Assessment of Developing Language

Question 1

Characteristics of Developing

Language Stage

Answer 1

• Expressive vocabularies > 50

* Begun combining words ( 2

Question 2

Family Centered Approach

Answer 2

• IDEA
• Parents as Partners
▫ Seek family’s perspective on child’s
communication
▫ Identify family’s priorities and address concerns

Question 3

Family Centered Assessment

Answer 3

• Remember
▫ Assess the “real” child
▫ Gather information from family
▫ Address all parents concerns (even if the therapist
does not believe they are likely)
• Follow Up
▫ Information provided makes sense
▫ Information has addressed all their concerns
▫ Opportunity to ask further questions

Question 4

Choosing assessment materials

Answer 4

• Administering screen/test should not be based
on happenstance
• SLPs MUST know the properties of instruments
we use
• MUST best match our assessment goals with
those instruments

Question 5

Correct Usage of Standardized Tests

Answer 5

• Only tells us if there is a significant difference
• Does not tell us what to target in therapy
• Does tell us what areas we may want to further
probe to determine goals
▫ Sample of variety of behaviors
▫ Few opportunities may not be indicative of true
abilities (children may have better or worse skills
than test depicts)
• Typically do not cover pragmatics or semantic
areas besides pointing to pictures

Question 6

Criterion Referenced Assessments

Answer 6

Requires more planning to specifically look at
areas of weakness as determined by
standardized tests
• It is ok to do these on the second visit

Question 7

Assessing Speech Sounds

Answer 7

• First get an idea of child’s intelligibility
• If unintelligible , administer speech screen/test
• Calculate intelligibility based on speech sample
• Number of words intelligible in speech sample divided
by total number of words times by 100.
• If test score AND intelligibility are appropriate,
not a concern
▫ Why bother: risk for various developmental
disorders (Coplan and Cleason)
▫ 15-20% of children with SSD also have language
disorder

Question 8

Analyzing Speech Sample

Answer 8

• Independent analysis: collect phonetic inventory
that states what sounds the child produces
• Not compared to adult model in terms of correctness
• Relational analysis: compares the child’s
production of the word to the adult target
▫ Look for patterns (phonological processes that
appear to be rule-governed misarticulations)

Question 9

Assessment and Intervention for

Vocabulary

Answer 9

Generally, receptive vocabulary > expressive
vocabulary.
▫ (Consider your attempt to learn a second
language)
• Fast Mapping – children can produce a word
they hear without entirely understanding its
meaning
▫ So, we don’t have to focus on comprehension
before moving to expression

Question 10

Two Exceptions:

Answer 10

1. Child with limited speech sound production
   ▫ Children attempt only those that have the initial
   sound in their repertoire
   ▫ Work on receptive skills while working on speech
2. Child with word retrieval
   ▫ There is usually a discrepancy between receptive
   and expressive language performance
   ▫ Focus on strategies to practice recalling words
   already know

Question 11

Assessing Vocabulary

Answer 11

Standardized, then criterion-reference for more
information
• Test each at least three times using checklist
• Can use developmental checklist as reference
(Figure 8-4 and 8-5 are samples of these)
• Create a C-R assessment based on what you are
trying to assess
▫ Prepositions – Hiding Game/Barn
▫ Question words – Reading a book