© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Diagnostic Accuracy of Two Tests of Preschool Language
1 Child Language Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-P) and the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test-Preschool (SPELT-P) were administered to 20 children developing normally and 20 children with specific language impairment in order to assess the tests' diagnostic accuracy. For both tests, the group with normal language scored near the mean of the normative group. The group with specific language impairment scored a standard deviation or more below the normal group mean for each test. Discriminant analyses resulted in statistically significant group differences for both tests. In addition, the discriminant analysis resulted in fair to good (80% or better) diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between the subjects with normal language and the subjects with language impairment. However, the cutoff scores that maximized diagnostic accuracy differed greatly between tests. The findings argue against the common clinical practice of applying one cutoff score across tests to identify an impairment. The data illustrate that the use of a predetermined cutoff score inevitably leads to poorer diagnostic accuracy than one that is empirically derived.
Key Words: developmental language disorders, assessment, child
Submitted on January 10, 1994
Accepted on October 25, 1994
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Delicious 
Digg 
Facebook 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C. H. Qi and S. C. Marley Validity Study of the Preschool Language Scale-4 With English-Speaking Hispanic and European American Children in Head Start Programs Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, August 1, 2011; 31(2): 89 - 98. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Guiberson and B. L. Rodriguez Measurement Properties and Classification Accuracy of Two Spanish Parent Surveys of Language Development for Preschool-Age Children Am J Speech Lang Pathol, August 1, 2010; 19(3): 225 - 237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. H. Price, S. Hendricks, and C. Cook Incorporating Computer-Aided Language Sample Analysis Into Clinical Practice Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, April 1, 2010; 41(2): 206 - 222. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. C. Friberg Considerations for test selection: How do validity and reliability impact diagnostic decisions? Child Language Teaching and Therapy, February 1, 2010; 26(1): 77 - 92. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. Greenslade, E. Plante, and R. Vance The Diagnostic Accuracy and Construct Validity of the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test--Preschool: Second Edition Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, April 1, 2009; 40(2): 150 - 160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. E. Pankratz, E. Plante, R. Vance, and D. M. Insalaco The Diagnostic and Predictive Validity of The Renfrew Bus Story Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, October 1, 2007; 38(4): 390 - 399. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Alt and E. Plante Factors That Influence Lexical and Semantic Fast Mapping of Young Children With Specific Language Impairment J Speech Lang Hear Res, October 1, 2006; 49(5): 941 - 954. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. D. Pena, T. J. Spaulding, and E. Plante The Composition of Normative Groups and Diagnostic Decision Making: Shooting Ourselves in the Foot Am J Speech Lang Pathol, August 1, 2006; 15(3): 247 - 254. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. Spaulding, E. Plante, and K. A. Farinella Eligibility Criteria for Language Impairment: Is the Low End of Normal Always Appropriate? Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, January 1, 2006; 37(1): 61 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|