Speech & language evaluations
Request an evaluation in English or Spanish to receive individualized feedback on you or your family member’s communication development. You will receive recommendations for how to support communication during activities that are meaningful to you. Services are offered in person in Cary, North Carolina and surrounding areas, as well as virtually. Currently, in person services are provided in homes, daycares, or other community settings. See below for options.
Speech evaluation
Evaluates how easily a person can be understood when they speak, including how well the person produces speech sounds compared to others their same age.
Language evaluation
Evaluates how well a person understands what others are saying to them, and also how well the person can use vocabulary and grammar to express themselves to others.
Social aspects of communication
Evaluates the social skills and social awareness a person needs to interact and communicate across social situations, as well as what about the environment could be adapted to better support the person’s social communication needs.
Communication methods
Evaluates how well a person can communicate across different methods, such as through assistive technology and other forms of augmentative and alternative communication (also known as “AAC”).
Literacy
Evaluates a person’s ability to read and write as a form of communication, compared to others of the same age.
Behaviors
Evaluates “challenging” behaviors to determine how these behaviors could be replaced with more acceptable forms of communication, as well as what about the environment could be adapted to better support the person’s behavioral needs.
Speech and language expertise
The Kinard Center founder and lead clinician, Dr. Jessica Kinard, PhD CCC-SLP, is a bilingual (English/Spanish) speech-language pathologist who has served as research, teaching, and clinical faculty for 10 years at UNC Chapel Hill, where she completed her doctoral and postdoctoral training in the fields of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Dr. Kinard brings over 15 years of experience providing services to families.
FAQs
Questions about services? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page. You’re also welcome to contact us with questions.