Dynamic Assessment for Children With Communication Disorders: A Systematic Scoping Review and Framework

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Dynamic assessment (DA) is a method to evaluate a child's learning potential.
• DA of communication skills in children is increasingly used but lacks a standardized framework.
• Understanding the components of DA is crucial for effective application in research and clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and synthesize elements of dynamic assessments of communication in children.
• To develop a framework organizing these elements.
• To investigate the utilization of these elements in published literature.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review was conducted across seven databases.
• Keywords included "dynamic assessment," "communication," and "children."
• Two independent reviewers screened papers, and data charting focused on study design and assessment characteristics.

Main Results:

• Sixty-five papers met the inclusion criteria.
• Twenty-three distinct elements were identified and organized into the Dynamic Assessment Framework.
• Commonly reported elements included prompting/cueing (54%), predetermined instruction (55%), performance measurement (63%), and prescripted assessments (60%).

Conclusions:

• Dynamic assessments of children's communication are complex and diverse.
• Greater transparency in reporting DA elements is needed.
• The proposed Dynamic Assessment Framework facilitates clearer communication and deeper understanding among researchers and clinicians.