Pediatric Language Assessment Flashcards
Norm-referenced tests are also known as __________________.
Formal tests
Are norm-referenced tests always standardized? Yes/No
Yes
What are norm-referenced tests?
They allow a comparison of an individual’s performance to the performance of a larger group
This type of test answers the following question: how does my client compare to the average?
Norm-referenced test
What is the normal distribution?
Used to identify what is “average” given a test
Often depicted using a bell-shaped curved
Average performance aka Median and mode
Peak
This is the “average”
Mean
Middle of the distribution
Median
Most frequenting occurring score
Mode
What are the advantages of using a norm-referenced test?
Objective
Skill of an individual can be compared to those of a larger group of similar individuals
Efficient test administration
Many norm-referenced tests are widely recognized
Clinicians are not required to have a high level of clinical experience and skill to administer and score tests
Insurance companies and school districts prefer known test entities for third-party payment and qualification for services
What is the empirical rule?
68% of all outcomes will fall within one standard deviation of the mean (34% on each side)
95% of all outcomes will fall within two standard deviations of the mean (47.5% on each side)
99.7% of all outcomes will fall within three standard deviations of the mean (49.85% on each side)
What are the disadvantages of using norm-referenced tests?
Do not allow for individualization
Tests are generally static; they tell what a person knows not how a person learns
The testing situation may be unnatural and not representative of real life
Isolated skills are evaluated without considering other contributing factors
Norm-referenced tests must be administered exactly as instructed for the results to be considered valid and reliable
Test materials may not be appropriate for certain clients, such as culturally and linguistically diverse clients
This is also known as the alternative assessment or nontraditional assessment
Authentic assessment
True or False. Authentic assessment is a one time assessment
False. It is on going
This answers the question “How does my patient’s performance compare to an expected level of performance?”
Criterion-referenced assessment
What is a dynamic assessment?
It is a form of authentic assessment
Purpose: To evaluate a client’s learning potential based on his or her ability to modify responses after the clinician provides teach or other assistance
Test → Teach → Retest
It also allows to determine baseline ability and identify appropriate goals and strategies for intervention
This is used to measure the impact of the language impairment on the child’s ability to participate in activities or experiences in a structured way. It is also used to gather information about contextual factors that support or hinder the child’s communicative progress.
Functional assessment
This can be collected through interviewing a caregivers or teacher or both
Case history
This is a type of observation that involves observing learning in natural settings without a predetermined focus. Example: a child doing a free play
Unstructured observation
This involves observing learnings in specific situations with a clear focus on particular language features
Structured observation
What are the three components of the SLPM?
The speech and language environment component
The speech and language processing component
Speech and language product component
What is the speech and language environment component?
It puts emphasis on the environmental events
This refers to the external factors in a child’s or individual’s environment that impact their speech and language environment
What is the speech and language processing component?
Underlying anatomy and processing events
What is the speech and language product component?
These are the observable parameters of speech and language behavior
This is where language decoding, integration and encoding happens. Linguistic processing and higher-order language interpretation happens here (answering questions, following commands, etc.,)
Central language-thought segment
What is the central-language component?
Refers to the core linguistic and cognitive processes responsible for understanding, producing, and organizing language. It is a central hub in the model that processes higher-level language skills, connecting auditory input with meaningful language comprehension and output.
A person has AOS, which part of the SLMP is most likely affected?
Speech programming
A person has dysarthria, which of the SLPM is likely affected?
Speech initiation
What is basal?
Starting point for test administration and scoring
What is ceiling?
Ending point for test administration
What are accommodations?
Adjustments that we do to a testing situation that do not compromise a test’s standardized procedure
Content should NOT be altered
Administration of test must be consistent with manual’s instruction
What are modifications?
Changes to the test’s standardized administration protocol
Invalidates the norm-referenced score
No longer considered as a standardized assessment
What is the raw score?
Based on the number of correct or incorrect responses
What is the standard score?
Performance compared to average and the normal distribution
What is standard deviation?
Variation within normal distribution
What is a scaled score?
Also reflects performance compared to the normative sample. However, it does not necessarily follow a normal distribution–to compare the abilities of the test taker
What is the z-score?
Tells how many standard deviations the score is from the mean (how far it is from the average)
It shows where an individual lies along the continuum of the bell-shaped curve
What is the percentile rank?
Tells the percentage of people scoring at or below a given score
What is a stanine?
