Practice-Based Research With Speech-Language Pathologists: A Case Study in Evaluating an Evidence-Informed Language...

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Educational Psychology
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Practice-based research (PBR) facilitates knowledge translation by integrating research within clinical settings.
• A partnership between clinicians and a school board aimed to evaluate a language assessment tool.
• The tool was designed to assess phonological awareness and story retell skills in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the utility and validity of a school board-developed language assessment tool.
• To assess the tool's effectiveness in differentiating between groups of children and over time.
• To refine the tool based on initial findings to improve its diagnostic capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: Kindergarten children (n=108 referred, n=121 not referred) were assessed in Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 using the initial tool.
• Study 2: A revised tool was administered to a new cohort (n=37) in Spring 2019 and Fall 2019, alongside standardized language assessments.
• Data analysis focused on the tool's ability to detect group differences, changes over time, and correlations with established language measures.

Main Results:

• The initial tool's phonological awareness component differentiated groups and time points; the narrative component showed group but not time differences.
• Following revision, both phonological awareness and narrative components in Study 2 captured expected differences between groups and over time.
• The revised tool's components demonstrated correlations with corresponding standardized language tests, supporting its validity.

Conclusions:

• The PBR project successfully evaluated and refined a bespoke clinical language assessment tool.
• The revised tool effectively captures phonological awareness and narrative language differences in kindergarten children.
• The PBR approach enabled practical insights and timely improvements in clinical assessment practices.