Promises and pitfalls of machine scoring of the Index of Productive Syntax.

The AC-IPSyn computerised system for scoring the Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) was evaluated. Twenty language samples, ten taken at 30 months and ten of the same children at 42 months, were each scored for the IPSyn by hand and by AC-IPSyn. Point differences and point-to-point reliability were examined at the levels of the total, subscale, and individual structure scores. Points missed and erroneously given at each level were also analysed. The difference in total scores between manual and AC-IPSyn scoring was relatively small; point-to-point agreement was lower than reported elsewhere. Age differences were also found. AC-IPSyn accuracy varied by subscale and structure, with results suggesting that AC-IPSyn be used at this point in conjunction with hand scoring of more error-prone and low frequency structures. The relatively small total point difference masked the lower reliability revealed by other measures, demonstrating the importance of detailed comparisons of manual and machine scoring.

How to Use the Index of Productive Syntax to Select Goals and Monitor Progress in Preschool Children.

PURPOSE: Syntax assessment and treatment is a major focus of speech-language pathologists who work with young children with language needs. The Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) provides an efficient method for the assessment of syntax of preschool-age children. The purpose of this tutorial is to illustrate how to hand-score an IPSyn from language sample transcripts and use this information to formulate appropriate syntactic goals. METHOD: We describe general methods and tips for facilitating hand-scoring. Two case study transcripts of a late talker at 36 and 48 months are provided. One case study transcript is fully scored in IPSyn with detailed explanations; the second case study is provided as a practice example with an IPSyn answer key. Relevant sample probes are provided to assist in the goal of obtaining a representative set of language structures. RESULTS: We show how the IPSyn can be scored, subscale by subscale, and can highlight developmental stages of syntax following Brown's stages of grammatical development. We illustrate how the visual snapshot developmental nature of the instrument makes it ideal for deriving goals. CONCLUSION: The IPSyn is a practical and valuable tool for the assessment of syntax of preschool-age children.

Machine-Scored Syntax: Comparison of the CLAN Automatic Scoring Program to Manual Scoring.

Purpose The results of automatic machine scoring of the Index of Productive Syntax from the Computerized Language ANalysis (CLAN) tools of the Child Language Data Exchange System of TalkBank (MacWhinney, 2000) were compared to manual scoring to determine the accuracy of the machine-scored method. Method Twenty transcripts of 10 children from archival data of the Weismer Corpus from the Child Language Data Exchange System at 30 and 42 months were examined. Measures of absolute point difference and point-to-point accuracy were compared, as well as points erroneously given and missed. Two new measures for evaluating automatic scoring of the Index of Productive Syntax were introduced: Machine Item Accuracy (MIA) and Cascade Failure Rate- these measures further analyze points erroneously given and missed. Differences in total scores, subscale scores, and individual structures were also reported. Results Mean absolute point difference between machine and hand scoring was 3.65, point-to-point agreement was 72.6%, and MIA was 74.9%. There were large differences in subscales, with Noun Phrase and Verb Phrase subscales generally providing greater accuracy and agreement than Question/Negation and Sentence Structures subscales. There were significantly more erroneous than missed items in machine scoring, attributed to problems of mistagging of elements, imprecise search patterns, and other errors. Cascade failure resulted in an average of 4.65 points lost per transcript. Conclusions The CLAN program showed relatively inaccurate outcomes in comparison to manual scoring on both traditional and new measures of accuracy. Recommendations for improvement of the program include accounting for second exemplar violations and applying cascaded credit, among other suggestions. It was proposed that research on machine-scored syntax routinely report accuracy measures detailing erroneous and missed scores, including MIA, so that researchers and clinicians are aware of the limitations of a machine-scoring program. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.11984364.

Improving Automatic IPSyn Coding.

