Purpose

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there is alternate forms reliability for paper- and computer-administered standardized vocabulary tests. Another purpose was to determine whether the behavioral ratings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) would improve during the computer-administered testing sessions secondary to a decreased need for social interaction.

Method

Thirty-six school-age children (half with ASDs, half neurotypical [NT]) took 2 versions (i.e., paper vs. computer) of the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT–2000; Brownell, 2000a) and the Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT–2000; Brownell, 2000b). Order of presentation was counterbalanced across participants. Test sessions were videotaped, and randomly selected 1-min intervals were rated for behaviors. Standardized test scores and behavior ratings were compared for equivalence across the test presentation methods.

Results

Standard scores for both versions of the tests were not significantly different for both groups of participants. There were no differences in behavioral ratings between the two methods of test presentation.

Conclusion

Alternate forms reliability was found, thus expanding the options for testing for school-age populations. The use of computers had no effect on the behaviors of the children with ASDs. The ramifications of this finding for assessment and intervention for children with ASDs are discussed.

Purpose

This study compared the development of essential elements of narrative skill in children from African American English (AAE)- and general American English (GAE)-speaking communities using an innovative elicitation and evaluation protocol consisting of four key indices of narrative language: (a) reference contrasting, (b) temporal expressions, (c) mental state descriptions, and (d) understanding of behavior based on false belief.

Method

Participants were 291 AAE speakers and 238 GAE speakers, 4 to 9 years of age. Approximately one-third of both dialect groups were identified as having language impairments. Children generated 2 stories based on short picture sequences. Their stories were coded for the 4 key indices of narrative language. Analyses of variance were performed with subsets of the measures and a composite index with all measures combined as outcomes; and with age, dialect group, and clinical status as predictors.

Results

Age and clinical status had statistically significant effects on the subset measures and the composite score. Variation between AAE and GAE dialect was not a significant factor.

Conclusion

By focusing on dialect-neutral elements of narratives—creating links across sentences and providing mental state interpretations—this study adds to our knowledge of development and impairment in narrative production among both AAE- and GAE-background children.

Purpose

This study was designed to (a) compare the speech fluency of school-age children who do and do not stutter (CWS and CWNS, respectively) within 2 standard diagnostic speaking contexts (conversation and narration) while also controlling for speaking topic, and (b) examine the extent to which children’s performance on such discourse tasks is affected by age.

Method

Participants were 44 school-age children who were divided evenly into four groups, depending on their age (older, younger) and fluency status (CWS, CWNS). Children conversed with an examiner about a series of pictures and then told a story about the same pictures.

Results

School-age CWS produced more instances of atypical (stuttering-like) disfluencies in the narrative context than in the conversational context. Younger school-age children produced more instances of typical (nonstuttering-like) disfluencies in the conversational sample than did older school-age children. Age did not affect the frequency of children’s stuttering-like disfluencies in either the conversational or the narrative contexts.

Clinical Implications

These findings suggest that narration may offer a relatively efficient way of eliciting stuttering-like disfluencies during the assessment of stuttering. Thus, when assessing children to determine if they do or do not stutter, this type of sample should be considered in addition to the standard conversational sample.

Purpose

The goal of this study was to determine if job satisfaction differs between speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in school settings and SLPs working in medical settings.

Method

The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) by Spector (1997) was sent via electronic mail to 250 SLPs in each of the 2 settings. Job satisfaction scores were computed from subscale category ratings and were compared between the 2 settings. Subscale category ratings for pay, promotion, supervision, benefits, contingent rewards, operating conditions, coworkers, nature of work, and communication were analyzed for differences between and within settings. Age, caseload size, and years-at-position were analyzed by linear regression to determine whether these factors might predict SLPs' job satisfaction.

Results

The survey had a response rate of 19.6% (N = 98 participants). Although SLPs in both settings were generally satisfied with their jobs, SLPs in medical settings had significantly higher total job satisfaction scores. Respondents from both settings had similar satisfaction ratings for subscale categories, with nature of work receiving the highest rating and operating conditions and promotion the lowest. Results of the linear regression analysis for age, caseload size, and years-at-position were not significant.

Conclusion

Further research should evaluate important aspects of job satisfaction in both settings, especially nature of work operating conditions, and promotion.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify various U.S. state education departments' criteria for determining the severity of language impairment in children, with particular focus on the use of norm-referenced tests. A secondary objective was to determine if norm-referenced tests of child language were developed for the purpose of identifying the severity of children’s language impairment.

Method

Published procedures for severity determinations were obtained from U.S. state education departments. In addition, manuals for 45 norm-referenced tests of child language were reviewed to determine if each test was designed to identify the degree of a child’s language impairment. Consistency was evaluated among state criteria, test developers' intentions, and test characteristics.

