a speech & language assessment for children aged 18 months to 5 years.
Speech & Language Therapists
Paediatric Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) tell us that they find the Teddy Talk Test invaluable when running preschool new referral and review clinics, where accurate and reliable clinical decisions need to be made quickly.
Often there is very little time to spend putting a young child at ease when they enter the clinic room. Meeting the therapist for the first time and being expected to relax and talk, inevitably leaves many young children feeling shy and reluctant to communicate. The Teddy Talk Test offers a quick screening tool for therapists to use in this situation which is engaging, fun and unpressured.
Having blown bubbles for a few minutes to get the child relaxed, even very shy children are usually happy to ‘help you’ to explore and look at the things in the Teddy Talk Test bag.
In 10-15 minutes an SLT can quickly evaluate:
- social interaction and play skills
- levels of receptive and expressive language
- phonological development
The Record Form and Summary Sheet provides a concise way to share findings with parents and other professionals and informs clinical decision making.
Initial recommendations and interventions can then be planned. A starting point for further detailed, standardised assessment will also have been identified, should it be required.
SLTs also report that the Teddy Talk Test is great for evidencing successful outcomes of therapy and enables parents and carers to see developmental progression. Please see our Reviews page for more reflections from therapists.
It is also designed to be practical and user friendly. Everything you need is in the bag and can be wiped clean. It is easy to carry over your shoulder when your hands are full and it fits in your bike basket when the car breaks down!
The Teddy Talk Test links with the widely used principles of the Derbyshire Language Scheme (Madislover, M and Knowles, W 1982). Please see our Theory into Practise page for further information.