What to Expect from our Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)
Service Paradigm Overview
Our SLPAs work under the strict direction of Speech-Language Pathologists registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC and listed on the Registry of Autism Service Providers (RASP), addressing articulation delays, expressive or receptive language disorders, and functional alternative communication structures.
Standard Operating Expectations & Handover Protocols
Execution of targeted phonological and speech articulation drill frameworks through high-engagement play mechanics.
Receptive and expressive language development targeting expanded vocabulary building and sentence structure logic.
Integration and tracking support for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device applications.
Granular session logging mapping successful target sounds and vocal tracking percentages.
Not bookable online yet. To arrange care directly, email hello@puffinservices.com or call (604) 283-2829.
Be first to know when Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) launches
Tell us about your family and we’ll reach out as soon as this service is available in your area.
Questions about Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)
At home. Puffin Services has no clinic at all, so there is nowhere to travel to and no centre appointment to schedule around — in-home is the only way the upcoming pediatric support is designed to be delivered. Register your interest to be notified at launch.
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is a regulated professional registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC — they assess your child, diagnose, and write the treatment plan. A Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) delivers the sessions that plan calls for and reports back, but does not assess, diagnose, or change the plan. Puffin’s upcoming support is SLPA support, so it works to a registered SLP’s plan and does not replace an assessment.
An assessment, yes — a referral, usually not. Puffin’s upcoming SLPA, OTA and behaviour intervention support delivers a plan written by a registered clinician, so there needs to be a plan to deliver. Puffin does not assess and does not diagnose. If your child has not been assessed, that is the first step and it happens through an SLP, OT or behaviour consultant, publicly or privately.
Puffin’s pediatric support is being designed for children and youth, with the specific range depending on the service and the supervising clinician’s plan. It is a separate service from hourly childcare, which covers ages 0 to 12. Pediatric support is in development and not bookable yet — register your interest and we will confirm the details for your child at launch.
That is the intention. Puffin’s upcoming SLPA, OTA and behaviour intervention support is being designed to work alongside the team your child already has rather than replace it — delivering their plan and reporting back to them, so you do not have to leave a clinician who is working in order to change where sessions happen. Register your interest to be notified at launch.
That is what the service is being designed for, but whether your funding applies depends on your child’s eligibility, their age band, and the funding rules in force. Under the current program, funding for children under six can be spent on RASP-listed professionals and on behaviour interventionists supervised by one — and Puffin’s specialists work under RASP-registered supervision. The program is also changing: it is scheduled to end April 1, 2027 and be replaced. Confirm with the Autism Funding Unit (1-877-777-3530) rather than assuming either way.
A Speech-Language Pathologist registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC and listed on the Registry of Autism Service Providers (RASP). The SLP writes and owns the plan; the SLPA delivers it and reports back. Pediatric support is in development and not bookable yet.