Navajo

Abstract

Standardized norm-referenced language assessments are used to identify developmental language disorder (DLD) in bicultural Navajo children. However, these assessments do not include normative data for Navajo children, the majority of whom are exposed to both Navajo and English, and consequently the assessments may not reflect their true language abilities. The purpose of this clinical tutorial is to provide background and alternative assessment information to help practitioners accurately identify Navajo children with and without DLD. In particular, the use of dynamic assessment, a test–teach–retest method, has shown promising results in differentiating Navajo children with and without DLD.