Are you uncertain about scheduling a child development assessment for your child? Many parents are hesitant simply because they don’t know what to expect during a child development evaluation. To help you feel more comfortable, we’ve put together some common objections and outlined what an evaluation will entail.

I’m not sure if my child needs an evaluation.

In our experience, parents are hesitant to schedule a child development evaluation because:

• They are afraid the evaluation will make their child uncomfortable.
• They are embarrassed because others are telling them not to worry.
• They are nervous because they don’t want to seem paranoid.

In reality, we’ve helped hundreds of parents overcome these concerns by proving that there’s no need to be afraid, embarrassed, or nervous. Our learning center is a non-medical setting and there’s no pressure!

The real root of the fear that we’ve come to notice after decades of work is that parents are afraid of the unknown. That’s why we put together this resource. Here is what you can expect before, during, and after your child’s evaluation.

What to Do Before the Evaluation

You’ve done your research and you’ve talked to all of your friends who are parents. You decided that you want to have your child evaluated. What do you do next?

1. Obtain a doctor referral. If you don’t already have a referral, we’ll be happy to offer some suggestions from our network of physicians.  

2. Call or request an appointment online. It’s easy and only takes a minute.

3. Arrive at your appointment. You don’t need to bring anything other than your insurance information.

What Happens During the Evaluation

Once you arrive at your appointment we’ll invite you and your child into our therapy center and begin the evaluation. The evaluation will include the following:

1. We’ll address your concerns and get to know you and your child.

2. We’ll set up some activities or exercises for your child. We might even ask you to be a part of them. The activities could be something simple like blocks or puzzles.

3. We’ll watch how your child interacts and behaves.

4. We’ll take a few minutes to devise a Plan of Care for you and your child. The Plan of Care includes our professional opinion on what we believe your child is experiencing, and also what we recommend you do next. This is a written document that we’ll go over with you before you leave.

What to Do After the Evaluation

After your evaluation, you’re in control. If therapy is suggested in your Plan of Care, we recommend following through; however, it is only a recommendation and completely up to you. You may need to obtain another referral before therapy begins.

At WeeSpeak, our goal is the same as yours—to help your child reach his or her full potential.