Pediatric services

We are dedicated toward advancing children’s health and well-being and educating the patients and families we serve. Some of the many services include :

Speech and Language Screenings and Evaluations

Why are screenings important?

Screenings help ensure a child’s skills are on track as he or she grows & promote early identification and intervention of communication disorders.

Who can benefit?

All children can benefit from having their communication skills screened by a speech-language pathologist, just as they benefit from routine screenings in other areas such as hearing & vision.

What is the difference between a screening and an evaluation?

Provided by a speech-language pathologist, screenings offer a brief assessment of a child’s communication skills in the following areas:

  • articulation
  • voice & fluency
  • language
  • social communication
  • early literacy skills

Screenings are designed to proactively identify children who could benefit from additional assessment and do not confirm or deny the presence of a speech or language disorder.

An evaluation is an in-depth assessment process designed to create a profile of a child’s strengths and weaknesses across domains of speech & language and determine the presence or absence of a speech or language delay or disorder.  

What happens if my child doesn’t pass his or her screening?

The purpose of a screening is to determine if additional assessment is needed and if so, in what domains.  If your child does not pass his/her screening, a speech-language pathologist may:

  • Make plans to monitor and re-screen a child’s speech and/or language skills at a later time
  • Complete a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation
  • Make recommendations for supporting a child’s communication development at home or in the classroom
  • Refer a child to another professional for further assessment if weaknesses in another area is suspected

Consultations/Counseling for communication developmental disorders

Developmental disorders is a group of conditions originating in childhood that involve serious impairment in different areas.

These disorders comprise language disorders, learning disorders, motor disorders and autism spectrum disorders. Developmental disorders are present from early life. They usually improve as the child grows older, but they also entail impairments that continue through adult life.

North Carolina Division of Child Development Workshops for Daycare Staff

How Stress Affects Young Children
This workshop addresses the latest research findings on the impact of stress in the earliest years and how providers and families can recognize and reduce the negative consequences stress has on development.

Social Skills Development Birth to Five

The importance of social skills and how they impact behavior and consequently a child’s future will be the focus of this workshop. Suggestions on teaching social, coping and problem solving skills to young children through play and other developmentally appropriate activities will be given. Workshop can be offered in two sessions; birth to 3, and 3 to 5.

The Importance of Play This workshop will discuss how children learn through play and how all domains of learning can be incorporated into play activities. The focus will be on making learning fun for children and staff, and provide suggestions on how to help families learn about the importance of play as well.

Recognizing and Evaluating Challenging Behavior in Young Children
It is often difficult to determine what is developmentally appropriate behavior, what environmental factors may be affecting behavior and which behaviors warrant a developmental evaluation for possible services. Steps to recognize behavior that warrants outside services, or a referral for developmental evaluation will be provided with a brief discussion on discussing concerns with family and caregivers.

Red flags, Knowing When to Refer
This workshop will review developmental milestones, factors that may have a negative impact on typical development and how to recognize when a child has a delay or delays that warrants referral for special education services.