Culturally Responsive Language Assessment Through a Verbal Operant Experimental Analysis

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Culturally and linguistically diverse individuals are often misidentified with communication deficits, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Accurate assessment of functional language is crucial for effective intervention in diverse populations.
• Traditional language assessments may not adequately capture the verbal repertoire of bilingual speakers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the utility of a verbal operant experimental analysis for assessing functional language in a bilingual child with ASD.
• To highlight the importance of culturally responsive early intensive behavioral intervention.
• To present a case study illustrating the application of functional language analysis for individualized treatment planning.

Main Methods:

• A pretreatment functional analysis of verbal behavior was conducted with a bilingual participant.
• The analysis allowed for assessment of language function in both Spanish and English.
• An individualized treatment plan was developed based on the pretreatment assessment.

Main Results:

• The functional analysis provided a measure of the participant's current functional language level.
• The participant demonstrated the ability to switch between Spanish and English responses.
• A posttest evaluation 5 months after intervention showed benefits of culturally responsive early intensive behavioral intervention.

Conclusions:

• Functional language analysis is a valuable, verbal-community-centered approach for assessing diverse speakers.
• This method supports the development of individualized treatment plans for complex verbal repertoires.
• Culturally responsive interventions are effective in improving communication outcomes for bilingual children with ASD.