Norm-Referenced Language Test Selection Practices for Elementary School Children With Suspected Developmental...

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Assessment

Background:

• Standardized norm-referenced tests are crucial for language assessment in school-aged children.
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) significantly impacts language development and academic success.
• Accurate language assessment informs appropriate intervention strategies for children with DLD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the language test selection practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) for children with suspected DLD.
• To identify the most frequently chosen first-choice and follow-up language tests.
• To explore factors influencing test selection and sources used to evaluate psychometric quality.

Main Methods:

• A web-based questionnaire was administered to 370 elementary school SLPs.
• Participants reported on their use of norm-referenced language tests for assessing children with DLD.
• Data were collected on test preferences, influencing factors, and information sources for psychometric evaluation.

Main Results:

• Omnibus language tests were the predominant first-choice tests selected by SLPs.
• Semantics tests, particularly vocabulary tests, were favored for follow-up assessments over other language domains.
• Factors influencing selection included test availability, clinician familiarity, and psychometric features, with a notable reliance on subjective information.

Conclusions:

• Clinicians demonstrate a strong preference for omnibus language tests in DLD assessment.
• Follow-up test selection patterns may not fully address the complexities of DLD language difficulties.
• The significant use of subjective information highlights a need to enhance SLPs' understanding and application of psychometric principles in evidence-based assessment.