In the field of speech-language pathology, accurate identification and intervention for developmental language disorders (DLD) in bilingual children is a critical challenge. The study "Identifying Developmental Language Disorders in French-Portuguese Bilingual Children: Resources Available to Speech-Language Pathologists" by Schwob and Skoruppa (2021) offers valuable insights into effective assessment practices. This blog aims to help practitioners enhance their skills by implementing the outcomes of this research or by encouraging further investigation.
Key Findings and Their Implications
The study assessed 31 French-Portuguese bilingual children aged 5;0 to 7;11 years, with 15 showing typical development (TD) and 16 identified with DLD. Various assessment modes were used, ranging from monolingual assessments to bilingual evaluations. Here are the critical findings:
- Non-Word Repetition Task: The non-word repetition (NWR) task in French, when adjusted for language exposure, showed high discriminative power with 81% sensitivity and 80% specificity. This task proved to be the most effective in distinguishing between TD and DLD children.
- Parental Questionnaire: Information gathered from parents about their children's language practices and risk factors provided additional, albeit less discriminative, insights. However, it did not significantly improve discrimination rates when combined with NWR tasks.
Practical Applications for Clinicians
Based on these findings, speech-language pathologists can adopt several strategies to improve the accuracy of DLD identification in bilingual children:
- Incorporate NWR Tasks: Given their high sensitivity and specificity, NWR tasks should be a staple in assessments, particularly when adjusted for language exposure.
- Use Adjusted Cut-off Points: Follow the recommendations by Elin Thordardottir (2015) to adjust cut-off points based on the child's language exposure. This adjustment enhances the specificity of the assessments.
- Parental Questionnaires: Utilize comprehensive parental questionnaires to gather background information and identify potential risk factors, although this should complement other assessment tools rather than replace them.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study provides a solid foundation, further research is essential to refine these methods and explore additional tools. Areas for future investigation include:
- Dynamic Assessment Methods: Exploring dynamic assessments that focus on the child's learning potential rather than static proficiency measures.
- Narrative Tasks: Investigating the diagnostic accuracy of narrative tasks, which have shown promise in other bilingual contexts.
- Broader Language Combinations: Extending research to other language pairs to validate the findings across different bilingual populations.
In conclusion, the study by Schwob and Skoruppa (2021) offers valuable insights and practical recommendations for speech-language pathologists working with bilingual children. By incorporating these strategies, clinicians can enhance their diagnostic accuracy and provide more effective interventions.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Identifying Developmental Language Disorders in French-Portuguese Bilingual Children: Resources Available to Speech-Language Pathologists.
