Feasibility of Assessing Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary via Telepractice for Early Elementary-Age Children With
Mary Beth Schmitt1, Sherine Tambyraja2, Megan Thibodeaux
1Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin.
Purpose:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of school-age children with language impairment (LI) and their speech-language pathologists (SLPs) relied on telepractice service delivery models. Unfortunately, the dearth of evidence and procedural guidance available to SLPs has made this transition challenging at best.
Method:
The current study utilized a sample of 20 young children with LI to determine the feasibility of procedures necessary for conducting vocabulary assessments via telepractice platforms and the reliability of scoring participant responses using standardized assessments.
Results:
Study findings resulted in numerous practical suggestions for SLPs working with young children with LI via telepractice. Results suggest that these adaptations result in strong interrater reliability for scoring participant responses in an online format.
Conclusion:
Study findings suggest that conducting telepractice assessments can be a useful and reliable tool for school-based SLPs, with implications reaching beyond the pandemic era.