A stanine is a score based on a 9-unit scale, where a score of 5 describes average performance
This is a norm-referenced screener. This is for children 8-9 with the developmental age of birth to 7;11. This is for those who are suspected with mild developmental delay. Purpose of this assessment is to determine receptive or expressive language delay or disorder
PLS 5
What are the two main subtests of PLS-5?
Auditory comprehension - Evaluate the scope of a child’s comprehension of language
Expressive communication - determines how well a child communicated with others
This is an in depth information on semantics, morphology, and syntax. It is designed as a downward extension of the CELF-4. This is for preschool children who will be transitioning to a classroom setting ages 3:0-6:11 years. Can also be administered to client out of the age range
CELF P-2
What is CELF-4?
A formal test for identification, diagnosis, and follow-up evaluation of language and communication disorders. It is for individuals aged 5-21 years old.
What are the areas of assessment of CELF-4?
- It assesses the nature of the language disorder (RL and EL)
- Underlying clinical behaviors
- Effect of disorder in student’s performance
What is OWLS?
A comprehensive standardized assessment tool designed to evaluate an individual’s language skills across both oral and written modalities. Typically administered to individuals between the ages of 3 and 21.
What is the Westby Play Scale?
- Used to evaluate a child’s symbolic play development
- It correlated play skills with typical language development
- Cognitive and communicative abilities
What are integrative thinking skills?
To connect and analyze different pieces of information to form comprehensive understanding
- This is critical for academic and social success
Example: Advance vocabulary, word relationships, paraphrasing, verbal reasoning
What is word association?
Vocabulary acquisition and understanding of word relationships
Example: noun - noun, noun - verb
What are part-whole relationships?
I am thinking of something that has whiskers.
Is figurative language a higher language skill? Yes/ No
Yes
What are precursory skills for use?
- Using reciprocal gaze patterns → prerequisite for interpersonal exchanges
- Focusing using joint attention (sharing focus) → prerequisite for conversation and topic maintenance
- Taking turns and exchanging roles (prerequisite for 1-2 sequences of exchanging roles of an activity) →, conversational turn taking
Prerequisite for commenting
Making references and calling attention to objects and events
Key aspects of language sampling
Representative sample
Multiple samples
Multiple contexts and activities
Interaction with others (e.g., family, friend, or teacher)
Record
Video, audio, written
True or False. When it comes to sample collection, free play yields more utterance than story generation
t
True or False. Picture samples can be used for unintelligible children.
True
50-100 utterances are needed for language sampling.
True
What are the features that can be assessed in a language sample?
Form of language–sentence structure, morphemes, MLU
Understanding of semantic intent–content categories
Language use–use categories
Sequencing
Utterance segmentation
- A sentence is an utterance
- A command is an utterance
- Run-on sentence with “and” should contain no more than one “and” joining clauses
- Sentences with more than one “and” should be separated into additional utterance
- If it has because and one and it it considered as one utterances (e.g., He was sad because he broke the cup and spilled the baby’s food = 1 utterance)
- Pauses, inhalation, and falling intonation mark the end of utterance (e.g., Eat… oat meal cooke = 2 utterances)
How many utterances is this sentence: We went on the bus and we got to the zoo and we saw lots of animals and we had ice cream
3 utterances
RationaleL We went on the bus and we got to the zoo/ (and) we saw lots of animals/ (and) we had ice cream
Why is MLU computation important?
- To quantify syntactic development
- While type of sentence varies, the MLU is consistent for an age range
- This should never be used alone to determine the presence of a language delay
- MLU is used to identify whether some areas of language are further behind than the MLU
- Guides the remaining portions of the analysis (e.g., if MLU = < 3, semantic analysis)
True or False. Count irregular past-tense forms (e.g., went, saw, came) as one morpheme. But if a child over generalizes a past-tense form, such as goed or comed, count this as two
t
How do you compute MLU?
Add up the total number of morphemes in the sample then divide by total number of utterances (50). The results is the mean length of utterance (MLU)
What is the type token ratio?
- Rough measure of semantic development
- Calculated by counting the number of different words used in a language sample divided by the total number of words in the language sample
A higher type-token ratio would indicate what?
Indicates that a greater variety of words is being used in the language sample. This is an indicator or a larger vocabulary
Which of the following statements best describes “existence” in language development?
A) Referring to an object’s inherent properties
B) Indicating the presence of objects or persons in the environment
C) Opposing an action or object
D) Referring to emotional states
Answer: B. Existence refers to the presence of objects or persons in the environment.
