2024–2025 Services delivered: Preschool Speech and Language program
Component: Early Intervention
Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017
Service description
The Preschool Speech and Language (PSL) Program provides services within a locally integrated early intervention system for seamless access to early identification and a range of early intervention services for children with speech and language disorders until school entry.
People served
The PSL program provides services for children with speech and language disorders from birth to school transition.
Program/service features
Delivered through a Lead Agency model, the Preschool Speech and Language (PSL) Program services are provided by Speech-Language Pathologists and supportive personnel (e.g., Communication Disorder Assistants) as part of a locally integrated early intervention system in a variety of contexts, including clinic, childcare, and community settings.
Specific service provided
The following program elements must be delivered in accordance with the most updated version of all existing PSL Guidelines and Protocols (as listed below) and any additional supporting documents
- Access and Intake
- Early Intervention
- Assessment
- Intervention
- Supportive transitions
- Child and Family-centred service delivery
- Seamless service delivery
- Collaboration and partnerships
- Performance measurement
Services are child and family-centred and support the diverse needs of families in a way that is culturally safe, and promotes equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.
Program goals
The goal of PSL is to provide services within a locally integrated early intervention system for seamless access to early identification and a range of early interventions for children with speech and language concerns from birth to school transition.
Ministry expectations
All services of PSL are provided according to the 2023 Preschool Speech and Language and Children’s Rehabilitation Services Guidelines; the January 2014 PSL Program Outcome Measurement Protocol (or any subsequent updated versions and any additional supporting documents provided by the ministry) and managed in accordance to the descriptions provided here.
Program targets
- 50% of children will receive their initial assessment within three months from the date of referral
- 70% of children will receive their first intervention within eight months from the date of referral
- 75% of all children aged 0-30 months will have received parent training at some point during their period of service delivery
- 75% of all children over 18 months of age will have outcome measures completed at some point during their first intervention
- 75% of all children over 18 months will have had outcome measures completed at a minimum of every 6 months (completed at the beginning/end or intervention periods or at scheduled assessments)
Reporting requirements
Service and financial data will be reported into Transfer Payment Ontario at an Interim and Final period, informed by IRSS Monitoring Reports. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates.
| Service data name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Preschool Speech and Language: Ministry-funded agency expenditures | Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver the Preschool Speech and Language Program in the Funding Year (cumulative). |
| # of individuals served (unique): PSL | The unique number of all referred children who had an initial assessment plus all referred children who received any intervention during the reporting period (cumulative). Report the same value as the total reflected in the IRSS Monitoring Report Question 4. |
| # of individuals waiting for initial assessment: PSL | The total number of all referred children waiting for an initial assessment at the end of the reporting period (cumulative). Report the same value as the total reflected in Monitoring Report Question 10. |
| # of individuals who received initial assessment: PSL | The total number of all referred children who received an initial assessment during the reporting period. Report the same value as the total reflected in IRSS Monitoring Report Question 2. |
| Average wait time from referral to initial assessment (# of weeks): PSL | The average number of weeks waited from the referral date to the initial assessment date (cumulative). Report the same value as the total reflected in the IRSS Monitoring Report Question 7. |
| # of Individuals who Received their First Intervention: PSL | The total number of referred children in the PSL program who received their first intervention in the reporting period. Report the same value as the total reflected in Monitoring Report Question 3b. |
| Average wait time from initial assessment to first intervention (# of weeks): PSL | The average number of weeks waited from the date of initial assessment to the date of first intervention. Report the same value as the total reflected in Monitoring Report Question 8. |
| Average age at referral (months): PSL | Average age (in months) of children at referral during the reporting period. Report the same value as the total reflected in the IRSS Monitoring Report Question 6b. |
| Average Age at First Intervention (Months): PSL | The average age (in months) of the children who accessed their first intervention during the reporting period. Report the same value as the total reflected in Monitoring Report Question 3c. |
A supplementary report providing additional information about these services may be required (reporting template and dates to be provided separately).