If you're heading into a speech evaluation and wondering what to actually bring along, the short version is: proof of what your child already understands and says, not just a list of worries.
The real question isn't "how do I make my child talk correctly before the appointment." It's what your child is already communicating, and what kind of support or modeling would help them take the next step. That reframe matters because it's exactly the information an SLP, pediatrician, early intervention team, or school team needs from you. Watching a single rough afternoon won't tell you much. Instead, pay attention across several everyday moments: gestures, pointing, imitation, pretend play, how your child responds to their name, frustration, scripts, any AAC use, sound attempts, and whether they understand more than they can actually say out loud. It's the pattern across routines, not one moment, that gives the clearest picture.
In the days before the evaluation, pick one routine your family already does daily and use it to gather what you'll bring. Model one useful word, phrase, AAC button, or gesture during that routine, then pause long enough for a response in any form, whether that's an approximation, a sign, a point, a script, or a device tap. Stop before it turns into a struggle. For the appointment itself, bring a completed checklist if you have one, along with video clips of your child talking, any milestone records, a running list of words they use, questions from family members, and feedback from school if that applies.
If this evaluation is part of a bigger pattern you've been noticing, don't wait to ask for more help. You can request a hearing check, an early intervention evaluation, a private SLP evaluation, a school-based evaluation, or a broader developmental assessment. Getting ahead of it isn't overreacting, it just means your child gets access to support sooner.
For more on this topic, the Free Speech Resources hub is a good starting point, and you'll find related reading on how to get a speech evaluation for your child, what happens during an ADOS autism evaluation, what M-CHAT screening actually means, and getting a second opinion on an autism diagnosis. If you want practical ways to build communication at home in the meantime, look at communication temptations that encourage talking, the 10-second pause technique, what it means to follow your child's lead, and parallel talk and self-talk, or browse the wider parent guides collection.
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, early intervention program, school team, or developmental evaluation.