In the context of language development, which phrase best exemplifies “rejection”?
A) “I don’t want to go.”
B) “That’s my toy.”
C) “Look at that!”
D) “This is blue.”
Answer: A - Rejection indicates refusal or opposition to an action or object.
A child says, “No cat” when asked about a cat they previously mentioned. This is an example of which language function?
A) Denial
B) Rejection
C) Existence
D) Attributed state
Answer: A - This demonstrates denial of a previously stated existence.
Which of the following phrases demonstrates “possession”?
A) “That is a dog.”
B) “I want to play.”
C) “My book is on the table.”
D) “She can jump.”
Answer: C
A child expresses, “I put the blocks on the table.” This sentence illustrates which of the following concepts?
A) Action
B) Locative Action
C) Attributive State
D) Non-Existence
Answer: B.
In a therapy session, a child states, “I like cookies.” This statement is an example of which internal state?
A) Dative
B) Notice
C) State
D) Quantity
State
The phrase “Two sheep are in the field” demonstrates which linguistic function?
A) Quantity
B) Notice
C) Possession
D) Locative State
Answer: A. Quantity
Which of the following verbs indicates “epistemic” understanding?
A) “Play”
B) “Wonder”
C) “Eat”
D) “Run”
Answer: B. “Wonder” indicates a mental state about knowledge or belief.
A child says, “This cat is cute but that one is big.” This exemplifies which type of relationship?
A) Causal
B) Adversative
C) Temporal
D) Specification
Answer: B. Adversative
Which of the following phrases reflects “dative” function?
A) “I want a cookie.”
B) “Give it to me.”
C) “Look at that bird!”
D) “My hat is blue.”
Answer: B - Dative function designates the recipient of an action.
A teacher observes a student expressing, “I can swim, and I can ride a bike.” This illustrates which additive relationship?
A) Causal
B) Adversative
C) Additive
D) Specification
Answer: C. Additive–I can swim and I can ride a bike
Select all that apply: Which of the following are examples of “non-existence”?
A) “All gone.”
B) “She’s not riding a bike.”
C) “That’s my dad.”
D) “He can play.”
Answer: A, B.
A child uses “I’m playing now.” What linguistic aspect is this demonstrating?
A) Attributive State
B) Temporal
C) Locative Action
D) Existence
Answer: B. Temporal: now
Which of the following sentences best demonstrates “causal” relationships?
A) “This is a big ball.”
B) “I like apples because they are sweet.”
C) “She can sing.”
D) “This is my chair.”
Answer: B. I like apples because they are sweet
In a scenario where a child describes their feelings towards a pet, saying “I love my dog,” this is an example of which language function?
A) Notice
B) Internal State
C) Action
D) Locative State
Answer: B. Internal state–Internal state reflects feelings towards an object or event.
Select all that apply: Which of the following are components of “locative state”?
A) “The book is on the table.”
B) “She is jumping.”
C) “The cat is in the box.”
D) “I want to go home.”
Answer: A, C - Both refer to static spatial relationships without movement.
A child states, “I think he is nice.” This exemplifies which of the following concepts?
A) Causal
B) Epistemic
C) Attribution
D) Volition
Answer: B. Epistemic
A caregiver says to a child, “That’s not your ball.” This statement is an example of which linguistic function?
A) Denial
B) Rejection
C) Existence
D) Attributive State
Answer: A. Denial–This statement is a denial regarding the identity of the object
Which of the following statements demonstrates “specification”?
A) “I see a bird.”
B) “This dog is mine.”
C) “That cat is cute.”
D) “I want the red one.”
Answer: B - Words indicating a particular person, object, or event using ‘this’, ‘the’, ‘that’s
In a scenario where a child expresses, “I want to go home,” which function does this phrase represent?
A) State–Volition
B) Causal
C) State–Obligation
D) Action
Answer: A. State–Volition
In this statement, which is the correct content category: No apples?
A) Non-existence
B) Rejection
C) Denial
D) Attribution
Answer: A. Non-existence
Which of the following statements is the correct content category of attribution. Select all that apply:
A) I like to eat
B) Small jeans
C) Black carpet
D) Two apples
Answer: B, C
In the sentence, “She placed the toy on the shelf after cleaning it,” what content category is represented?
A) Locative State
B) Action
C) Locative Action
D) Epistemic
Answer: C. Locative–The phrase “placed the toy on the shelf” shows a movement with a goal of changing location.
