Seminars in Speech and Language最新文献

Children who speak African American English (AAE) may have an elevated likelihood of being diagnosed with language disorders. Traditional language sample analysis (LSA) metrics, such as Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS), are based on the morphosyntax of General American English (GAE) and may not accurately reflect the language abilities of AAE-speaking children. We examined the effectiveness of computerized Black English Sentence Scoring (BESS) in distinguishing between typically developing (TD) and developmental language disorder (DLD) in AAE- and GAE-speaking children compared with DSS.Language samples from 88 children (22 DLD, 66 TD) ages 5;0 to 7;02, comprising 44 AAE-speaking children and 44 GAE-speaking children, were analyzed using Computerized Language ANalysis (CLAN) DSS and BESS options.Results of a two-level ANOVA did not show evidence of any effect by dialect and scoring method. Logistic regression analyses revealed that both DSS and BESS exhibited poor classification accuracy, suggesting that they are statistically unreliable methods of DLD identification in children who speak either AAE or GAE.Although BESS is intended to minimize linguistic bias compared with DSS, neither approach yielded adequate diagnostic accuracy in this study. However, both can provide valuable information on grammatical features in a child's expressive language to guide intervention.

This study investigates how educators perceive African American English (AAE) and whether those perceptions affect special education referrals. Using a mixed-methods design, 41 practicing educators evaluated vignettes written in both AAE and Mainstream American English by fictional third-grade students. Although most participants expressed favorable views of AAE as a legitimate dialect, vignettes written in AAE were 6.5 times more likely to be referred for special education. This disconnect between stated beliefs and referral behavior suggests that language differences may still be misinterpreted as a disorder. Findings highlight the need for targeted professional development, culturally responsive referral safeguards, and instruction that validates dialectal diversity. The study contributes to broader discussions about equity, disproportionality in special education, and the application of raciolinguistic frameworks in educational decision-making.

The purpose of this article is to provide the readers of the forum with an overview of research on African American children's language and connection to literacy, review how literate language has been traditionally defined and conceptualized, describe areas of concern when using traditional perspectives on literate language to evaluate the language of African American English (AAE) speakers, and recommend assessment approaches and strategies that allow for a comprehensive assessment that is informed by sociocultural orientations to literacy.

This study reviews the sociocultural, linguistic, and historical foundations of standardized testing with African American children who speak African American English. Challenges associated with the use of traditional models of assessment that rely heavily on the use of standardized assessments have contributed to persisting disproportionalities in speech-language clinical and eligibility decisions. Advantages of using alternative assessment frameworks that rely less on standardized tests and more on the contextualization of the individual child, taking relevant sociocultural influences into account, are proposed.

This study explores the relation between oral language, spoken dialect variation, and reading achievement among Black children from low-income backgrounds, with an emphasis on identifying within-group variability. Few studies have examined how these variables interact to influence literacy outcomes. Using data from 797 children in Grades 1 to 4 (ages: 6-11 years), we conducted a two-part analysis. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the structure of language, dialect variation, and reading performance. The study found that while these skills are interconnected, they remain distinct constructs. Second, latent profile analysis was used to explore heterogeneity in language and reading skills within the sample, revealing distinct profiles of strengths and weaknesses. While children with higher dialect density of African American English were more likely to show lower literacy performance, dialect variation alone did not predict specific literacy profiles. These findings suggest that oral language proficiency and dialect variation should be considered when designing interventions to improve reading outcomes for Black children. This study contributes to the understanding of how dialect variation influences reading achievement and highlights the need for culturally responsive literacy instruction that values linguistic diversity.

There are identifiable gaps between speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) beliefs and their implementation of best practices for dual language learners (DLLs). In the present study, we examined how early intervention (EI) SLPs' backgrounds, experiences, and practice settings influenced their beliefs, knowledge, and use of best practices when assessing DLLs. A survey of 134 EI SLPs was used to examine their assessment procedures for a DLL case scenario, beliefs about assessment practices, and knowledge of cultural and linguistic influences on DLLs' language development. Participants also provided information about their backgrounds and practice settings. Statistical analyses explored relationships between these factors and variables such as years since graduation, sociolinguistic context of practice setting, and continuing education on DLL assessment knowledge and practices. Results showed gaps between beliefs and practices and deficits in knowledge about cultural and linguistic influences on DLLs. Knowledge was negatively correlated with time since graduation and positively correlated with the proportion of DLLs on caseloads. SLPs in linguistically diverse areas had higher knowledge scores, while best practice use was tied to the percentage of DLLs on caseloads. Continued education, removal of barriers, and support are crucial, particularly for EI SLPs in less diverse contexts or with more time since graduation.

School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) from four midwestern states were surveyed about their knowledge and confidence regarding literacy intervention. To obtain accounts of lived experiences, SLPs who completed the survey were invited to a follow-up interview. Fourteen SLPs completed interviews with a member of the research team via a recorded Zoom meeting. The interviews were approximately an hour long and each question was presented on a shared screen. Interview data were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Five overarching themes emerged: (1) SLPs are responsible for language services to support student literacy; (2) barriers of time, administrator knowledge, and instructional tools that support SLP literacy instruction; (3) collaboration and training would improve confidence; (4) how multi-tiered systems of support and Title I impact SLP literacy services; and (5) the role of other team members in literacy services. Overall, SLPs know that they can play an important role in literacy assessment and intervention but are unsure of how their specific skills fit into the greater school context. Training may improve confidence in serving students with literacy needs differently from other service providers. Future work could explore partnerships between SLPs and other professionals to best serve students with literacy needs.

Within an ecobehavioral framework, proximal (e.g., activity context) and distal factors (e.g., public policies) may influence how children and caregivers use African American English (AAE) features. Although prior research has considered isolated factors, considering how these ecological factors interact will improve understanding of the complexity surrounding AAE feature use within caregiver-child interactions.Thirty language samples were transcribed and coded for AAE features from 5-year-olds and their caregiver during a play task. Mixed effects models were estimated to investigate whether speaker (i.e., caregiver, child), activity context (i.e., reading, free play), and language dynamics (e.g., previous AAE use) predicted AAE feature use.The baseline probability of AAE feature use in an utterance was 5.73%, and the probability of AAE feature use: (1) increased when the previous utterance included an AAE feature and was spoken by the same speaker or the speaker changed from child to caregiver, and (2) decreased for the caregiver during the book reading activity.The results of this study suggest that language dynamics within the caregiver-child interaction influence AAE use. Further, caregivers appeared to "suppress" their use of AAE features during the book reading task, reflecting a shift from using more idealized AAE in free play to more idealized Mainstream American English based on activity context.

Dialect discovery worksheets focus on children's dialect-appropriate form productivity and sensitivity to linguistic context within a dialect. Focusing on tense and agreement (T/A) forms in African American English (AAE), we demonstrate how these worksheets can be used to reveal grammar strengths in children with typical development (TD) and grammar weaknesses in those with developmental language disorder (DLD).The participants were four kindergartners who spoke AAE (two males and two females; two DLD; two TD). The data were archival and came from an elicitation task. Using the worksheets, we categorized and quantified the participant's T/A dialect-general overt forms, dialect-specific overt forms, and zero forms by linguistic context.The TD participants demonstrated form productivity, producing significant numbers of T/A dialect-general overt, dialect-specific overt, and zero forms. They also varied their overt forms and zero forms in ways that demonstrated sensitivity to linguistic context. Those with DLD did not demonstrate form productivity, and they lacked variation in form use by linguistic context.Dialect discovery worksheets provide useful information about children's grammar systems within the context of their dialect(s). These worksheets should be considered for clinical practice and preprofessional student training.