What to expect

Beluga Speech Services offers both in-person and virtual speech and language services. Throughout the COVID-19 health crisis, we will continue to follow all health and safety guidelines put forth by the Ministry of Health (MOH), as well as the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (CASLPO). A full risk assessment will be completed for each client on a case-by-case basis, to determine the service delivery method that is most appropriate and beneficial for the client and their family.

Beluga Speech Services strives to put the health and safety of our clients, our therapists and their families, first. We continue to follow all health and safety protocols put in place by the MOH and CASLPO, including increased preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, which include:

One parent/caregiver to accompany each child to sessions is preferred.

Staggered appointment times to allow for sanitization of surfaces and materials.

Use of hand sanitizers upon entering and exiting the clinics.

After contacting Beluga Speech Services by phone or email to request an appointment with a speech-language pathologist, here are the next steps you can expect:

A case history form will be sent to you (the parent/caregiver) to be completed and returned prior to the initial visit. This form requests information about your child’s medical and developmental history; communication skills and difficulties; as well as recreational activities and interests. This form will guide the therapist in creating an assessment plan.

An assessment of your child’s speech, language and/or literacy skills will be scheduled. This may involve an informal evaluation of your child’s communication abilities through observation; and/or a more formal assessment using standardized testing procedures. This typically requires 45-60 minutes and is normally completed on the first visit. However, assessment may extend into subsequent appointments depending on the needs and abilities of your child. Assessment findings are typically shared in-person once the evaluation is completed, but can also be provided in a formal written report for an additional fee.

Selecting specific goals to be targeted in therapy and at home is an important next step. The therapist and parent/caregiver will work together to set communication goals that are meaningful, functional, realistic and measurable! These can include both short-term and long-term goals for your child.

Finally, a therapy plan will be recommended and discussed with the parent/caregiver. Therapy will be implemented by the speech-language pathologist during office sessions, and/or facilitated by the family through a home program. Therapy activities are customized to target each child’s individual goals. We take every effort to base our activities on the unique needs and interests of each child, so that therapy can be as fun and rewarding as possible! The length of an intervention plan, from start to finish, completely depends on the needs and abilities of each child and the long-term goals of the family.

There are different types of therapy that range from highly structured drill-like tasks to more open-ended play-based activities. The speech-language pathologist will design therapy activities that are appropriate for the age and abilities of your child; the areas to be targeted; as well as his or her unique interests. Quite often a variety of therapy methods will be applied and modified as your child progresses or their needs change.

A seating area is offered to all our clients and families to be used as they wait for their scheduled appointment. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, we ask that families arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to their session time to allow for staggered appointment scheduling and sanitization. A coffee/tea station is available for refreshment. We also offer reading material for your entertainment and informational purposes. Quiet toys, games and activities are also on hand to keep any attending siblings occupied. We request that proper hand hygiene be practiced before handling any materials/surfaces and upon exiting the waiting area.

At Beluga Speech Services we strive to make our therapy sessions as family friendly as possible! Parents/caregivers are welcome to sit in on sessions if they feel that this is mutually beneficial to them and their child. Siblings are also encouraged to attend sessions and be involved in activities, as this can create functional and meaningful interactions for the child in treatment. If a sibling’s participation is causing a distraction however, they may be asked to entertain themselves in the waiting room for the duration of the session.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, we request that all parents/caregivers and any siblings attending sessions follow all health and safety protocols, including hand sanitizing upon entering and exiting the speech therapy room. The use of masks is welcome but not mandatory. We encourage parents/caregivers to reschedule their child’s session in case of illness.

At the end of each therapy session, the therapist will provide a brief verbal report of the child’s activities and progress; as well as any follow-up recommendations, strategies or home practice activities.

For therapy to be effective, we strongly encourage families to support their child in transferring newly developed communication skills to their home and community. The therapist will provide a home program to assist families in helping their child practice what they learned during the week. The specific activities outlined in the home program are based on each family’s needs, priorities, schedule and routines. The home program will be modified as a child’s communication skills progress; and/or the family’s circumstances change.