How to Prepare for Your Child’s First Speech and Language Therapy Appointment

Your child’s first Speech and Language Therapy appointment is a chance for the therapist to get to know your child, their communication and what you would like support with.

You do not need to practise anything beforehand or encourage your child to “perform” during the appointment. In fact, it is often most useful for the therapist to see how your child communicates naturally.

Before the appointment

Think about your main concerns

You do not need to know any Speech and Language Therapy terminology. Simply think about what you notice in everyday life.

For example:

1. “Other people find it difficult to understand her.”
2. “He gets frustrated when he can’t explain what he means.”
3. “She finds it difficult to follow longer instructions.”
4. “He doesn’t seem to know as many words as other children his age.”
5. “She repeats sounds at the beginning of words.”
6. “He finds conversations with other children difficult.”

It can also help to think about when communication is going well and when your child finds it more difficult.

Think of a few everyday examples

Specific examples can give your therapist a much clearer picture of what is happening.

For example, instead of saying “He doesn’t understand instructions.” you might say “If I ask him to get his shoes and put them by the door, he usually only does the first part.”

Or instead of “Her speech isn’t clear.” you might say “We understand most of what she says, but her grandparents often need us to translate.”

Don’t worry if you can’t think of examples beforehand. Your therapist will ask questions to help you.

Think about one goal for the next few months

Before the appointment, it can be useful to think about one thing you would most like your child to be able to do more easily in the next few months.

This does not need to be a formal therapy goal. Think about something that would make a real difference to your everyday life.

For example:

1. being easier for other people to understand
2. being able to tell you what they need
3. following everyday instructions more independently
4. joining in conversations with other children
5. telling you about something that happened at school
6. feeling more confident when talking

Your therapist can help turn this into a realistic and useful therapy goal.

Gather any useful reports

If your child has already seen other professionals, it can be useful to share relevant recent reports.

This could include:

1. previous Speech and Language Therapy reports
2. nursery or school reports
3. hearing test results
4. Educational Psychology reports
5. occupational therapy reports
6. paediatric or developmental reports
7. an EHCP or other support plan

You don’t need to bring every document your child has ever received. Recent information that relates to their communication or development is usually the most helpful.

Ask nursery or school what they have noticed

If your child attends nursery or school, you may want to ask their teacher or key person whether they have noticed anything about their communication.

For example:

1. Do they understand instructions in the classroom?
2. Do they answer questions easily?
3. Can they explain what has happened or tell a story?
4. Do they find it easy to learn new words?
5. Can other children and adults understand their speech?
6. How do they communicate and play with other children?

A quick note or email from school can be useful, but it isn’t essential.

Remember your child’s strengths

It is just as useful for your therapist to know what your child can do as what they find difficult.

Think about:

1. what your child enjoys
2. what they are good at
3. how they communicate successfully
4. who they communicate most easily with
5. favourite toys, games, characters or topics
6. what helps them feel comfortable and engaged

Your child’s interests can also help the therapist choose activities that are motivating for them.

What happens during the first appointment?

Every appointment will look slightly different depending on your child’s age and the reason for the appointment.

The therapist may:

1. talk to you about your child’s development
2. ask about your concerns
3. play or chat with your child
4. listen to their speech
5. look at how they understand and use language
6. observe how they interact and communicate
7. use toys, pictures, games or structured activities
8. carry out a formal assessment, if appropriate
9. discuss what might happen next

A formal assessment may involve your child completing specific tasks, such as looking at pictures, following instructions, naming items or answering questions. These assessments help the therapist understand your child’s skills in more detail and compare their performance with what is expected for their age.

Not every child will need a formal assessment at their first appointment. The therapist will choose activities based on your child’s age, needs and the information they are trying to gather.

For younger children, much of the appointment may simply look like playing. Play gives therapists lots of useful information about how children communicate naturally.

Older children may complete more structured activities, but these should still be appropriate for their age and ability.

On the day

Let your child communicate naturally

It can be tempting to say “Tell her what this is!” or “Come on, you know this one.”

There is no need to test your child or correct their answers during the appointment.

The therapist is interested in seeing how your child communicates without lots of prompting and will know how to encourage them when needed.

Don’t worry if your child is shy

Some children talk very little during their first appointment. Others may be excited, distracted, tired, silly or reluctant to join in. That is completely fine.

Your therapist can gather information from what you tell them, how your child interacts and plays, previous reports and any activities or assessments your child does take part in.

A single appointment will not always show everything your child can do.

Bring anything your child normally uses to communicate

If relevant, bring:

1. glasses
2. hearing aids
3. an AAC device
4. a communication book
5. symbols or visual supports your child regularly uses

For younger children, a favourite small toy or comfort item can also be helpful.

Questions you may want to ask

You are always welcome to ask questions during your child’s appointment.

You might want to ask:

1. What are my child’s communication strengths?
2. What areas are they finding difficult?
3. Is their communication developing as expected?
4. What should we focus on first?
5. Is there anything we can do at home?
6. Is there anything nursery or school can do?
7. Would further assessment be useful?
8. Would therapy be helpful?
9. What happens next?

Writing down one or two questions before the appointment can help you remember them.

Most importantly…

Your child’s first Speech and Language Therapy appointment is not a test.

You do not need to teach, practise or prepare your child beforehand.

Come with the information you have, share what you have noticed and let your child communicate as naturally as possible.

The therapist’s job is to understand your child’s communication, identify their strengths and needs, and work with you to decide what support would be most useful.

Ready for your appointment?

Use the checklist at the top of this page to make sure you have everything you might need. Print the First Appointment Checklist.