It’s a big step to start exploring whether your child might benefit from therapy and if it’s time to schedule a therapy screening. And that step comes with a lot of questions: What exactly happens during a screening? Will it be overwhelming for my child? How does the process work?
At Beyond Speech Therapy Specialists, we do our pediatric therapy screenings the same way we do our therapy sessions – in the comfort of your home. We come to you, listen to your concerns, spend time with your child in their natural environment, and then create a personalized plan based on what we’ve learned and observed.
Let’s walk through exactly how our screening process works so you know what to expect.
The Pediatric Therapy Screening Process
Step 1: Understanding Your Concerns
Everything therapy screening starts with a conversion between our therapist and the parents or caregivers.
Like any healthcare appointment, we want the parents and caregivers to feel heard and understood. You know your child the best and we spend time learning about them, your family, and the concerns that brought us together for this screening.
Maybe you’re concerned about your child’s speech clarity or maybe they’re struggling with coordination. Feeding could be a daily battle in your home or perhaps you’re worried about sensory sensitivities, social skills, or daily functioning.
Your insights are invaluable because they give our therapists the information they need to create the very best plan for your child. You see them throughout the day. You notice patterns we wouldn’t see in a single session. Your observations guide everything that comes next.
Step 2: Quick Screening Across All Areas
Once we understand your main concerns, we do a brief screening that looks at multiple areas. This gives us a complete picture of your child’s strengths and any areas that might benefit from support.
Speech and Articulation:
How clearly does your child speak? Are certain sounds hard for them? Do they have a lisp, or do some words sound unclear?
Receptive Language (Understanding):
Does your child understand what’s being said to them? Can they follow directions? Do they understand questions and respond appropriately?
Expressive Language (Using Words):
Can your child use words to communicate? Do they use single words, phrases, or sentences? Can they tell you about their day or express their needs?
Voice & Tone:
Does their voice sound typical, or are there concerns about volume, hoarseness, or quality?
Additional Areas:
Depending on your concerns, we might also briefly screen coordination, sensory responses, feeding skills, social communication, or other areas.
This screening happens naturally through play and conversation—not through stressful formal testing. Your child won’t feel like they’re being “tested”, they’re just playing and talking while we observe.
Step 3: Standardized-Based Testing
Beyond the initial chat and observation, we use specific research-based tools to measure your child’s skills more objectively during the therapy screening. This helps us understand exactly where your child’s strengths and challenges are compared to typical development.
Why this matters: This information helps us create a precise plan. If we know exactly what your child needs support with, we can target treatment effectively.
What it looks like: These aren’t formal tests like your child might take at school. They’re games, activities, and conversations designed to assess different skills in a natural way.
How we share results: We explain everything in parent-friendly language. No confusing clinical jargon, just clear information about what we learned.
Step 4: Creating Your Child’s Therapy Plan
After the therapy screening, we bring everything together – your concerns, what we observed, and testing results – to create a personalized therapy plan for your child.
This plan includes:
- Specific goals based on your child’s actual needs
- Recommended services (speech, OT, PT, nutrition, social work, or a combination)
- Recommended frequency (how often sessions would happen)
- What to expect from therapy and how it will work
Most importantly, this plan isn’t set in stone. It’s a starting point that evolves as your child progresses. We believe in meeting kids where they are each step of the way.
Step 5: Ongoing Communication & Progress Tracking
Once regular therapy sessions begin, staying connected with parents and caregivers is an integral part of how we work.
Therapy Notes
After each session, you receive notes about what was worked on and how your child responded. You’re never wondering what happens during therapy or how your child is progressing, that communication is clear and consistent.
Carryover Ideas
Your therapist will share specific, simple activities to practice at home between sessions, this is what we call ‘carryover’. These activities extend learning into your daily life, which helps your child progress faster.
Regular Check-Ins
You can always communicate with your therapist about how things are going. If you notice progress, concerns, or changes, bring them up at any time. We want to know and your observations are important to the entire therapy process.
Step 6: Easy Adjustments as Your Child Progresses
Here’s what makes our approach different: we build flexibility into everything.
Changing Frequency
Started with 2 sessions per week? As your child progresses, maybe you move to 1 session per week. Or you might increase frequency for a few weeks to tackle a specific challenge. We adjust based on your child’s actual needs, not a predetermined schedule.
No Formal Meetings Required
Unlike some programs, we don’t need special meetings to adjust goals or make changes. We simply talk about it and evolve the plan. It’s easy and straightforward.
Backing Off Gradually
As your child becomes more independent and confident, therapy sessions naturally decrease. You’re in control of this process, and we support it every step of the way.
Adapting to Your Life
Your schedule changes, your child’s needs evolve, life happens and that means that we adjust too. That’s the beauty of in-home therapy—it fits your family’s actual life, not the other way around.
Why In-Home Therapy Screening Work So Well
There’s something special about doing this work in your home. Your child is comfortable and relaxed because they’re in the environment where they feel the safest. The therapist can see how your child actually functions in daily life, in their own space, not just how they behave in a clinic.
You can ask questions, we’re not rushed and the therapist can immediately talk with you about strategies to try at home and activities that support therapy between sessions.
And there’s no artificial separation between therapy and real life when we come to you. Everything we work on happens in the context of your family’s actual routine, your family’s space, and your child’s daily life. This makes the application of new skills so much easier for everyone.
Pediatric therapy screenings don’t have to be intimidating or confusing. At Beyond Speech, we’ve created a process that’s straightforward, thorough, and genuinely focused on understanding your child and supporting your family.
If you’re considering a therapy screening for your child, know that you’re taking an important step toward getting clarity and support. Our team serves families throughout Chicago’s southwest and west suburbs and we’re here to help.
Ready to get started? Reach out to us at Beyond Speech Therapy Specialists today to schedule a screening. Let’s create the best plan to support your child and your family!