When a
teacher's concern deserves a clinical answer
Teachers
spend hours each day observing children communicate — in lessons, in group
work, at lunch, on the playground. When a teacher flags a concern about a
child's speech or language, it is rarely without good reason. They have watched
that child across enough contexts to notice something that is not quite
fitting: the child who never volunteers an answer, the one who misreads
instructions repeatedly, the one whose speech is hard to follow compared to
classmates, or the one who struggles to find words when asked a direct
question.
For
parents, a school's concern can feel alarming. For some it confirms a worry
they have carried quietly for months. At American Wellness Center in Dubai
Healthcare City, our pediatric speech and language therapy team provides
comprehensive school-related speech and language assessments, giving families
and educators a clear clinical picture of what a child needs and how best to
support them.
Who This
Service Is For
This
service is designed for school-age children and adolescents whose speech or
language difficulties are affecting their participation, learning, or social
experience at school. It is appropriate for:
- Children referred by a teacher,
learning support coordinator, or school counselor following concerns about
speech clarity, language comprehension, or communication in the classroom
- Children struggling
academically
where language-based difficulties may be contributing to reading, writing,
or comprehension challenges
- Children who are withdrawn or
reluctant to participate verbally in class despite appearing to understand
lesson content
- Children who have recently
joined a new school in Dubai and where language or communication difficulties have
become more apparent in the new environment
- Bilingual and multilingual
children whose
language profile is creating uncertainty for school staff about whether a
difficulty is linguistic or developmental
- Children already receiving
school-based support where parents want an independent clinical assessment to inform
the level and type of provision needed
- Children approaching key
academic transitions such as moving from nursery to primary, or primary to secondary,
where communication demands increase significantly
What
School Concerns Typically Look Like
The
presentations that prompt school referrals to our clinic cover a wide range of
communication difficulties. Common patterns include:
- Unclear speech: classroom peers and teachers
find the child difficult to understand, which affects participation and
peer relationships
- Following classroom
instructions:
the child frequently misses directions, needs one-to-one repetition, or
acts on only part of what was said
- Reading and writing
difficulties:
challenges with phonics, reading fluency, spelling, or written expression
that may have a language-based origin
- Oral language in lessons: difficulty answering questions
in full sentences, contributing to class discussion, or explaining their
thinking verbally
- Social communication in school: struggles with peer
conversation, group work, or reading the social dynamics of the classroom
and playground
- Selective mutism: a child who speaks freely at
home but is consistently silent or nearly silent in the school environment
- Stuttering in academic
settings:
fluency difficulties that are manageable at home but become more
pronounced under the speaking pressure of classroom participation
How We
Assess School-Related Speech and Language Needs
A
school-based speech and language assessment at AWC is comprehensive and
contextually informed. Our pediatric SLT team does not assess in isolation — we
consider how the child communicates across settings, not only in a clinic room.
The
assessment process includes:
- Standardized language and
speech assessments: formal tools covering receptive and expressive language, speech
sound production, phonological awareness, narrative ability, and verbal
reasoning as appropriate to the child's age and presenting concerns
- Functional communication
observation:
assessment of how the child communicates in less structured, more
naturalistic interactions where the demands of classroom communication can
be more authentically replicated
- Parent interview: gathering detailed information
about the child's communication history, home language environment, and
how difficulties show up outside school
- School information: where parents consent, we
request and review school reports, teacher observations, and any existing
learning support plans to ensure our assessment is informed by the
educational context
- Literacy screening: where reading, writing, or
phonics concerns are part of the referral, our assessment includes a
screening of phonological awareness and literacy-related language skills
that may be contributing to academic difficulty
- Liaison with the broader speech and language therapy team: where assessment indicates
that therapy is needed, a coordinated plan is developed that considers
both clinic and school-based support
Following
assessment, families receive a written report outlining findings, diagnosis
where applicable, and specific recommendations for both home and school. This
report can be shared with the child's school to inform learning support
planning.
Sessions
are conducted in person at our Dubai Healthcare City clinic. Where a school
visit is clinically indicated and logistically feasible, our team can discuss
this option with families.
What a
Clear Assessment Achieves
Many
families come to us having lived with uncertainty for months or longer —
wondering whether to push for support, whether the school's concern is serious,
or whether their child will simply catch up. A thorough assessment replaces
that uncertainty with clear information.
Following
assessment, families and schools typically gain:
- A clinical diagnosis where one
applies, or a clear explanation of why one does not
- Specific, evidence-based
recommendations for classroom accommodations and teaching strategies
- A therapy plan where
intervention is indicated, with realistic goals and a timeline
- A written report that can be
used to request formal learning support from the school
- Clarity about whether the
child's difficulties reflect a speech or language disorder, a bilingual
language profile, a learning difficulty, or a combination of factors
- For parents, the confidence of
knowing they have a clear picture rather than a lingering question
A Team
You Can Trust
AWC's
pediatric speech and language therapy service is delivered by a DHA-licensed
clinician with extensive experience in school-related speech and language
assessment across a wide range of ages, presentations, and educational
settings. Dubai's international school landscape means we regularly work with
children attending British, American, IB, and Arabic-medium curricula, and our
team understands how language demands differ across these contexts.
Where
assessment reveals needs that extend beyond speech and language — into areas
such as occupational therapy for handwriting and fine motor
skills, or support through our autism certified center — coordinated referrals are
available within the same center. All assessments are fully confidential, and
reports are shared only with the explicit consent of parents.
Ready to
Get Started
If your
child's school has raised a concern, or if you have been watching your child
struggle in their school environment and want a clear clinical picture, an
assessment is the most direct path to understanding what is happening and what
your child needs.
You can contact our team to arrange an assessment or ask questions
before booking. Our clinic is based at Dubai Healthcare City. The first session
is focused on your child — their communication strengths, the challenges that
are affecting their school experience, and what a realistic and practical plan
of support looks like from here.
