My name is Melinda Johnson and I suffered with foot pain for many years. I went to see a podiatrist and after an examination, I was told that I had heel spur syndrome. I followed the recommendations of my doctor by doing at home treatments along with physical therapy. I was amazed at how much these treatments helped my foot pain. Living with pain can have a big impact on your life and that's why I started this blog. My foot pain kept me from doing many things that I enjoy and I want to help others who are going through the same situation. As you browse through my blog, you'll learn about home treatments, medical procedures and new advancements in medicine that can help reduce pain. It is my hope that by writing this blog, you can live pain free too.
Loving My Pain Free Life
Your Child's First Visit With A Speech Pathologist: What To Expect
Claire Roberts
If your child has been referred to a speech-language pathologist, then you may understandably be feeling a bit nervous when it comes to that first appointment. You may be wondering what to expect so that you can best prepare yourself and your child for the appointment. Generally, your child's first appointment with a speech therapist is simply meant to help give the pathologist an idea of where your child is at so the proper treatment plan can be customized for him or her.
The Parent Interview
For the majority of the appointment, the pathologist will likely be asking you some simple questions about your child and your family's medical history. This will help the therapist get to know where your child may be struggling with his or her speech and, in some cases, why. During the interview, you'll need to answer some questions about your pregnancy and family history.
For example, you may be asked to explain any complications you experienced during your pregnancy, a history of ear infection or fluid build-up in your child's ears, and the results of your child's newborn hearing test.
Discussion of Concerns
Once you've answered some basic questions, there will be an opportunity for you to voice any concerns you may have about your child's speech development or ask questions to the pathologist. For instance, you may have noticed that your child has difficulty when it comes to stringing words together into coherent sentences or that your child's speech is generally unclear (due to stuttering, slurring, or other issues).
It's important, during this part of the appointment, for you to be as honest and detailed as possible about what you've observed and what your concerns are.
Direct Testing
Once the interview and the discussion of your concerns is concluded, the speech pathologist will conduct a direct test of your child's speech abilities. During this part of the appointment, you can request to stay in the room, but you will likely be asked to stay quiet and simply observe. Then, the pathologist will conduct a series of both direct and indirect tests of your child's speech, which may include asking your child some simple questions. You should be able to receive the results of your child's testing by the end of the appointment. From there, the pathologist may be able to make a direct diagnosis followed by a treatment plan, or he or she could request another series of tests in a follow-up appointment. (For more information, contact Eastern Carolina Ear Nose & Throat-Head)
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