evaluating students from culturally and linguistically diverse populations: determining difference...

Demographic Example: Texas Public School

48%

34%

14%4%

2009 Snapshot

How do we qualify and work with a bilingual population when:

▫ The tests we use are not normed on this population.

▫ My gut feeling doesn’t match the test results.

▫ I don’t know what goals are appropriate.

Learner Objectives • Participants will list, identify, describe…▫ Reasons for testing both languages▫ Formal and informal measures for testing ELLs▫ Use of tests when a student is not represented in the

normative sample▫ ASHA guidelines for assessment with bilingual

students▫ Red flags for speech and language impairment in

bilingual children.▫ Sounds on the Goldman-Fristoe that are subject to

second language influence

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+ = Positive transfer

+ = Negative transfer

Difference vs. Disorder

NORMAL ERRORS

SECOND-LANGUAGE INFLUENCE

ATYPICAL ERRORS

Exercise: The Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA)Using clinical judgment to analyze errors due to cross-linguistic influence

GFTA Exercise: Key

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The Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA)

Summary: So what do we know about assessing articulation?

Spanish ArticulationAssessment Tools

Click here to download this chart as a pdf.

“Bilingualism is random chaos for psychometrics”

Figueroa, 1989

• We need a standardized score• However, the formal tests have not been normed

on our populations

• We rely on informal assessment• We use formal testing as a way to gather

information

The Evolution of Language Test Development

• A look at:▫ Language Assessment Tools PLS -4 CELF – 4 SLAP

▫ Vocabulary Assessment Tools ROWPVT EOWPVT CELF -4

Spanish LanguageAssessment Tools

Click here to download this chart as a pdf.

Other Common Languages

Vietnamese

Romanian

HindiUrdu

Arabic

• It’s always critical to use information beyond the assessment tool to complete an assessment.

• Let’s look now at some of the things that can help us differentiate bilinguals with typical development from those with delayed/disordered language skills.

Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT)

Dynamic Assessment

( )

• Difficulty learning both languages, even with adult assistance

• Family history of language/learning disabilities • Slower development than siblings• Difficulty interacting with peers• Inappropriate pragmatic/social language skills (i.e.,

turn-taking, topic maintenance, considering listener needs, non-verbal communication)

• Difficulty with language in many routines• Idiosyncratic error patterns • Language performance unlike others with similar

cultural/linguistic experiences

A student from a second language home does not perform typically for her age on standardized and informal evaluations.

Is this due to second language influence or is she truly impaired?

When do we test in two languages?

• Is the language survey valuable to us?

• Are the results from language proficiency testing valuable to us (Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey)?

Speech and Language Testing is Cumulative not Comparative

Cumulative not ComparativeLanguage and Content of Intervention Select based on what is appropriate in each language and 

what is appropriate for child’s and family’s situation. For example:

Spanish•Gender•Verbs•Article+nouns•Food •Clothing•Household items

Both•People•Functions•Categorization•Part-Whole

English•Pronouns•Prepositions•Nouns•Colors•Numbers•Shapes

Peña & Kester, 2004

Assessment Summary

• So what do we know?▫ Not all bilinguals are the same ▫ Children learning a second language may display

behaviors common in monolinguals with language impairment

▫ Problems associated with all assessment tools▫ We need to go beyond the tool in assessment▫ Ongoing assessment across many daily routines is

critical▫ Exploring all languages is essential

What makes up a bilingual evaluation testing packet

Referral Packet

Vision and Hearing

Parent Info

Teacher Info

Educational History

English Testing

Informal Speech

Formal Speech

Informal Language

Formal Language

What makes up a bilingual evaluation testing packet

Referral Packet

Vision and Hearing

Parent Info

Teacher Info

Educational History

English Testing

Informal Speech

Formal Speech

Informal Language

Formal Language

Second Language

Testing

Informal Speech

Formal Speech

Informal Language

Formal Language

Language Outcomes

• Qualifies• DNQ

• DNQ• DNQ

Errors are

typical for age

Errors are due

to second

language

Errors are

atypical for age

and language

No errors

present

Speech Outcomes

• Qualifies• DNQ

• DNQ• DNQ

Errors are

typical for age

Errors are due

to second

language

Errors are

atypical for age

and language

No errors

present

A word on DNQs

•DO NOT QUIT here!

• You put 60 days of work into this student and know him better than anyone at this point

• Share the data to explain how to support the student and make him successful in the classroom

Case StudiesDual language effects on the referral and assessment process

Case Study #1SPANISH-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

• STUDENT 1 – 1st Grade, English classroom▫ Below grade level in Kindergarten▫ Wears glasses▫ Reading is below grade

level▫ Difficulty answering

questions▫ Easily distracted

Spn Eng

Composite Language Scores

Stnd Score

%ile Rank

Stnd Score

%ile Rank

Core Language

86 18 78 7

Receptive Language

78 7 73 4

Expressive Language

85 16 69 2

Language Content

77 6 73 4

Language Structure

84 14 78 7

Case Study #1SPANISH-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

• STUDENT 1 – 1st Grade, English classroom▫ Below grade level in Kindergarten▫ Wears glasses▫ Reading is below grade

