Speech-Language Pathologists' Perspectives on Language Assessment in Bilingual Children

This study used a semistructured open interview approach to gather information from school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding their assessment practices for bilingual children with suspected language disorders.

Phone interviews were conducted with 25 school-based SLPs across the United States. The interviews explored assessment topics related to tool selection and rationale and the integration of assessment data to determine diagnosis and treatment eligibility.

The results of this study suggest that SLPs use a combination of norm-referenced and informal assessments when evaluating bilingual children. Informal measures, such as parent/teacher interviews and language sampling, were relied upon for diagnostic decisions, contrasting with the emphasis on norm-referenced testing observed in previous research. District policies and guidelines influenced norm-referenced assessments. Informal tools were used to capture natural language use, provide a comprehensive view of bilingual abilities, and gather detailed case histories.

School-based SLPs integrate norm-referenced and informal measures in their bilingual assessment practices, with a notable reliance on informal assessments for diagnostic decision making. This approach contrasts with the reliance on norm-referenced measures typically observed in monolingual assessment practices, reflecting SLPs' potential recognition of limitations and biases in norm-referenced tests when used with bilingual children. The findings suggest that SLPs are aware of and use culturally sensitive diagnostic practices.