Predicting spoken language acquisition of profoundly hearing-impaired children

The Spoken Language Predictor (SLP) Index is a proposed guide for making recommendations regarding the most appropriate communication mode to be used in educating a given hearing-impaired child. The SLP Index is the sum of points obtained on five predictor factors that have been weighted according to their contribution to successful spoken language acquisition. The point values assigned for each factor as well as assignment of points to particular test scores within each factor was accomplished by subjective clinical judgment followed by trial application to actual clinic cases. Three ranges of SLP indexes are associated with three educational recommendations: speech emphasis (SLP = 80-100), provisional speech instruction (SLP = 60-75), and sign language emphasis (SLP = 0-55). The purpose of this article is to describe the development and application of the SLP and preliminary evidence for its stability and validity.