Questions to ask before starting speech therapy for your child

Before starting speech therapy, confirm the clinician is registered with CASLPO, ask how they will involve you, and get fees, frequency and goals in writing. Those three things prevent most surprises. The rest of this guide is a fuller checklist, with notes on what a good answer sounds like and what should give you pause.

You can ask these questions by phone or email before booking. A clinic that welcomes them is a good sign.

Registration and qualifications

“What is your CASLPO registration number?”

Every speech-language pathologist in Ontario must be registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. A good answer is a number you can look up on the CASLPO Public Register in under two minutes. Our step-by-step guide to checking registration shows what the profile should say. Hesitation, or an answer like “I am a speech coach, so I do not need to be registered”, is a reason to look elsewhere.

“Who will actually work with my child?”

Some clinics use communicative disorders assistants (CDAs) to deliver sessions under the supervision of a speech-language pathologist. That is permitted and can lower cost, but you should know in advance. A good answer names the person, their role and how often the supervising clinician reviews the plan.

“How much of your caseload is children with concerns like my child’s?”

Registrants cannot call themselves experts or specialists, so do not expect that word. They can tell you what their practice focuses on and what additional training they have. A clinician who mostly sees adults after stroke may be registered and competent, but a pediatric-focused clinician is a better fit for a four-year-old with a lisp.

Approach and evidence

“What approach would you likely use, and why?”

The answer depends on the concern. For speech sound errors you might hear about traditional articulation therapy, minimal pairs or a cycles approach. For a late talker you might hear about parent coaching, focused stimulation or modelling. For stuttering in a preschooler you might hear about the Lidcombe Program or Palin Parent-Child Interaction therapy. You do not need to know these names in advance. What matters is that the clinician can explain the approach in plain language and say what the evidence behind it looks like.

“How will you decide whether it is working?”

A good answer describes measurement: baseline data at assessment, a small number of specific goals, and a regular check on progress using the same measure. For speech sounds that might be percentage of consonants correct in a word list. For language it might be the number of different words or the average length of a child’s utterances. Vague answers like “we will see how it goes” are a weaker sign. Our glossary of speech-language pathology terms explains the common measures.

Parent involvement and home practice

“Will I be in the room, and what will I be doing?”

For toddlers and preschoolers, the strongest results often come from parents changing how they talk and play at home. Research reviewed by Roberts and Kaiser (2011) found that parent-implemented language interventions produce meaningful gains in young children’s language. A good answer involves you: watching, trying strategies with feedback, and leaving each session with something specific to do.

“What does home practice look like, and how long each day?”

Most clinicians will ask for short, frequent practice rather than a long weekly session. Five to ten minutes a day is a common recommendation. Ask what to do if your child refuses, because that happens to everyone. Free resources such as the articulation practice tool and word lists can support practice between sessions.

Session length, frequency and duration

“How long is a session, how often, and for roughly how many weeks?”

A clinician cannot promise an end date, and you should be wary of anyone who does. But they can give a reasoned estimate for the first block, for example “30-minute sessions weekly for 10 to 12 weeks, then we reassess”. The table below shows common patterns so you have a reference point.

These are general patterns, not recommendations for your child. The right plan comes from assessment.

Fees, cancellation and paperwork

“What are your fees for assessment, sessions and reports?”

Registrants may state fees, and they must be accurate and complete. Ask whether the assessment fee includes the written report, whether school letters cost extra, and whether there is a charge for phone calls with the teacher. Typical Ontario rates and what affects them are covered in our guide to the cost of speech therapy in Ontario, and the speech therapy cost calculator estimates a full block.

“What is your cancellation policy?”

Twenty-four or forty-eight hours’ notice is common. Ask what happens when a child is sick, since that is the usual reason for a missed appointment. Ask whether a virtual session can replace an in-person one on short notice.

“Do you bill insurance directly, and will the receipt show your registration number?”

Insurers reimburse only for services from a registered speech-language pathologist, and the receipt needs the registration number. If a CDA delivers the session, ask how that appears on the receipt and whether your insurer accepts it.

Virtual options

“Do you offer virtual sessions, and for which goals?”

Telepractice works well for many pediatric speech and language goals, though it suits some children and some goals better than others. A thoughtful answer distinguishes between them. Our guide to virtual speech therapy for kids explains what the research says and how to set up at home. Ask what platform is used and whether it is secure.

Privacy and records

“How are my child’s records stored, and who can see them?”

A child’s speech-language records are personal health information under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). The clinician is the custodian of those records and must keep them secure, must get your consent before sharing with a school, physician or other provider, and must give you access to them on request. A good answer mentions consent forms, secure storage and how long records are kept. If the clinic uses a video platform or a practice management system, ask where the data is stored.

About reviews and testimonials

You may notice that registered speech-language pathologists in Ontario do not post testimonials or link to reviews. That is deliberate. CASLPO’s Advertising Standards prohibit registrants from using testimonials, reviews or endorsements in any advertising, and from making superlative claims or guaranteeing results. So the absence of star ratings is a sign of a clinician following the rules, not a sign that nobody likes them. Judge instead by the quality of the answers above.

What happens next

Once the answers satisfy you, ask for the assessment appointment and what to bring. Useful items include any report from the Preschool Speech and Language Program, the school, a hearing test, and a short list of your own observations. Filling in the milestone checklist beforehand gives you a concrete starting point for that first conversation. If you have not yet explored public options, our guide to getting speech therapy in Ontario covers them.