GUIDELINES  FOR  REFERRAL
"Today my daughter, who is now in high school, told me her favorite class was Language Arts. Wow! I never thought I would hear those words. Thank you, Center for Speech and Language!!!!!!" - A. N. 
SPEECH
Refer if your child:
  • is difficult for familiar persons to understand at age 3
  • is difficult for unfamiliar persons to understand at age 4
  • has many sound errors
  • seems to mumble

LANGUAGE
Refer if your child:
  • does not respond to words by age 1
  • uses no words by 18 months
  • uses no word combinations by age 2
  • does not communicate in play by age 4
  • does not speak in complete sentences by age 4
  • makes grammar errors in speaking after age 5
  • has a limited vocabulary for his/her age
  • has trouble relating events, giving specific explanations, or generally getting the message across
  • has difficulty following oral directions, or needs directions repeated often
  • has difficulty with listening skills
  • has trouble interpreting the meaning of verbal information

VOICE
Refer if your child:
  • sounds hoarse or breathy
  • sounds nasal (like air is coming out of nose) or denasal (like he/she has a cold) most of the time
  • is inappropriately loud or soft
  • has an abnormally high or low pitched voice

FLUENCY
Refer if your child:
  • repeats words or parts of words
  • frequently hesitates or prolongs sounds when speaking
  • struggles to get words out

READING/SPELLING
Refer if your child:
  • has or previously had difficulty with pre-reading skills like rhyming, identifying beginning sounds, etc.
  • has trouble reading sight words or sounding out unfamiliar words
  • has trouble with reading comprehension
  • misspells many words in written work, even if words are correct on spelling tests

OTHER RESOURCES

​Abilities Workshop, Inc:
https://www.abilitiesworkshop.com/

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:
https://www.asha.org/

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD Florida):
https://apd.myflorida.com/

Autism Society of Greater Orlando:
https://asgo.org/

Canine Companions:
https://canine.org/location/southeast/

The Developmental Center for Infants & Children/Early Steps:
https://www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com/facilities/the-howard-phillips-center-for-children-and-families/the-developmental-center

Down Syndrome Foundation of Central Florida:
https://canine.org/location/southeast/

Family Empowerment Scholarship:
https://www.stepupforstudents.org/

International Dyslexia Association (Florida):
https://fl.dyslexiaida.org/

Learning Ally:
https://learningally.org/

Nathaniel's Hope:
https://nathanielshope.org/

UCF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities:
https://ucf-card.org/