Procedures for Obtaining and Analyzing Writing Samples of School-Age Children and Adolescents

How Inclusive Practice Increases the Educational Relevance of Individualized Education Programs

PURPOSE

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guidelines for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) require that students with disabilities should, to the fullest extent appropriate, receive services that promote academic achievement that are delivered within the general educational environment. In this clinical focus article, we will demonstrate how the inclusive practice service delivery model can assist speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with the development of educationally relevant IEPs.

METHOD

Twelve SLPs who saw at least 30% of their students in a general education context shared their perspectives on inclusive practice. Their responses were transcribed and coded using deductive qualitative analysis. Their insights were combined with relevant literature to demonstrate how inclusive practice promotes educationally relevant IEPs.

RESULTS

We provided practical examples of using curriculum-based assessments and academic standards to gauge students' present levels of academic and functional performance. We next described how engaging with the school community and observing students in the educational environment assists with determining the effects of a student's disability on academic achievement and functional performance. We concluded by describing how an inclusive mindset helps to align services to meet students' needs.

CONCLUSION

An inclusive framework can help create IEPs that promote students' access, engagement, and progress in age or grade-level curriculum, instruction, and environments by highlighting the impact of a disability on academic achievement and functional performance.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24354319.

Sharpening Our Tools: A Systematic Review to Identify Diagnostically Accurate Language Sample Measures

PURPOSE

This systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of the diagnostic accuracy of English language sample analysis (LSA) measures for the identification of developmental language disorder.

METHOD

An electronic database search was conducted to identify English publications reporting empirical data on the diagnostic accuracy of English LSA measures for children aged 3 years or older.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies were reviewed. Studies included between 18 and 676 participants ranging in age from 3;0 to 13;6 (years;months). Analyzed measures targeted multiple linguistic domains, and diagnostic accuracy ranged from less than 25% to greater than 90%. Morphosyntax measures achieved the highest accuracy, especially in combination with length measures, and at least one acceptable measure was identified for each 1-year age band up to 10 years old.

CONCLUSION

Several LSA measures or combinations of measures are clinically useful for the identification of developmental language disorder, although more research is needed to replicate findings using rigorous methods and to explore measures that are informative for adolescents and across diverse varieties of English.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21183247.

Conceptual Framework Behind the Development of a Level of Confidence Tool: The Pediatric Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Value Scale

PURPOSE

The videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) is the most commonly used instrumental procedure for evaluating swallowing in pediatric populations suspected of having dysphagia. Assessment and interpretation of a VFSS in pediatric populations is frequently challenged by testing-specific factors that can raise concerns regarding the representativeness of swallow events observed during testing compared to daily feeding/swallowing physiology. When VFSS findings do not represent typical swallowing patterns, treatment recommendations can result in suboptimal outcomes. To address this current challenge to pediatric VFSS interpretation and associated treatment recommendations, the pediatric VFSS Value Scale (pVFSS Value Scale) was developed within a tertiary regional pediatric medical center. This clinical focus article summarizes the initial scale development phases and resulting conceptual framework for rating clinical testing factors that influence a clinician's level of confidence regarding pediatric VFSS findings. Future goals for scientific evaluation and clinical utilization of this new rating scale are also reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The pVFSS Value Scale was developed to assist clinicians with interpretation of pediatric VFSS assessment outcomes and to efficiently communicate factors influencing impressions and treatment recommendations with team members and caregivers. This clinical concept article summarizes potential uses of this tool to inform treatment planning as well as future clinical research to evaluate its psychometrics and clinical utility.

Grammatical Verb Errors: Differences Between English Learners With and Without Diagnosed Language-Based Learning Disabilities

PURPOSE

This study examines the written language samples of fifth grade English learner (EL) students with and without diagnosed language-based learning disabilities (LLDs) in an effort to explore the utility of such supplemental materials for aiding in differential diagnosis of ELs with and without LLDs.

METHOD

This sample of 127 fifth grade students consisted of ELs without identified disabilities (n = 89) and ELs diagnosed with LLDs (n = 38). Written language samples from a classroom-based expository writing task were coded for grammaticality and specific verb type of errors. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) between the groups that differed by language abilities was conducted at two time points to compare the frequency of errors and the average change in grammaticality from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year.

