October 2025 Lunch and Learn: Seeing the Whole Child: A Comprehensive Approach to Speech and Language Evaluation

Speech and language evaluations are most effective when clinicians look beyond test scores and standardized measures to understand the whole child—who they are, how they learn, and what shapes their communication. This presentation emphasizes the importance of integrating a multitude of factors into the assessment process. Attendees will explore key questions to ask caregivers and the child to gain a better picture of the child’s communication profile. Discussion will include why these questions matter, how they influence diagnostic impressions, and ways to connect findings to meaningful, functional goals. By broadening the evaluation lens, speech-language pathologists can develop more accurate, individualized, and impactful treatment plans that truly reflect each child’s strengths and needs.

Learners will be required to complete a self assessment at the end of this course.