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Appointment Preparation Checklist
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Before the appointment
Observe and note down
In the week before the appointment, take a few minutes to note:
- Words your child uses consistently (not just once — regularly used words)
- Phrases or sentences your child uses, even short ones
- How your child communicates when they don’t have words — pointing, pulling, leading, sounds
- What your child understands — instructions they follow, questions they answer, words they react to
- Any changes — words or skills they used to have and seem to have lost
- What frustrates them — does your child get upset when they can’t communicate something?
Gather if you can
- Any previous hearing test results
- Any previous developmental evaluations
- Childcare or school observations, if available
- A short video on your phone of your child communicating at home (2–3 minutes of play, mealtime, or conversation works well — clinical settings can be unusual for children)
At the appointment
Information to share with the SLP
- When did you first notice the concern?
- Has anything changed recently — new sibling, change in childcare, illness, regression?
- Does your child’s communication look different at home vs. in unfamiliar settings?
- Is your child exposed to more than one language?
- Any family history of speech or language difficulties?
Red flags to mention if present
- Loss of words or sounds that were previously there
- Not responding to their name
- Hearing concerns
- Limited or unusual eye contact (if this feels relevant to you)
- Specific situations where communication breaks down