Purpose The Computerized Language ANalysis-Index of Productive Syntax (CLAN-IPSyn) system is designed to facilitate automatic computation of the IPSyn measure of productive child syntax. Roberts et al. (2020) conducted a thorough comparison of hand-generated and automatic scores on the Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) measure (Scarborough, 1990) and found a high level of error for CLAN-IPSyn. We report on the use of the Roberts et al. analysis to reduce and eliminate errors in CLAN-IPSyn, to improve its accuracy. Method Scores provided by manual and machine scoring of the 20 transcripts used in Roberts et al. (2020) were compared. Divergences in point assignment were examined and significant modifications made to the CLAN-IPSyn program to increase its accuracy. Conclusion The currently available, free version of CLAN at https://talkbank.org is now significantly more correct in terms of exemplars produced, and should assist clinicians and researchers in using the revised IPSyn (Altenberg et al. 2018).

Oral and written language development of children adopted from china.

PURPOSE: The sharp increase in the number of international adoptions in the United States has prompted a heightened interest in the language development of internationally adopted children. Although recent studies have investigated the early language development of adoptees, little is known about the school-age language and literacy skills of internationally adopted children. The focus of this study was the oral and written language skills of school-age adoptees from China. METHOD: The participants were 24 children between the ages of 7;0 (years;months) and 8;8. Oral and written language skills were assessed using standardized measures and a narrative retell task. RESULTS: As a group, the majority of children exhibited scores in the average to above average range for all oral and written standardized language measures. Narrative analysis indicated that an increase in the number of grammatical errors was moderately correlated with lower reading comprehension scores. Age at adoption was negatively correlated with several measures, including a narrative measure of grammatical errors per T-unit. CONCLUSION: These findings provide an encouraging outlook on the oral and written language outcomes of internationally adopted children from China through the early elementary grades. Moreover, these findings support earlier research that speaks to the resiliency and robustness of language acquisition abilities in children.

Young Children's Structure Production: A Revision of the Index of Productive Syntax.

Purpose: The Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn; Scarborough, 1990) is widely used to measure syntax production in young children. The goal of this article is to promote greater clarity and consistency in machine and hand scoring by presenting a revised version of the IPSyn (IPSyn-R) and comparing it with the original IPSyn (IPSyn-O). Method: Longitudinal syntax production in 10 30- and 42-month-old typically developing children drawn from the Child Language Data Exchange System (MacWhinney, 2000) Weismer corpus was examined, using both the IPSyn-O and the IPSyn-R. Results: The IPSyn-R provided nearly identical scores to the IPSyn-O with the exception of scores affected primarily by 1 modified noun phrase structure. Structures ranked as more advanced were produced less frequently. The results also reveal which of the IPSyn-R's 59 structures were most and least likely to be produced by this sample at these ages. Conclusions: The qualitative and quantitative differences between the IPSyn-O and the IPSyn-R are relatively minor. The IPSyn-R can make it easier to score the IPSyn, both by clinicians and researchers, and facilitate the IPSyn's move to machine scoring of language samples.

The ORION statement: guidelines for transparent reporting of outbreak reports and intervention studies of nosocomial infection.

The quality of research in hospital epidemiology (infection control) must be improved to be robust enough to influence policy and practice. In order to raise the standards of research and publication, a CONSORT equivalent for these largely quasi-experimental studies has been prepared by the authors of two relevant systematic reviews, following consultation with learned societies, editors of journals, and researchers. The ORION (Outbreak Reports and Intervention Studies Of Nosocomial infection) statement consists of a 22 item checklist, and a summary table. The emphasis is on transparency to improve the quality of reporting and on the use of appropriate statistical techniques. The statement has been endorsed by a number of professional special interest groups and societies. Like CONSORT, ORION should be considered a "work in progress", which requires ongoing dialogue for successful promotion and dissemination. The statement is therefore offered for further public discussion. Journals and research councils are strongly recommended to incorporate it into their submission and reviewing processes. Feedback to the authors is encouraged and the statement will be revised in 2 years.

Language development in preschool-age children adopted from China.

