Assessment

We are pleased to offer evidence-based Autism Assessments for families who have concerns about potential developmental differences in their child. These may include differences in social communication, narrow or rigid interests, sensory sensitivities, and difficulties engaging with peers.

At Speech & Language Builders, our assessments follow a multidisciplinary approach, ensuring a thorough and collaborative process. This team-based evaluation involves both a Registered Doctoral Psychologist and a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, working together to provide a complete picture of your child’s strengths and challenges.

For more information, including a detailed description of this service, please visit the “Psychological Assessment” tab on our website.

At Speech & Language Builders, we provide evidence-based, child-centered, neuro-affirming care. We believe that respecting who a child is and helping them develop new skills can exist together.

Child-centered care means getting to know the individual child and considering what will help them feel comfortable, engaged, and ready to learn.

This means:

✔️ Considering a child’s interests, strengths, needs, preferences, and communication style when planning therapy
✔️ Following the child’s lead when appropriate and using what is meaningful to them to create opportunities for learning and communication
✔️ Adjusting our approach based on the individual child rather than expecting every child to learn in the same way
✔️ Building a positive relationship where the child feels understood, respected, and safe to participate.

Neuro-affirming care recognizes and respects that children’s brains may work and process the world differently. It means understanding that differences in communication, sensory processing, learning, and interaction are not simply things that need to be “fixed.”

This means:

✔️ Supporting communication in the ways that work best for each child
✔️ Respecting autonomy, sensory needs, communication differences, and individual ways of interacting with the world
✔️ Building on a child’s strengths
✔️ Focusing on meaningful skills that support communication, independence, participation, and quality of life
✔️ Supporting children in developing skills that are meaningful to them rather than focusing on making them appear more “typical”.

No. Being child-centered and neuro-affirming does not mean that children are never asked to try something new, participate in something they did not choose, or work through something that feels difficult. Children will encounter situations that require flexibility, new skills, and communication with people or in environments that may not be familiar to them. Our role is to help children develop the skills, strategies, confidence, and flexibility they need to navigate these experiences. We do this while considering the individual child, respecting their needs, and providing support rather than simply expecting them to push through. Sometimes learning means stepping outside of a comfort zone. Our goal is to make sure we are doing that with the child, not to the child.

While individual therapy allows us to tailor goals and supports closely to a child’s needs, some skills are best developed through opportunities to connect and participate with others. At Speech & Language Builders, we offer both individual therapy and specialized group programs, including Music in Me and Social Connections Programs. Each program provides opportunities for children to build communication and social skills with peers in a supportive environment. Some children benefit from individualized support, while others benefit from opportunities to practice and use their skills with peers. Whether in individual or group therapy, our goal is to provide support that is child-centered, neuro-affirming, and meaningful for each child.

The Saskatchewan government provides parents with individualized funding to purchase services that best suit their child’s individual needs. $8,000 is available annually for children under the age of six with an ASD diagnosis and $6,000 is available annually for children six to 11 with an ASD diagnosis.