A speech-language evaluation is performed when there are concerns regarding the development of a child's communication and/or speech production skills. A comprehensive evaluation first examines a child's pre-linguistic skills. These include social skills, non-verbal communicative interaction and play behaviors. Receptive language is assessed by measuring a child's ability to follow commands, answer questions and understand age-appropriate vocabulary.

The expressive component of the assessment analyzes the child's ability to formulate verbal language using age-appropriate grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Higher-level language skills are also assessed such as the ability to produce narratives.

Speech development and production are assessed by examining oral-motor development and feeding skills, articulation, and phonological development. Other aspects of speech production are also analyzed, including voice quality, resonance and speech fluency.

Comprehensive evaluations are performed on adults who have communication difficulties resulting from stroke, neurogenic disorders, and head and neck surgery. Speech and voice production is assessed to determine the level of speech intelligibility. Both an individual's comprehension and expression of spoken language are assessed. Reading, writing and gestural communication skills are also analyzed.