level▫ Difficulty answering

questions▫ Easily distracted

Spn Eng

Composite Language Scores

Stnd Score

%ile Rank

Stnd Score

%ile Rank

Core Language

86 18 78 7

Receptive Language

78 7 73 4

Expressive Language

85 16 69 2

Language Content

77 6 73 4

Language Structure

84 14 78 7

• STUDENT 2 – 1st Grade, English classroom• Repeating 1st grade• Struggling academically (especially math and

reading)• Does not talk

often in class • Talks at recess• Bilingual home

Spanish English

Composite Language Scores

Stnd Score Stnd Score

Core Language 68 Core Language 90

Receptive Language 83 Listening Comprehension

96

Expressive Language 57 Oral Expression 87

Language Structure 57

Case Study #1SPANISH-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

• STUDENT 2 – 1st Grade, English classroom• Repeating 1st grade• Struggling academically (especially math and

reading)• Does not talk

often in class • Talks at recess• Bilingual home

Spanish English

Composite Language Scores

Stnd Score Stnd Score

Core Language 68 Core Language 90

Receptive Language 83 Listening Comprehension

96

Expressive Language 57 Oral Expression 87

Language Structure 57

Case Study #1SPANISH-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

STUDENT 1 – 1st Grade, English classroom• Outcome▫ Student does not qualify for speech and language services▫ Language development is within normal limits in Spanish▫ Language development in English is typical for a second

language learner▫ Reading difficulties may be related to visual impairment

Incidentally,LD testing results matched speech and language results after the student was tested in both languages.

Case Study #1SPANISH-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

STUDENT 2 – 1st Grade, English classroom• Outcome

– Student does not qualify for speech and language services– Language development is within normal limits in English– Language development in Spanish indicates low

proficiency– Academic difficulties may be related to a learning disability

LD testing recommended.

Case Study #1SPANISH-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

Case Study #2ARABIC/ADHD

• Receiving resource for Other Health Impairment• ADHD and is now on medication• Home Language Survey says Arabic/English• Did not qualify as LD

• English Language Testing: ▫ CELF-4 Core Language = 77 Receptive Language = 76 Expressive Language = 78 Language Content = 78 Language Memory = 78

Questions:

• Is it possible that his language scores are "flat" due to being bilingual?

• Should I have an Arabic assessment done? If so, how should I go about it?

• Or since he isn't LEP, should we go ahead and qualify him as SI?

Case Study #2ARABIC/ADHD

• Results▫ Assessment completed with Arabic interpreter▫ Language sample with much longer and more

complex utterances than demonstrated in English▫ Minimal vocabulary errors▫ Minimal syntax errors▫ Fully intelligible to interpreter

Case Study #2ARABIC/ADHD

Case Study #3BRITISH ENGLISH /HEARING IMPAIRMENT

• Mild to moderate hearing impairment • 50% Intelligible• 1st Percentile with standardized speech testing• 69% intelligible during 100 word sample• Family from England and has been living in the

United States for two years

Questions:

• How do we figure out what is causing the low intelligibility? Is it a true speech impairment, resulting from the hearing impairment, or influence from British English?

• Can the norms from the standardized test be used because he speaks “English?”

• If he qualifies, how do we determine appropriate goals?

Case Study #3BRITISH ENGLISH /HEARING IMPAIRMENT

• Outcome▫ Parents more thoroughly interviewed. This

was a dialectical difference in the area they came from

▫ SLP researched (“googled”) specific dialect to identify attributes

▫ Speech errors were put up against Typical errors with hearing impairment Age-appropriate errors in SA English Dialectal differences of “Brummie English”

▫ Results follow

Case Study #3BRITISH ENGLISH /HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Initial Medial Final Initial Medial Final Initial Medial Final

p tk omit

ln omit

b dg omit

rw w omit

m kt glottal

stop sst

n"ng"

gomit

zs

omit

fv

w v t

h De-aspirated

De-aspirated

De-aspirated dz

j (y)n voiced

"th"v

Case Study #3BRITISH ENGLISH /HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Case Study #3BRITISH ENGLISH /HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Phonemes

Phonological Processes

Blend: Error: Blend: Error: Blend: Error:bl bj (y) gr gw sl s

br b kl k sp

dr g kr kw st

fl f kw gw sw

fr fw pl tr

Process ExampleFinal consonant deletion "ba" for "ball"

Medial consonant deletion "waon" for "wagon"

Fronting "take" for "cake"

Backing "kelephone" for "telephone"

Gliding "bawoons" for "balloons" and "wing" for "ring," "fwog" for "frog"

Cluster reduction "lasses" for "glasses"

Deaffrication "share" for "chair"

Outcome:

• Qualifies for speech services

• Evaluation provided detailed information for which sounds to address

• Goals are specific to non-dialectal sounds said in error

Case Study #3BRITISH ENGLISH /HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Take Away Points• Thorough language history is critical.• Thorough health (especially hearing) history is

needed.• Testing in all languages is the only way to get a

complete picture of a student’s abilities• Understanding the features of the non-English

language as well as how those compare to English will help identify what errors may be due to cross-linguistic influence.

Difference or Disorder? Understanding Speech and Language Patterns in Culturally and Linguistically 

Diverse Students

Rapidly identify speech‐language patterns related to second language acquisition to distinguish difference from disorder.

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