How to Grow Your SLP Private Practice with Preschool Speech Screenings

If you've been thinking about growing your private practice caseload, adding a new income stream, or getting more connected in your community then preschool speech and language screenings might be the single most effective thing you can do. Here's why, and exactly how to start.

Why SLPs in Private Practice Are Adding Screenings

One of the most common questions we hear from SLPs building or growing a private practice is some version of: "How do I find more clients?"

The answer most people expect is something about Instagram or Google ads. And sure, those things can help. But the most reliable, sustainable way to build a private practice caseload, especially in the pediatric space, is through relationships in your community. And screenings are one of the best ways to build those relationships fast.

When you walk into a preschool and offer speech and language screenings, a few things happen at once. You become visible to directors, teachers, and parents. You position yourself as the go-to SLP in that community. And you identify children who genuinely need services. Children who might never find their way to a speech pathologist otherwise.

That last part is what makes this worth it.

What Is a Preschool Speech and Language Screening?

A speech and language screening is a brief, play-based snapshot — typically 15 to 20 minutes — of a child's communication skills. It's not a full evaluation. The goal is simply to determine whether a child's speech and language development looks on track for their age, or whether a more formal evaluation might be warranted. Preschool screenings are particularly powerful because early intervention is when it matters most.

The Business Case: What Screenings Can Do for Your Practice

Screenings are not just a community service. They're one of the most cost-effective ways to grow a private pay speech therapy caseload. Here's a conservative example of what a single screening day at one preschool can generate, assuming 50% of screened children qualify for services and need 12 weekly sessions:

6 screenings → 3 evaluations → 3 in therapy~$3-4,000

12 screenings → 6 evaluations → 6 in therapy~$6-7,000

20 screenings → 10 evaluations → 10 in therapy~$10-11,000

One afternoon at one preschool. That's the potential.

And the compounding effect is real. The families you meet through screenings become long-term clients. The directors you partner with become referral sources. The reputation you build in that community keeps working for you even when you're not actively marketing.

How to Start Offering Preschool Speech Screenings

The biggest barrier most SLPs face isn't knowledge but not having a system. Here's the process we've refined over years of running screenings in our own practice.

Step 1: Get your materials ready

Before you reach out to a single preschool, you need to have your materials customized and ready to go. This includes:

• A marketing letter that introduces you and explains the value of screenings to directors

• A parent letter and request form that clearly explains the screening process, cost, and how to sign up

• A "Does My Child Need a Screening?" handout that helps parents self-identify

• A screening report template you can complete quickly after each child

• Parent handouts to send home with results

Having polished, professional materials when you walk into that first meeting makes an enormous difference. It signals that you're organized, credible, and easy to work with. Directors are busy. Make it effortless for them to say yes.

Step 2: Contact preschool directors

This is where most SLPs get stuck. Cold outreach feels uncomfortable. But the approach is simpler than you think: you're not selling something, you're offering a service that benefits their students and their families.

Email or call directors of preschools you'd like to partner with. Attach your marketing letter and the parent handout. Ask if they'd be open to a brief conversation. Most directors will say yes if they don’t already have this service because the waitlists for pediatric speech evaluations are long, parents are asking questions they don't know how to answer, and you're offering to help.

Step 3: Run an efficient screening day

Each screening session should take 15 to 20 minutes maximum. You're not conducting an evaluation — you're getting a snapshot. Play-based interaction is your best tool here. Use engaging toys, familiar books, and activities that naturally elicit speech and language without pressure.

After each child, complete your screening report immediately while the information is fresh. At the end of the day, send results home with the child. Include a relevant parent handout — one on late talker strategies, speech sound development, or whatever is most applicable to that child.

For children who need further evaluation: follow up with a phone call to the family, explain what you observed, and offer options. Not every family will move forward right away, and that's okay. Some will be ready in two to three months. The relationship is already built.

Step 4: Follow up and begin therapy

For families who are ready to move forward, send your consent for treatment, release of information, and photo/video consent forms. Complete your formal evaluation using the information gathered during the screening as a strong starting point.

Then begin therapy — ideally at or near the preschool if space allows, which makes it even easier for families to say yes.

Common Questions SLPs Have About Screenings

How much should I charge for screenings?

Most SLPs charge between $15 and $30 per screening. A common approach is to credit the screening fee toward the cost of a full evaluation if the family moves forward.

What if a director says no?

It happens. Thank them and leave a handout anyway. Staffing changes, enrollment pressures, and word of mouth mean that a "no" now can become a "yes" six months later.

What if a child can't participate?

Some children won't be ready for a one-on-one screening. Have a plan: offer to try again in a few months, or suggest a full evaluation in a more familiar setting for the child. Document what you observed and communicate clearly with the family.

Should I screen at multiple preschools or start with one?

Start with one. Get your system working smoothly before you scale. Once you have a reliable process (you'll have one faster than you think) adding a second and third school is straightforward.

Why Screenings Work Better Than Most Marketing Strategies

Most marketing advice for SLPs in private practice focuses on digital presence: SEO, Google Business Profile, social media. That stuff matters, but it doesn't always feel like who you are as a clinician.

Screenings work because they're relational. You're meeting families where they already are, at their child's school. You're building trust before there's any transaction. You're demonstrating your expertise in the same moment you're identifying a need.

And the referrals that come from schools you screen at are often the warmest referrals you'll ever get. A teacher who watched you work with a child is not just a lead, she's an advocate. A director who saw your materials and your follow-through will recommend you by name.

No Instagram post can do that.

Your Next Step

You don't need to build it from scratch. We created a complete, customizable speech and language screening kit that includes everything you need: marketing letters, parent forms, screening reports, evaluation templates, ROI projections, and parent handouts, all ready to edit with your name and branding.

Get the complete Speech and Language Screening Kit at thespeechsource.com →

Or download our free two-page resource — an ROI guide and SLP checklist — to see exactly what the process looks like before you commit!

Kim Dillon, MA, CCC-SLP and Mary Brezik, MS, CCC-SLP are the founders of The Speech Source, a Fort Worth, TX private practice specializing in speech, language, feeding, and play. They have over 30 years of combined clinical experience and create resources for both families and SLP professionals.

Questions? Email us at thespeechsource@gmail.com or find us on Instagram @thespeechsource.