Results

At the time of this study, 8 states published guidelines for determining the severity of language impairment, and each specified the use of norm-referenced tests for this purpose. The degree of use and cutoff-point criteria for severity determination varied across states. No cutoff-point criteria aligned with the severity cutoff points described within the test manuals. Furthermore, tests that included severity information lacked empirical data on how the severity categories were derived.

Conclusion

Researchers and clinicians should be cautious in determining the severity of children’s language impairment using norm-referenced test performance given the inconsistency in guidelines and lack of empirical data within test manuals to support this use.

Purpose

Cross-linguistic cognates are words that share form and meaning in two languages (e.g., helicopter–helicóptero); translation equivalents are words that share meaning but not form (e.g., house–casa). Research consistently demonstrates a performance speed and/or accuracy advantage for processing cognates versus noncognates in bilingual adults; studies with children are limited, with equivocal results. We investigated the potential for a cognate advantage for processing expressive and receptive vocabulary in the spoken (vs. written) modality in typically developing Spanish-speaking English-language learners (ELLs).

Method

Thirty 8- to 13-year-old native Spanish-speaking children learning English as their second language completed standardized vocabulary tests in spoken English. Each test item was classified as a cognate or noncognate based on phonological overlap with its Spanish translation. Group and individual analyses were used to examine the effects of cognates.

Results

At the group level, children’s test scores were higher for items that were classified as cognates as compared to noncognates of comparable difficulty. However, not all children demonstrated this cognate advantage. Age predicted significant amounts of variance in cognate performance on the receptive test.

Conclusion

Overall, typically developing Spanish-speaking school-age ELL students demonstrated a cognate advantage. There was also considerable within-group variation in performance. Clinical implications are discussed, and directions for future study are provided.

Purpose

This study investigated the narrative language performance of 3 types of readers who had been identified as being at risk through code-based response-to-intervention (RTI) procedures.

Method

In a retrospective group comparison, 32 at-risk 1st-grade readers were identified: children who resolved without intervention (early resolvers, n = 11), children who met criterion following 4 weeks of intervention (good responders, n = 8), and children who failed to meet criterion following 4 weeks of intervention (poor responders, n = 13). A narrative retell and a norm-referenced language test were obtained before intervention.

Results

There were no significant differences between the 3 learner types on the language test. However, the narratives of the good responders were significantly higher than the narratives of the other 2 groups on total number of words, number of different words, and number of communication units. The narratives of early resolvers and good responders differed significantly on the productivity index, number of coordinating conjunctions, and number of episodic elements. There were no other significant differences.

Conclusion

Types of learners distinguished by a code-based RTI model showed differences in their narrative language. First graders who responded well to code-based reading intervention retold stories that contained more language and better story grammar than first graders who did not respond well to intervention. These results indicate the need to evaluate narrative language performance within RTI, especially for early resolvers.

Purpose

This study examined the effectiveness of a combined phonological and semantic intervention for children with specific language impairment who had word-finding difficulties (WFDs).

Method

To evaluate the intervention, a multiple single-case design was implemented with 4 children, ages 9;6 (years;months) to 13;9, who had WFDs. Some items were trained using a phonological intervention; others were trained using a semantic one. Lexical access outcomes were measured using a picture-naming test at pre- and posttesting.

Results

Three children exhibited a significant reduction in WFDs on the intervention words after 6 sessions. These effects were present at posttest and 6 months later for the treated words only and not the control words. Each child responded differently to the intervention, and these response patterns seemed to be related to each child’s linguistic profile.

Conclusion

This intervention seemed to achieve long-lasting reductions in children’s WFDs. The differential responses to phonological and semantic intervention imply the need to tailor intervention for differing children by matching it to their linguistic profile.

Introduction

Pragmatic models were first applied to the treatment of children with language impairment in the late 1970s. Since that time, the study of language use has had considerable impact on language assessment and treatment. Despite the need to address pragmatic language skills clinically, there has been no systematic examination of the efficacy of treatments developed for this purpose.

Method

In accordance with the evidence-based practice policy agenda, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convened an ad hoc committee on language use in social interactions in school-age children. The committee’s charge was to develop an evidence-based systematic review of treatment for disorders of language use in social interactions. This charge was conducted in collaboration with ASHA’s National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders.

Results

This systematic review provided preliminary support for the feasibility of various treatment procedures addressing social communication behaviors. Gains were reported in topic management skills, narrative production, and repairs of inadequate or ambiguous comments.

Conclusion

Because further investigation of these treatments is warranted, the committee is unable to make empirically supported recommendations for changes in standard clinical practice based solely on this review. More research is needed to examine the feasibility of interventions that focus on children’s language use.