CDS 651 Exam 1
Reasons to conduct a language sample - Answers -- To identify language disorders -
spoken and written.
- To qualify students for special services (e.g., speech-language intervention).
- To determine educational placement, e.g., LD classroom, consultation, etc.
- To gain information for planning treatment.
- To monitor students' progress.
Symptoms of a possible language disorder in a school-age child - Answers -- weak
conversational skills
- weak writing skills
- weak comprehension
-
When to refer for testing? - Answers -- Two or more symptoms are present.
- Student is earning poor grades, especially in subjects requiring reading and writing.
- Academic achievement test scores are low, especially Reading, Literature, and
Writing.
- Teacher and/or parents express concern about child's learning (especially reading).
Why use standardized tests? - Answers -- To identify language disorders
- to establish eligibility services
- To gain info about key areas of difficulty
What NOT to use Standardized tests for? - Answers -- gain detailed info about the
problem
- plan treatment goals or lesson plans
- we don't "teach to the test"
- This would not address the problem, only cover it up: not coaching to pass the test but
to help an underlying reading problem
What to look for in a good test: - Answers -- Sensitivity to later language development
- Adequate psychometric properties
Normative data
- Large sample sizes
- Representative samples
Has information on means, standard deviations, range of raw scores
Has standard scores and percentile ranks
Has adequate validity and reliability
, Modifications - Answers -- If child does not meet these criteria, we must be cautious in
interpreting the norms.
- Norms may not apply (e.g., child is ELL)
- In that case, don't use the standardized test results.
- In fact, don't administer the test at all!
- If child is ELL, it's inappropriate to administer most standardized tests
Cautions about standardized testing - Answers -Most standardized norm-referenced
tests assume:
- Child speaks Standard American English
- Child can see, hear, and follow basic spoken directions
- Child has an adequate attention span
- Child is cooperative and motivated
Alternatives for ELL - Answers -- Observe child overtime, to determine if child truly has
a language impairment.
- Observe in classroom, on playground, etc.
- Talk with teachers, parents, etc.
- Use dynamic assessment
Dynamic assessment - Answers -- A form of RTI (response to intervention)
- Attempt to teach curriculum-related vocabulary
- If child learns quickly, he/she does not have a language impairment
- If child learn slowly, AND, it takes great effort to teach the child, he/she MIGHT have a
language impairment
Alternative procedures - forms of non-biased assessment - Answers -- Take a language
history (L1 v. L2)
- Interview family about child's current language L1 (use knowledge of normal lang dev
and key milestones)
- Interview child's teacher
- Perform dynamic assessment measures
- Examine language processing capacity
- Take language sample in L1
Why collect language samples? - Answers -- They reflect natural language use
- They help detect subtle oral language problems in discourse:
Organization,Sequencing, Coherence, Pronominal referencing, Maze behavior
- They help in planning treatment
Four main types of discourse: - Answers -- Conversational
- Narrative
- Expository
- Persuasive
Reasons to conduct a language sample - Answers -- To identify language disorders -
spoken and written.
- To qualify students for special services (e.g., speech-language intervention).
- To determine educational placement, e.g., LD classroom, consultation, etc.
- To gain information for planning treatment.
- To monitor students' progress.
Symptoms of a possible language disorder in a school-age child - Answers -- weak
conversational skills
- weak writing skills
- weak comprehension
-
When to refer for testing? - Answers -- Two or more symptoms are present.
- Student is earning poor grades, especially in subjects requiring reading and writing.
- Academic achievement test scores are low, especially Reading, Literature, and
Writing.
- Teacher and/or parents express concern about child's learning (especially reading).
Why use standardized tests? - Answers -- To identify language disorders
- to establish eligibility services
- To gain info about key areas of difficulty
What NOT to use Standardized tests for? - Answers -- gain detailed info about the
problem
- plan treatment goals or lesson plans
- we don't "teach to the test"
- This would not address the problem, only cover it up: not coaching to pass the test but
to help an underlying reading problem
What to look for in a good test: - Answers -- Sensitivity to later language development
- Adequate psychometric properties
Normative data
- Large sample sizes
- Representative samples
Has information on means, standard deviations, range of raw scores
Has standard scores and percentile ranks
Has adequate validity and reliability
, Modifications - Answers -- If child does not meet these criteria, we must be cautious in
interpreting the norms.
- Norms may not apply (e.g., child is ELL)
- In that case, don't use the standardized test results.
- In fact, don't administer the test at all!
- If child is ELL, it's inappropriate to administer most standardized tests
Cautions about standardized testing - Answers -Most standardized norm-referenced
tests assume:
- Child speaks Standard American English
- Child can see, hear, and follow basic spoken directions
- Child has an adequate attention span
- Child is cooperative and motivated
Alternatives for ELL - Answers -- Observe child overtime, to determine if child truly has
a language impairment.
- Observe in classroom, on playground, etc.
- Talk with teachers, parents, etc.
- Use dynamic assessment
Dynamic assessment - Answers -- A form of RTI (response to intervention)
- Attempt to teach curriculum-related vocabulary
- If child learns quickly, he/she does not have a language impairment
- If child learn slowly, AND, it takes great effort to teach the child, he/she MIGHT have a
language impairment
Alternative procedures - forms of non-biased assessment - Answers -- Take a language
history (L1 v. L2)
- Interview family about child's current language L1 (use knowledge of normal lang dev
and key milestones)
- Interview child's teacher
- Perform dynamic assessment measures
- Examine language processing capacity
- Take language sample in L1
Why collect language samples? - Answers -- They reflect natural language use
- They help detect subtle oral language problems in discourse:
Organization,Sequencing, Coherence, Pronominal referencing, Maze behavior
- They help in planning treatment
Four main types of discourse: - Answers -- Conversational
- Narrative
- Expository
- Persuasive
