Dysphasia: when to consult?

The practitioner will prescribe, if it has not already been done, an ENT assessment (otolaryngology) with a hearing assessment.

If there is no sensory deficit, go to the neuropsychologist and speech therapist for a complete assessment.

Most often it is the speech therapy which points to the track of dysphasia.

But don’t expect to have a clear, definitive diagnosis until you’re five years old. Initially, the speech therapist will suspect a possible dysphasia and will put in place an appropriate care. A situation that Hélène is currently experiencing: ” Thomas, 5, has been followed for 2 years by a speech therapist at the rate of two sessions per week. Thinking of dysphasia, she gave him a checkup. According to the neuro-pediatrician, it is too early to say. He will see him again at the end of 2007. For the moment we are talking about language delay.«.

Neuropsychological assessment allows you to check that there are no associated disorders (mental deficiency, attention deficit, hyperactivity) and to define the type of dysphasia from which your child suffers. Thanks to this examination, the doctor will identify the deficits and the strengths of his little patient and will propose a rehabilitation.

Language tests

The examination practiced by the speech therapist is based on the three axes essential to the construction and organization of the linguistic function: non-verbal interaction and communication capacities, cognitive capacities, properly linguistic capacities.

Concretely it is about repetitions of sounds, rhythms of words and utterances, names from images and performances given orally.

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