Chapter 8: Assessment of Developing Language Flashcards
What are characteristics of typical children with developing language?
(3)
MLU usually within Brown’s stages II-V
Expressive vocabulary greater than 50 words
Usually 3-5 years of age (older children with moderate-severe impairments may function at this stage)
What is Family-Centered Practice for Clients with Developing Language served under?
Part B of IDEA
What does Part B of IDEA stipulate?
6
Parents are partners in assessment
Parental consent is required for assessment and intervention
Families help decide why, what, and how to assess each child
Family’s concerns should be taken seriously
Parents are valid and reliable sources of information about child
Respects parents’ decisions about child (even if that includes not receiving services)
What should be included in the assessment of children with developing language?
(3)
Audiometric assessment
Nonverbal cognitive assessment (Object permanence, Following directions, etc.)
Speech-motor assessment (Clefts? Apraxia ? Dysarthria? Tongue tie? Lip tie?)
How is screening helpful when assessing children with developing language?
(3)
Shows whether a child’s language skills are significantly different compared to other children
Risk level for impairment (Family history, gender, birth order)
Late reading and academic problems
What are two screening instruments that can be used when assessing children with developing language?
(2)
Fluharty-2
SPELT-2: Preschool
How can we use Standardized Tests when assessing children with developing language?
(2)
They show if a child is significantly different from peers
Results are from psychometrically sound screeners
What should be added to information gleaned from Standardized Tests when assessing children with developing language?
(3)
Comparing among areas of language function (e.g., comprehension/production, vocabulary/syntax)
Criterion-referenced probes/language sample (for intervention areas, not specific targets)
Error analysis of testing items
Why might we use Criterion-Referenced Assessment when assessing children with developing language?
(3)
The child may know or perform requested tasks in other areas, not just on specific test items.
May show whether or not a child is competent with a particular form or function
May be used after diagnostic assessment is complete, to help with remedial planning
Why might we use Criterion-Referenced LANGUAGE Assessment when assessing children with developing language?
(6)
Examine relations between expressive and receptive vocabulary (Receptive often better)
Consider more than nouns - as question words, attributes (adjectives), verbs
Can words be used appropriately if they can be either verbs/nouns?
Consider phonological skills (See Articulation Test Results!)
Word-finding problems solving
Clinician created probes such as words in story context or object manipulation
Why might we use Criterion-Referenced SYNTAX AND MORPHOLOGY Assessment when assessing RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE in children with developing language?
(2)
Contextualized vs Decontextualized Language - typical everyday conversations vs. school language
Comprehension strategies
How do we reference Expressive Language when using Criterion-Referenced SYNTAX AND MORPHOLOGY Assessment when assessing children with developing language?
(2)
Speech sample analysis
Elicited production procedures
What are we looking for in a Speech Sample Analysis?
4
50+ utterances
TTR (type token ratio)
MLU
Child-specific expressions
What do we use for Elicited Production Procedures?
3
AGE appropriate objects/tasks
Books without words
Ask OPEN ended questions
WHY do we use Criterion-Referenced PRAGMATIC Assessment when assessing children with developing language?
(2)
To identify the particular problems in conversation and interactions
Comparing semantics, syntax, phonology
How do we use Criterion-Referenced PRAGMATIC Assessment when assessing children with developing language?
(3)
Parent report
Parent-child conversational sample analysis
Probes in naturalistic interactions (bubbles that don’t work, need help with wind up toy, missing pieces)
What are we looking for in pragmatic language assessment in parent-child conversational samples?
(3)
Does parent ask questions, give orders, provide expansions, complete the child’s utterances?
Does parent take turns? Child only?
Does child imitate their model?
How do we collect a Language Sample?
5
Collect between 50-100 utterances during a 30 minute period
Collect multiple samples, if possible
Code ALL speakers (SLP, child, parents)
Make it a fun/functional activity
Use open ended questions/suggestions
How do we Analyze a Language Sample?
2
Use either low tech or SALT software program
Find averages (Table 8-2, pg. 304)
What should you do when you do not understand an utterance during a Language Sample?
(3)
Use — or xxx for unintelligible utterances
Try to clarify during the collection process to give yourself context of attempted utterance
Ask the parent/caregiver to translate if possible
What do we need to consider for older children with developing language?
(3)
Functional communication in typical social environments (home, daycare/school, church)
Could AAC be helpful (motor abilities, us of pictures/symbols, are parents interested)
Use chronological age-appropriate materials
Is there an age requirement for AAC?
No
How can we assess functional efficacy of current communication in older children with developing language?
(2)
Ecological inventory (assess communicative needs in various environments)
Communication profile (lists forms and functions of current communicative behavior)
What do we need to consider for children with developing language with ASD?
(4)
Standardized measures may overestimate competence due to support of structured context
Open-ended questions may be more difficult for them to answer
Parent report of adaptive communication use can document gap between strengths in language form and weaknesses in use
Sibling or Peer observations may reveal more about communicative difficulties than interactions with adults
What do we need to consider for multilingual children with developing language?
(4)
What languages are spoken to child and who uses them
Are both languages linguistically close?
Are there similar words? (Is there intermingling? Substitution?)
Be honest with parent concerning YOUR language usage (monolingual or bilingualism)
How do you perform a Token Type Analysis?
[number of different words] / [total number of words]
How do you calculate MLU?
5
Count each free morpheme and bound morpheme as one (-ed, -ing, plural -s, 3rd person -s)
Do not count false starts but do count words repeated for emphasis
Compound words and reduplicated words count as one
Irregular past tense verbs count as one
Auxiliary verbs are counted separately (“he is” or “he’s” = 2)
