Frequently asked questions.
Q: Do you work with adults?
A: Yes we do. Please call us at (604) 771-2305 for an initial consultation.
Q: Do you work with children with Autism?
A: Yes we do. And we LOVE it! We provide individual and group instruction for children on the autism spectrum.
Q: At what age should my child be speaking?
A: The majority of children produce their first “meaningful” word around 12 months of age. However, there are children who speak earlier and some who speak later. By 18 months of age a child should have a speaking vocabulary of 25 or more words. At this age they should be appearing to learn new words on a daily basis. At two years of age a child should have a vocabulary of more than 100 words and should be combining words into two word sentences (e.g. “want juice”). If your child appears to be delayed it is recommended that your child have a speech and language evaluation to determine if a problem exists.
Q: Will my child “out-grow” the problem?
A: Often, without speech and language intervention a child will develop speech and language skills and be speaking by the time they go to school. However, during the time that their speech and/or language skills were delayed his/her peers were developing a broader use of language and will continue to be ahead of your child. In addition, your child may have difficulty with the more subtle aspects of language that can interfere with social skills and create behaviour issues.
Q: My two-year-old child isn’t talking and people tell me not to worry because he will most likely outgrow it. Will he outgrow it?
A: Children should begin to use words by the time they are 12 months old and should be talking by the age of two years. Two-year-old children should have a vocabulary of 100 or more words and should be forming short sentences. Children as young as 12-18 months, whose parents have concerns about communication skills should probably be seen by a speech-language pathologist. When delays are present it is not a good idea to take the “wait and see” approach.
Though late talking children tend to catch up with their peers, research has shown that they often have difficulty with reading and spelling and overall learning skills. Early intervention is the key to developing age level appropriate communication skills.
Q: Do I need to stay with my child for the assessment?
A : Yes, parents are strongly encouraged to attend the sessions with their child if possible. If parent is unable to attend maybe someone else such as grandparent or other relative may attend. It is important that the family be aware of the goals and strategies so that they may work on the goals at home throughout the week.
Q: Do you do home visits?
A : We have done some home visits but this needs to be checked with the SLP before booking. Mileage and/or the time it takes to travel to and from their home will be charged. We do recognize that those with special needs are sometimes better seen in their home environment.
Q: Can you see my child within his daycare/school setting?
A : Yes, we can work in conjunction with daycares and schools. However, we do charge for mileage and/or the time it takes to travel to and from their school/daycare. We do recognize that some children are sometimes better seen for speech therapy in their school/daycare.
Q: How long will it take for my child to complete his speech therapy program?
A : This is a difficult question to answer and it varies depending on the nature of the speech problem, the age of the child, the nature of the child and the results of the assessment. The Speech Language Pathologist may be able to give you some idea as to the length of the therapy after the assessment or once therapy has been initiated.
Q: Do you work with other teams members (e.g behaviour consultants, Occupational Therapists etc)?
A: Yes we do. We feel it is very important for the team members to communicate with each other.
Q: Is there any funding available?
A: Yes there may be funding available depending on income level. CKNW, Variety Children’s Charity and President’s Choice Children’s Charity all offer grants. Please see our Resources page for their contact information.