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5 Questions to Ask When You Get the Eval Call Back

Last March, Dana in Columbus, Ohio, got the call she'd been waiting four months for. A slot had opened at a pediatric speech clinic 20 minutes from her house.

Last March, Dana in Columbus, Ohio, got the call she'd been waiting four months for. A slot had opened at a pediatric speech clinic 20 minutes from her house. Her son Micah was 3, mostly nonspeaking, with maybe a dozen consistent words. She said yes immediately, booked the eval for the following Tuesday, and hung up. Thirty seconds total.

Six weeks and $1,200 later, she had a two-page report that measured Micah's spoken output, recommended "continued work on verbal imitation," and never once mentioned AAC. "I didn't know what I didn't know," she told me. "I thought all speech evals were the same."

They are not. And the 30-second scheduling call is the one moment where you have leverage to figure that out before you commit money, time, and emotional energy.

Here's the thing: when the speech therapy clinic finally calls you back, you get to interview them. Most parents don't. They're so relieved the wait is over that they just say "yes, when's the earliest opening?" That's understandable. It's also a missed opportunity.

These five questions, asked during that scheduling call, will tell you more about the clinic than the eval itself will.

"Will the SLP assess for AAC?"

If your child has fewer than 30 spoken words and is past 2.5, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) should be part of the initial evaluation. Full stop. An SLP who says "let's see how spoken language work goes first" is working from a playbook that the field has moved past.

What you want to hear: "Yes, we assess for AAC as part of any communication evaluation. We can talk about whether a device or low-tech system makes sense."

What should worry you: "We try spoken language first and consider AAC later" or "That's a separate evaluation."

If the answer lands in that second category, ask a follow-up: is the SLP trained in AAC at all? If not, this clinic may not be equipped for an autistic child with limited spoken language. AAC doesn't replace speech. But an evaluator who won't even look at it is leaving tools on the table your kid might need right now.

"Do your SLPs have specific experience with autistic kids?"

Autistic communication has its own patterns. Gestalt language processing, echolalia that's actually functional, scripting, sensory profiles that affect participation, atypical eye contact that means nothing about comprehension. An SLP without autism-specific experience can misread all of it.

What you want to hear: specifics. "Our SLPs are trained in gestalt language acquisition." Or "We use neurodiversity-affirming approaches." Names of frameworks, not just warmth.

What should worry you: "We work with all kinds of kids" and nothing else. Or, more concerning, "We use ABA-style speech therapy" or heavy emphasis on social skills compliance.

A useful probe if you're getting vague answers: "Are you familiar with gestalt language processing?" If the scheduler doesn't know or can't answer, that's fine (schedulers aren't clinicians). But if the SLP can't answer that question either, this probably isn't the right fit.

"Will receptive language be assessed separately from expressive?"

This is the question that changes everything for a lot of families. Many autistic kids have a massive gap between what they understand and what they can produce. An eval that only counts spoken words will dramatically underestimate your child's actual language. It's like judging a reader by how fast they type.

What you want to hear: "Yes, we measure receptive and expressive separately. We also look at communication across modalities, including speech, gestures, AAC, and signs."

What should worry you: any answer that only mentions language production.

The receptive assessment is where you might discover your "nonspeaking" child actually understands 1,000+ words. That finding rewrites the entire therapy plan. It rewrites the IEP. It rewrites what you think is possible.

"How do I get the report, and will it be readable?"

Some clinics give you a verbal summary and no paper. Some hand you a 15-page document so dense with jargon it's functionally useless outside that office. Neither of those works.

What you want to hear: "You'll receive a written report within two weeks. It includes findings, recommendations, and goals in plain language. We're happy to walk through it with you."

What should worry you: "We don't provide written reports" or "The report is for internal use."

Push back on this one. Hard, if you need to. That written report is the document you bring to school IEP meetings, submit to insurance, and hand to the next provider if you move or switch clinics. Without it, the eval exists only as a memory. And memories don't get services approved.

"What will recommended next steps look like, and am I locked in?"

Some SLPs recommend a frequency and approach tailored to your child, then let you choose what fits your family. Others sell packages. The difference matters.

What you want to hear: "After the eval, we'll discuss recommended frequency (typically one to two sessions per week) and approach. No long-term commitments required."

What should worry you: "We typically recommend six months of weekly sessions upfront" or "We have a 12-session minimum."

Mandatory packages aren't always a scam, but they are a sign that the business model is driving the clinical recommendation rather than the other way around. The right SLP builds a plan around your kid's needs and your family's reality, not around a billing cycle.

A Few More If the Scheduler Has Time

If the person on the phone seems willing, squeeze in a few extras:

Every answer tells you something about the culture of the clinic. A place that keeps parents in the waiting room and only talks to you at pickup is a fundamentally different operation from one that trains you to carry the work into daily life.

After You Hang Up

Don't schedule on the spot if you can help it. Sit with the answers for an hour. If you've called multiple clinics, compare notes. Pick the one whose answers match what your child actually needs, not the one with the shortest wait or the nicest hold music.

If only one clinic has an opening within a reasonable timeframe, you may not have the luxury of choosing. That's okay. Use the call to set expectations: "I'm hoping the evaluation will include AAC consideration" or "I want to make sure receptive language is assessed separately from expressive." Most schedulers will pass this to the SLP, and a good SLP will come prepared.

If the answers genuinely concern you and you have any flexibility in your timeline, a 15-minute consult with a different SLP (sometimes free, sometimes $50 to $100) can help you calibrate whether your concerns are well-founded or whether you're overthinking it.

And if a clinic refuses to answer these questions at all? That tells you everything you need to know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it rude to ask all these questions during a scheduling call? No. Schedulers and SLPs expect informed parents. The clinics that bristle at questions are the clinics that don't want scrutiny. That's useful information.

What if I blank on the questions during the call? Write them on paper and keep the list next to your phone. Nobody can see you reading. This isn't a pop quiz.

Should I ask to speak with the SLP directly before scheduling? You can try. Some clinics will set up a 5- to 10-minute call with the SLP. Others won't. If they do, ask the same five questions plus one more: "Is there anything about working with my child you'd want to know upfront?" A good SLP will ask thoughtful questions right back.

What if the answers are all wrong but this is the only clinic with availability? Take the opening. Use the eval to start the conversation. You can advocate for AAC, for separate receptive assessment, for all of it during the appointment. If the SLP can't or won't adjust, use the eval report (whatever you get) and find a different clinic for ongoing work.

Are private SLPs more flexible on these questions than school SLPs? Often, yes. Private clinics compete for families. School SLPs serve whoever the district assigns, and some of these questions land differently in that context. You can still ask. Then bring what you've learned to the IEP meeting and advocate from there.

What if I've already scheduled without asking any of this? Call back. Say you have a few questions before the appointment. No one will think it's strange. It's far easier to make a five-minute call now than to redo an evaluation three months from now.

Can I bring a written list of priorities to the eval itself? Absolutely. In fact, you should. Hand the SLP a one-page sheet: your child's current communication (words, signs, gestures, AAC use), your top concerns, and what you're hoping the evaluation addresses. It saves time and makes sure nothing gets missed.

This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical or clinical advice. Every child's communication profile is different. Work with a qualified speech-language pathologist to determine the right evaluation and treatment approach for your family.

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Important: Little Words is educational support for home practice. It is not a medical device, not an AAC replacement, and not a substitute for a licensed speech-language pathologist, pediatrician, or developmental evaluation.