RESULTS

EL students with and without LLDs performed similarly at the beginning of the school year. ELs without LLDs showed greater average change in accuracy across the school year. Significantly, higher proportions of verb tense and verb omission errors were demonstrated by ELs with LLDs when compared with their EL peers at the end of the school year. Overall grammatical accuracy was also lower for ELs with LLDs.

CONCLUSIONS

Group differences at the end of the school year were confirmed in types and rate of verb errors. Results support the potential clinical utility of monitoring verb errors in writing samples over time as a supplemental tool in diagnostic evaluations and assessments for progress monitoring.

A Preliminary Study of Writing Skills in Adolescents with Autism Across Persuasive, Expository, and Narrative Genres

Writing is often difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet relatively little literature exists that profiles specific strengths and needs within this area. This preliminary investigation compares the written language skills of adolescents with ASD without intellectual disability (n = 14) to typically developing (TD) adolescents (n = 12). Writing samples from persuasive, expository, and narrative genres were elicited. Variables of sample length, writing productivity, syntax, lexical diversity, and macrostructure were analyzed. In the persuasive and expository genres, the ASD group scored significantly lower than the TD group on sample length and some aspects of macrostructure. The ASD group scored higher than the TD group on lexical diversity in the persuasive genre. Other comparisons yielded large effect sizes but were not statistically significant.

Relationship Between Children's Lexical Diversity in Written Narratives and Performance on a Standardized Reading Vocabulary Measure

The purpose of this study was to examine construct validity of methods of calculating lexical diversity in written narrative samples relative to children's performance on a reading vocabulary measure. For 234 children in 1st-5th grade, written narratives were examined and compared between grades for number of different words (NDW), total words (TNW), NDW in a truncated 50 word sample, and type token ratio (TTR). The relationship between lexical diversity in written narratives and a standardized reading vocabulary measure (GMRT-4) was analyzed by comparing correlations. Grade differences were observed in measures of lexical diversity and productivity. Lexical diversity showed a significant moderate correlation with the GMRT-4. NDW had a stronger relationship to GMRT-4 scores than TTR for participants in first and second grade. Considering length (TNW, NDW constrained to 50 words, or TTR) did not result in a stronger relationship with reading vocabulary. Following additional study establishing probe equivalence, NDW in written narratives may be an efficient, educationally relevant, marker of language maturity and a good predictor of performance on a standardized reading vocabulary measure.

Grade Level Expectations in Lexical Measures and Accuracy of Written Narrative Samples

This project aimed to describe selected micro structural aspects of written narratives of school age children and examine the relationship between narrative measures and performance on standardized assessments. Investigators utilized written personal narratives of 907 children in 1st-8th grade. Children's responses were described in terms of lexical diversity, productivity, and accuracy (grammatical, spelling, and conventions) by grade. The relationship between written narrative measures and performance on statewide assessments was analyzed through correlational and regression analyses. Findings demonstrated an upward trend in lexical measures across grades and a decrease in the proportion of errors. Children's performance on written language sample measures were significantly correlated to performance on standardized language and literacy assessments. The proportion of errors in written samples appeared to explain more unique variance than lexical measures. Findings substantiate that lexical measures and accuracy of written narrative measures are educationally relevant tools in first through eighth grade for predicting performance on standardized statewide language and literacy assessments. Results provide additional resources for educators on expected distribution of performance of school age children on written narrative measures. Findings further affirm the construct validity of using written narrative sample measures as a developmental index of language acquisition.

Using Language Sample Analysis to Assess Spoken Language Production in Adolescents

Purpose

This tutorial discusses the importance of language sample analysis and how Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software can be used to simplify the process and effectively assess the spoken language production of adolescents.

Method

Over the past 30 years, thousands of language samples have been collected from typical speakers, aged 3–18 years, in conversational and narrative contexts. These samples have been formatted as reference databases included with SALT. Using the SALT software, individual samples are compared with age- and grade-matched samples selected from these databases.

Results

Two case studies illustrate that comparison with database samples of typical adolescents, matched by grade and elicitation context, highlights language measures that are higher or lower than the database mean values. Differences in values are measured in standard deviations.

Conclusion

Language sample analysis remains a powerful method of documenting language use in everyday speaking situations. A sample of talking reveals an individual's ability to meet specific speaking demands. These demands vary across contexts, and speakers can have difficulty in any one or all of these communication tasks. Language use for spoken communication is a foundation for literacy attainment and contributes to success in navigating relationships for school, work, and community participation.