The Speech Therapist will ask you to complete a history from about your child. You need to think about your child's developmental milestones, like when he first walked, and any significant medical history, like middle ear infections.

Then your child will be given a speech and language evaluation. She will probably look in your child's mouth for any structural differences, give your child a hearing test, then begin oral response tests. These tests provide information about how your child uses sounds, words, and sentences, and checks the level of his vocabulary development. The therapist also looks to see that he speaks without stuttering and uses appropriate eye contact. The tests will also check for his ability to listen and process information, like following commands.

The testing should take about an hour and may cost you or your insurance company about $100. If the Speech Therapist determines that your child needs therapy, he will probably come one to three times a week for a half hour to an hour, depending upon his age, level of attentiveness, and whether or not your insurance is paying. The insurance company may dictate how long and how much treatment they will cover.

No one can really predict how long your child may need treatment of if the treatment will work and last. You can only do your best and work with the therapist and child.