Testing Very Preterm Black Children to Examine Potential Assessment Bias in Two Language Tests.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Speech and language assessments are crucial for identifying developmental concerns in high-risk populations.
• Children born preterm are a key demographic at risk for speech and language delays.
• Existing assessments may contain cultural biases affecting accurate evaluation of Black children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential cultural bias in the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) and the MacArthur Bates Communicative Inventory (CDI).
• To examine the performance of Black children under three years old on these speech and language assessments compared to White children.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Early Development of NICU graduates' study (EDeN).
• Included 54 very preterm (VPT) infants (18 Black, 36 White).
• Compared CSBS cluster scores and CDI: Words and Gestures (WG) scores between Black and White children using t-tests and mixed models; Spearman correlation analyzed score relationships.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between Black and White children's CSBS scores.
• No significant differences were observed in total CDI: WG scores between racial groups based on parent reports.
• A weak correlation between CSBS and CDI: WG gesture subtests was noted for the total group, and a moderate correlation for Black children.

Conclusions:

• The study found no significant differences in CSBS and CDI: WG scores between Black and White VPT children, suggesting a potential lack of cultural bias in these tools for this cohort.
• The correlation between gestural subtest scores indicates consistency between clinician observations (CSBS) and parent reports (CDI: WG).