This study examined the language development of 55 preschool-age children adopted from China who had resided in their permanent homes for approximately 2 years or longer. Slightly over 5% of the children scored below average on 2 or more measures from a battery of standardized speech-language tests normed on monolingual English speakers. However, the vast majority scored within or well above the average range on 2 or more measures. Contrary to other reports on the language development of internationally adopted children, the results suggest that "second first language" acquisition proceeds rapidly in the majority of preschool-age children adopted as infants and toddlers. For the children in the sample who scored below average, results indicated that they were among the children who had been exposed to English for the least amount of time. The results of this study demonstrate both the robustness of the language system in the majority of adopted children from China as well as slower growth in a small subset of lower performers in the 1st years after adoption.

Phonological processing skills of children adopted internationally.

PURPOSE: In recent years, large numbers of children have been adopted from abroad into the United States. This has prompted an interest in understanding and improving the developmental outcomes for these children. Although a growing number of studies have investigated the early language development of children who have been adopted internationally, few have focused specifically on the phonological processing development of this group of children, even though it is widely acknowledged that phonological processing skills are important in language and literacy acquisition. The purpose of this study was to examine the phonological processing skills of a group of children who had been adopted from China into the United States. METHOD: The participants were 45 children who had been adopted from China ( M age at adoption = 13.09 months). The children were assessed between the ages of 6;10 (years;months) and 9;4. Their phonological processing skills, spoken language skills, and reading comprehension skills were assessed using norm-referenced measures. RESULTS: Overall, the majority of children scored at or above the average ranges across measures of phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid naming. The children's reading comprehension scores were moderately to highly correlated with their phonological processing scores, but age at the time of adoption was not highly correlated with phonological processing or reading comprehension. CONCLUSION: The findings of the current study provide a basis for an optimistic view regarding the later language and literacy development of school-age children who were internationally adopted by the age of 2 years.

How well do children who are internationally adopted acquire language? A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: In this article, the authors present the results of a systematic and meta-analytic examination of the language outcomes of children who are internationally adopted. The study examined the questions of whether the early life experiences of children who are internationally adopted and the language switch that occurs after adoption hinder the acquisition of language skills. METHOD: The authors selected available studies on the language acquisition of internationally adopted children using search strategies from both a comprehensive set of databases and manual searching of selected studies. Study eligibility criteria included (a) participants clearly identified as being internationally adopted, (b) measurable language outcomes were reported, (c) a control group or normative measure was used in the design of the study, and (d) effect size was reported, or data were provided to calculate effect size. RESULTS: The meta-analysis found that as a group, the children expressed great variability in their language skills. Overall, they were more likely to have poorer language outcomes than comparison children, but several moderating variables were found. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the meta-analysis have direct clinical application regarding the assessment and treatment of language skills of internationally adopted children. The study also has implications for future studies of the language development of internationally adopted children.

An exploratory study of the development of early syllable structure in reading-impaired children.

Babbling between the ages of 8 and 19 months was examined in 19 children, 13 of whom were at high risk for reading disorder (RD) and 6 normally reading children at low familial risk for RD. Development of syllable complexity was examined at five periods across this 11-month window. Results indicated that children who later evidenced RD produced a lower proportion of canonical utterances and less complex syllable structures than children without RD. As syllable complexity is an early indicator of phonological sophistication, differences at this level may offer a window into how the phonological system of children with RD is structured. Future directions for this line of research are discussed.

Continued catch-up and language delay in children adopted from China.

Most internationally adopted children learn their new language rapidly after adoption. What is not known is whether these gains continue at the same developmental pace throughout the preschool years. To answer this question, the continued language development of the 10 lowest performers from a cohort of 55 preschool-aged children adopted from China was examined. All 55 children had originally been assessed approximately 2 years earlier as preschoolers. The purpose was to examine whether continued English language exposure resulted in greater gain scores on a battery of standardized speech-language tests normed on monolingual English speakers. The 10 lowest performers were retested on the same battery approximately 2 years later. Scores on the second testing were examined in two ways. First, the amount of gain made from first to second testing for each child was examined, and second, the low performers were compared with adopted children from the original cohort who were matched for age and duration of time in the United States. It was found that more than half of the low-scoring children made clinically significant gains on the second assessment, but that low performers as a group scored below the level of matched peers in the cohort, even after approximately 2 years of additional English language exposure.