A Study of Three Tests for Identifying Language Disorders in Preschool-Age Children

Author

Mary F. Lewis, Fontbonne College

Year of Award

1981

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

College

College of Education & Allied Health

Department

Communication Disorders and Deaf Education

First Advisor

Robert A. Portnoy

Keywords

PLS, NSST, speech, syntax, comprehension, pathologist, screening, ACLC, auditory, assessment

Abstract

Fourteen preschool-age Headstart children were divided into two groups, a Language Disordered Group (LDG) and a Normal Language Group (NLG). The LDG group consisted of 7 children diagnosed as having language disorders, while the NLG group consisted of 7 children judged to have no language disorders. The children came from the metropolitan area of St. Louis and were selected by two speech and language pathologists at their respective headstart sites. The purpose of the study was to establish which of three commonly used tests, the PLS, NSST, and ACLC would be the one most likely to best identify the preschool child with a language disorder and to find out the relationshiu between the extent of severity as determined by the speech and language pathologist who diagnosed the language disorder and the extent of severity as measured by the PLS, NS.ST, and ACLC. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that there were significant differences between the scores of the LDG and NLG groups on the following tests: PLS, NSST Receptive and the ACLC Part D . Statistical analysis of the data indicated that there was a highly positive correlation between the PLS and judgements of severity by the speech and language pathologists. This investigation suggests that the PLS can be used to differentiate between those children who will require speech and language therapy and those who will not.

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Recommended Citation

Lewis, Mary F., "A Study of Three Tests for Identifying Language Disorders in Preschool-Age Children" (1981). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 15.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/15