“He knows that the dog will bark if it sees the cat.” This sentence illustrates which content category?
A) Epistemic
B) Communication
C) Causal
D) State
Answer: Epistemic–The sentence demonstrates thinking/knowing, which are mental state verbs.
Which of the following demonstrates Locative State?
A) “The car goes into the garage.”
B) “The book is on the table.”
C) “I’m going to the park.”
D) “She is handing the letter to her friend.”
Answer: B.
“The child gave the ball to his friend.” This sentence most clearly exemplifies which content category?
A) Dative
B) Locative Action
C) Additive
D) Communication
Answer: A. Dative–The child designated the recipient of an object or action (The ball is being given to a recipient (friend), fitting the dative category.)
In the sentence, “I told her the story about the lion,” which content category is illustrated?
A) Epistemic
B) Communication
C) Action
D) Dative
Answer: B. Communication
The sentence “This one is red, but the other one is green” is an example of which content category?
A) Additive
B) Specification
C) Adversative
D) Attribution
Answer: C. The contrast between “this one is red” and “the other one is green” shows adversative contrast.
“She thinks that it will rain later” represents which content category?
A) Epistemic
B) Causal
C) State
D) Locative State
Answer: A–”She thinks” indicates a mental state about an event, which fits epistemic.
In the sentence, “He walked to the door and opened it,” which content category is illustrated?
A) Locative Action
B) State
C) Locative State
D) Action
Answer: A. Locative Action–”Walked to the door” and “opened it” indicate a change in location (locative action).
Which sentence best demonstrates the content category of Additive?
A) “I have a pen and a notebook.”
B) “She put the keys on the table.”
C) “He said that the project is due tomorrow.”
D) “They jumped and ran all day.”
Answer: A–”Pen and notebook” shows the joining of two objects.
“The toy is under the bed” exemplifies which content category?
A) Locative State
B) Dative
C) Additive
D) Locative Action
Answer: A–The sentence describes the toy’s static spatial relationship.
“I don’t want to go, but I should” is an example of which content category?
A) Adversative
B) State
C) Causal
D) Specification
Answer: A. Adversative–The sentence contrasts two opposing states or intentions.
In the sentence, “I can’t remember if she called me,” which content category is represented?
A) Communication
B) Epistemic
C) Action
D) Notice
Answer: B.–”I can’t remember” indicates a mental state of knowledge or memory, fitting epistemic.
In the statement, “She gave him a book and a pencil,” what is the content category demonstrated?
A) Dative
B) Additive
C) Locative Action
D) Specification
Answer: B. Additive–The sentence demonstrates the joining of two objects (book and pencil) without dependency.
Phase 1-2 of Bloom and Lahey Model would include the following content categories:
Existence, non-existence, recurrence, rejection, denial, attribution, possession, action, and locative action
Mnemonics: Every normal rat, really digs at PAL
What age is the Phase 1-2?
1 & 2 years old
Phase 3 & 4 of the Bloom and Lahey would include the following content categories:
Locative state, state, quantity, notice, temporal
(Remember: LSN QT)
Expected at around age 2-3 years old
Phase 5 & 6 of the Bloom and Lahey would include the following content categories:
Additive, Causal, Dative, Specification (Remember: AirCon DeSurb)
Expected age: 3-4 years old
Phase 7 & 8 of the Bloom and Lahey Model would include the following content categories:
Epistemic, Adversative, Communication (Remember: ACE)
Expected age: 4-5 years old
A child is using phrases like “More milk” and “No shoes.” Which phase of Bloom and Lahey’s model is this child most likely in?
A) Phase 1-2
B) Phase 3-4
C) Phase 4-5
D) Phase 7-8
Answer: A. Phase 1-2
A 2-year-old child consistently says “my toy” and “she’s gone.” Based on this, which content categories from Phase 1-2 are likely emerging?
A) Attribution and Epistemic
B) Existence and Possession
C) Non-existence and Communication
D) Locative state and Temporal
Answer: The phrase “my toy” reflects Possession, and “she’s gone” reflects Non-existence, both part of Phase 1-2.
A clinician is working with a child who says, “No more blocks” and “Doggie is gone.” This reflects which content categories from Phases 1-2 and 3-4?
A) Recurrence and Non-Existence
B) Attribution and Temporal
C) Possession and Locative State
D) Causal and Denial
Answer: A) Recurrence and Non-existence–”No more blocks” reflects Recurrence, and “Doggie is gone” shows Non-existence, both from Phase 1-2.
