[The validity of the SET 5-10 (language level test for children aged between five and ten years): first analyses]

No other child developmental domain is as frequently affected by disorders as language acquisition. The SET 5-10 (language level test for children aged between 5 and 10 years), was developed to assess specific language disorders.

This study examines the ability of the SET 5-10 to differentiate between the developmental increases of speech competence, present deficits resulting from previous speech deficits and the probability of assessing possible speech deficits of children with an immigrant background.

Based on data of the norm sample (n=1,052; 51.8% female) different cohorts (age-groups, children with speech impairment problems and children with immigrant background) are compared by Multivariate analysis of variance.

In all subtests a steady increase of performance with increasing age could be found. The means of children with previous grammar deficits (n=46) and children with immigrant background (n=143) are significantly lower than those of the reference group.

The results presented offer first proof of a differentiated and economic diagnosis of language achievement of children 5-10 years of age.