What to Expect in Your Child’s First Speech Therapy Session

How does Speech Therapy actually work?

The speech therapy process at Kids Spot often starts with an assessment (unless you have recently had a relevant assessment and can supply us with the report).

Our assessments are tailored to your child’s needs. We don’t believe in unnecessary testing and in some cases an assessment will look like a play session. Here your therapist will gather lots of important information using play, natural interactions and by asking you specific questions.

As a play-based and family centred practice we will always prioritise building a relationship with you and your child over jumping straight into assessment and formal testing.

Your therapist may offer your child a choice of toys or activities to help them feel safe and in control. The environment will likely be calm, low-pressure, and welcoming. If your child is old enough and able to understand, we will aim to tell them what is happening in a way they will understand.

Your therapist will not force participation. Instead, they will use your child’s cues to determine the type of assessment that is likely to yield the most accurate results for a range of communication skills.

If your child needs space, time to warm up, or wants to engage in a specific way (e.g., movement rather than talking), that will be respected.

Your therapist will look for what your child can do, not just what they struggle with.

Sometimes more formal assessment is required and rather than pulling out these test materials immediately the therapist may:

• Use dynamic assessment, watching how your child responds to supports.

• Note how your child communicates across settings and with different partners (you, the therapist).

• If more formal tools are used later, they may be adapted to your child’s needs and done respectfully.

You will likely be invited to:

• Share insights into your child’s communication at home.

• Discuss goals and priorities in a way that values your expertise as a parent.

There’s no expectation that your child will "show everything" in one session. Your therapist may mention that more than one session is needed to get a full picture of your child’s communication profile — especially if your child is shy, cautious, or takes time to warm up.

Immediately following the assessment session, you’ll get a treatment plan – a short summary of general observations, strengths, difficulties and recommendations. Within 2 weeks, you will receive a comprehensive written report outlining all observations, results and recommendations. We believe that having written clarity about your child’s strengths and challenges will help you understand how your child engages with the world and why. It also helps you to decide on the most important goals we can work towards for the biggest impact on their everyday skills.