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ERIC Number: EJ1478974
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-1461
EISSN: EISSN-1558-9129
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Speech-Language Pathologists' Perspectives on Language Assessment in Bilingual Children
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v56 n3 p646-665 2025
Purpose: 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. Method: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: lshss@asha.org; Web site: http://lshss.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California; Pennsylvania; Illinois; Massachusetts; Washington; Minnesota; Colorado; New Jersey; Maryland; Texas; Oklahoma; New Mexico; Connecticut; Michigan; Oregon
Grant or Contract Numbers: F31DC021619
Author Affiliations: N/A