Guidance for CLD Preschoolers
with a Potential Language
Impairment
Stephanie Dahlke, Ed.S, NCSP
and
Kimberly Graham, SLP
Language Acquisition vs. Language
Impairment
• Language Acquisition (LA)
– Process of learning a new language
• Is sometimes mistaken for a language impairment
• Can be sequential or simultaneous
• Language Impairment (LI)
– An impairment of receptive and/or expressive
language
• Must be present in all languages
• Prevents typical language development
Language Impairment
• A significant deficit in learning to talk, understand, or
use any aspect of language appropriately, relative to
both environmental and norm-referenced expectations
for children of similar developmental level.
– environmental expectations - meaning that the deficit is big
enough to be noticed by the “average” person and affects
how the child functions socially or academically in the work
in which he or she lives. Thus the deficit has adaptive
consequences.
– norm-referenced expectations - meaning that in addition to
the child struggling to communicate in everyday life, the
child must also score significantly below expectations on
some standardized or norm referenced tests.
Second Language Acquisition
(SLA)
• 5 Stages of SLA
– Silent Stage
– Early Production Stage
– Speech Emergence Stage
– Intermediate Language Proficiency
– Advanced Language Proficiency
• Silent period often confuses preschool
identification
Classifying Bilinguals
• Sequential Bilingual
– L2 (second language) is acquired after L1 (first
language)
• Early Sequential Bilingual
– Child acquires single L1 since birth and L2 throughout
childhood (typically 2-12 years)
• Simultaneous Bilingual
– Child who acquires two languages since birth
• Simultaneous vs. Sequential
– There is some debate as to what age simultaneous vs.
sequential language acquisition takes place.
Bilingual Language Acquisition
• Language development of simultaneous
bilinguals is similar but not identical to
monolinguals.
• Language development of sequential
bilinguals is similar but not identical to
monolinguals over time.
Implications
• Difficult to compare bilingual children who
have different language experiences.
• Any single standard for comparing all bilinguals
is inappropriate.
• A monolingual standard will misrepresent the
true ability of bilingual children. Their skills fall
between the two axes, not on them as with
monolinguals.
So…how do we assess?
Standardized Testing?
• Limited bilingual assessments.
• Standardized language assessments are
developed using English cultural norms
and English language rules.
• Norming and standardization is done on
English speaking children.
Guidance Handout
• A process that can GUIDE assessment.
• Relies on a preponderance of evidence.
Peer Comparisons
• Where to start?
– Same ethnicity
– Same native language
– Same age
– Similar time in the United States
– Similar exposure to English instruction
Peer Comparisons, continued
• What if we don’t have closely similar peers?
– Slowly expand …
• Same grade student in another classroom (with
same curriculum) who meets the other criteria. One
grade up or down (while meeting other criteria)
• Different time in the United States
• Different exposure to English instruction
• Different native language
** Comparisons lose validity as the peer search
widens.
(Please Note: With Pre-K students, please
keep in mind we are working with their age,
not their grade.)
Let’s Walk It Through
Sample Child
• Jose is a 4 year old in Ms. Jenny’s preschool
class. Jose was born in the United States. Both of
his parents are bilingual. Both Spanish and
English are spoken in the home. Jose has been
enrolled in preschool since age 3.
• The teacher notes the following concerns: needs
directions repeated, unable to catch onto concepts
that are taught repeatedly, appears reluctant to
talk – never shares information on his own,
struggles to answer questions correctly even with
prompting, and talks in 2 word utterances.
Resources
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Paul, R. (2007). Language Disorders from Infancy Through Adolescence: Assessment and Intervention; 3rd edition. St. Louis,
MO: Mosby,inc.
Bedmore, L.M. & Pena, E.D. (2008). Assessment of bilingual children for identification of language impairment:
Current findings and implications for practice. International Journal of Bilingual Education and
Bilingualism, 11, No.1
Bula, I., Core, C., (2006). Advances in diagnostic protocols for english language learners; an exploratory study.
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Florida Atlantic university.
Carias, S., Cornish, N., (2008). Not speaking their language? Providing appropriate services to bilingual students.
ASHA conference.
Chabon, S. , Brown , J. E. & Gildersleeve-Neumann, C. (2010, August 03). Ethics, Equity, and English-Language
Learners: A Decision-Making Framework. The ASHA Leader.
Connell, P.J. & Roseberry, C.A (1991). The use of an invented language rule in the differentiation of normal and
language-impaired spanish-speaking children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 34, 596-603.
Dollaghan, C.A, & Horner, E.A. (2011). Bilingual language assessment: A meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 54, 1077-1088
Gutierrez-Clellen, V.F., Simon-Cerej, G., & Wagner, C. (2008). Bilingual children with language impairment: A
comparison with monolinguals and second language learners. Applied Pscycholinguistics, 29, 3-19.
Hakansson, G., Salameh, E.K., & Nettelbadt, U. (2003). Measuring language development in bilingual children:
Swedish-Arabic children with and without language impairments, 41:2, 255-288.
Marian, V. , Faroqi-Shah, Y. , Kaushanskaya, M. , Blumenfeld, H. K. & Sheng, L. (2009, October 13). Bilingualism
: Consequences for Language, Cognition, Development, and the Brain. The ASHA Leader.
Special Education Statewide
Technical Assistance (SESTA)
Center for School Improvement & Policy Studies, BSU
Gina Hopper
Katie Bubak
Director
Statewide Coordinator
ginahopper@boisestate.edu
katiebubak@boisestate.edu
www.idahotc.com
Training and Technology for Today’s Tomorrow
• Supported By:
• Website to link school
professionals and
parents with special
education training
opportunities and
resources across the
state
– Idaho State
Department of
Education (ISDE),
Special Education
• Project Team:
– Cari Murphy
– Shawn Wright
Contact Information:
Please write your questions for this
presentation on the SLD FAQ page found
on the Idaho Training Clearinghouse at…
http://itcnew.idahotc.com/specific-learning-disability/sldfaq.aspx