Dynamic Assessment: An Interactive Alternative for Spanish Speaking Children
In the United States (US), the increased use of Spanish as a first language (L1) among school age students is directly related to the increasing numbers of families from Hispanic backgrounds. As such, it is important for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to understand language performance among bilingual and bicultural individuals and to distinguish between language differences and language disorders. The inability of SLPs to make a distinction between differences versus disorders largely contributes to the problem of overrepresentation of bilingual children receiving speech-language therapy in US schools. Using alternatives to standardized testing for evaluative purposes is crucial to improving assessment of children from diverse backgrounds. This study evaluated the effectiveness of dynamic assessment (DA) as an alternative method to diagnose childhood language abilities among Spanish speaking children. An extensive review of theory and empirical literature was employed to support and validate performance of Spanish speaking children on a selected measure of dynamic assessment, the Dynamic Assessment and Intervention (DAI). Results demonstrate that DA provides additional information such as listener effort and student modifiability, which contribute to improved accuracy of assessment, as contrasted with standardized childhood language tests.
School:
California State University, Chico
Department:
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Research Advisor:
Adele Proctor
Department of Research Advisor:
Speech and Hearing Sciences
Year of Publication:
2008