Avery evaluated at 18 mos and my doc referred us to a program through the county/health department so you might check there.

[Linz]

in our state, they can get evaluated through the county (the organization is called 'early intervention' here) before the age of 3.... after age 3 you have to go through the school system.

[SmallMoments]

I know the state/county had preschool checks at Luke's daycare. Check with your doctor-- you probably have something similar.

[pewtertm]

You might want to check with your local school district. That's where we've sent kids f9r testing...your tax dollars already go to them anyway (it'll just depend on the age of the child).

[isaacsmom]

Like Linz said, in our state it is also early intervention prior to age 3 and through the school system after 3. I do want to say that if you think there is an issue, please get them evaluated as soon as you can. There is so much that they can do for young kiddos! My son is deaf, but with the help of cochlear implants and lots of speech/hearing therapy, he is almost caught up with his peers and hears and speaks just like most "normal" children. Getting help early on is the key!

[jessica31876]

I think you already have the answer but the state would do the screening. The earlier you get it done the better it is. Id ask your doctor or call the local elementary school and ask them who you would need to contact for that.

[lauren grier]

thanks girlies! would this be part of the regular kindergarten screening process do you know? I have to register him for K next week.. so if I can kill two birds with one stone that would be awesome. otherwise I'll try the school dept & his drs office.

[Leila]

La, in my experience, it's best to request a speech evaluation rather than to depend on the Kindergarten evaluation to find something. They're not really looking for anything at those, though you might luck out and get someone who spots something and recommends further evaluation. It's unlikely though. Call the local district and request a speech eval. It's your best bet.

[jessica31876]

you can talk to them when registering but it is not really part of the regular registration process although when he actually starts school they will refer him to be tested if the teacher feels theere is a problem. That is my experience anyhow as both my boys were tested in kindergarten and had to go to speech to help with their speech problems. If you ask when you go to register him though the school might be able to set something up before he actually starts kindergarten to screen him to see what if any problems are there.

thanks girlies! would this be part of the regular kindergarten screening process do you know? I have to register him for K next week.. so if I can kill two birds with one stone that would be awesome. otherwise I'll try the school dept & his drs office.

[schock77]

I teach 3-5 year olds with language delays and all of my students qualify for speech services through early intervention (and EI works!) Check with your local school district to see what their assessment process is. We have a play-based assessment for 3-5 year olds so it's easy for mom and kid too. :) Also, some sounds are late developing, so even though they aren't making it correctly, it's not considered a delay until the age of ___, so they can't get speech services through the schools in those cases. Let me know if you need more info for your area and I'll look it up for you. :)

[rach3975]

If you're about to go for K registration, chances are there will be a teacher or principal there who can tell you what the process for requesting evals is. Since most of the school based programs don't offer summer services, you're really talking about getting services while he's a kindergartener, even though you might have the eval done while he's still a preschooler. So ask at the registration or call the early intervention people, but they may tell you that you need to go through regular school channels and not the school district's EI program. I know more than I want to about early intervention through my county's infant/toddler program and our early intervention preschool, but I've still got a few years until I need to tackle elementary school services.

[Shawna]

Here they have Count Your Kid In screenings which are a requirement prior to enrolling for preschool/kindergarten through the school district, they check their speech, hearing and all that kind of stuff. I know in Kelsie's preschool class this past year the speech teacher came into their classroom quite often to observe all the students not just the ones in speech. Since Ce is ready to go into Kindy I would probably call the school office where he'll be attending and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

[kim21673]

When Jason was evaluated it was through the early intervention. My doctor gave me the number to call. In Illinois they came out to the house to do the evaluation. He barely qualified and Jason ended up having speech for 6 months...from 2 years to 2 1/2 years old b/c he wouldn't talk. He is now talking nonstop!! The speech therapist came to our house once a week for speech!!

[*Kelly*]

You have had a lot of great advice above.. If you think your child is in need of a speech eval, be sure to have his hearing checked also. It's important to check your child's hearing to ensure the evaluation isn't skewed due to fluid in the ears, etc. *advice from my teacher side and from personal experience with my 4 yo*

Also, in Texas, we have something called ECI. They provide evals and services for children up to 3. After 3, in most states, children are evaluated and serviced by the elementary school the child will attend. The school is a valuable resouce.. ask questions when you are registering or call and speak with one of the Language Pathologists. Asking questions is really important and know that no question is too silly to ask.

[schock77]

And to anyone else reading this thread... ECI and PPCD assessments (at least here in Texas) do happen over the summer. If you qualify for services, they can set up your ARD meeting (everyone but Texas calls it an IEP meeting) so services could begin asap. If you think your child needs services, don't wait... get assessed now. HTH!