Clinical Considerations From Researcher-Created Morphological Awareness Assessments.

PURPOSE: Morphological awareness develops throughout formal schooling and is positively related to later reading abilities. However, there are limited standardized measures available for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to use when assessing morphological awareness in clinical practice. The purpose of this tutorial is to guide clinicians in choosing between researcher-created measures of morphological awareness to use with their school-aged students. METHOD: We first summarize previous morphological awareness assessment research and outline important clinical considerations when choosing a morphological awareness assessment for students in early elementary grades and beyond. Second, we highlight item characteristics regarding morpheme type, frequency, shift transparency, and imageability for students in early elementary versus later grades. Third, we discuss the type of tasks (i.e., production, decomposition, and judgment) and administration modes (i.e., oral or written and static or dynamic) available to clinicians assessing the morphological awareness skills of school-aged students. Throughout the tutorial, we reference a hypothetical case study to illustrate how SLPs might apply these suggestions and link morphological awareness assessment to treatment recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: This tutorial highlights the importance of including morphological awareness assessments in clinical practice to support oral and written language development. We provide practical guidelines to help SLPs evaluate and choose appropriate morphological awareness assessments for their school-aged students as part of their comprehensive language evaluations and to support intervention planning. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24545470.

Adapting Curricula for Children With Language Comprehension Deficits.

PURPOSE: We will describe how a multisite research team adapted a language-focused curriculum to be used in a scale-up project. Specifically, we identified underlying principles to modify a Tier 1 whole-classroom language comprehension-focused curriculum to be used as a Tier 2 small-group curriculum with children identified as at risk for low language comprehension, including children with developmental language disorder (DLD). METHOD: We discuss how researchers used the following five guiding principles to adapt a curriculum for children at risk for low language comprehension, including children with DLD: (a) increased and ongoing professional development, (b) simplification of language input, (c) increased scaffolding, (d) attention to distributed practice, and (e) materials to support diversity and inclusion. RESULTS: We used these guiding principles to modify a popular language-based curriculum used in schools across the country. CONCLUSION: This clinical focus article showcases how guiding principles and frameworks for adaptation, within implementation science, can serve as a guidepost for speech-language pathologists and other educators who are adapting or scaling up a curriculum or intervention that was not designed for their target population.

Experiences and Perceptions of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Related to Literacy: Results From a National Survey.

PURPOSE: School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an important role in supporting children with reading and writing difficulties. The purpose of this study was to describe the training, experiences, and knowledge of SLPs who work in preschool, elementary school, or middle/high school settings in relation to children with reading and writing difficulties. METHOD: Preschool and school-based SLPs (N = 280) participated in an online survey, with items related to preservice and in-service training experiences, experiences and perceptions of competence related to reading and writing assessment and instruction with students on their caseload, and knowledge of reading and writing. RESULTS: The majority of respondents reported limited preservice coursework and clinical training experiences with students with reading and writing difficulties. Many SLPs reported that more than half of the students on their caseload had reading and writing difficulties, but many SLPs (approximately 40%) had poor confidence in their abilities in assessment and intervention with children with reading and writing difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all SLPs indicated that they would benefit from additional training and experience with children with reading and writing difficulties. We provide some initial suggestions for graduate coursework, clinical training experiences, and tailored professional development. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21809514.

Parent book choices: How do parents select books to share with infants and toddlers with language impairment?

Book-sharing with young children is an established vehicle for promoting early language development and pre-literacy skills. Although parents are widely encouraged to read to their child and existing interventions provide instruction on book-sharing strategies, there is a prominent lack of guidance for parents on how to choose the book itself. Importantly, there is a foundational lack of knowledge on the factors that parents take into consideration when choosing books to share with their young child. While understanding that parent book-choice is important for all children, it may be particularly important for those with language-impairment (LI), since book-sharing is an evidence-based intervention approach and widely recommended to promote language for LI populations. This qualitative study examines parents' book selection choices, and the elements they consider, when choosing books to share with their infants and toddlers with LI. Participants included 13 parents of young children aged 19-29 months (9 males, 4 females; mean age 25 months) receiving Part C services. Parent responses indicated that the most common themes considered included physical aesthetics, text difficulty, physical properties, educational considerations and content; the relative importance of these themes varied depending on context. Results are framed in the context of research on parent-child book-sharing interactions. Recommendations for practitioners working with parents and young children with LI during book-sharing are also highlighted.

Prologue: Implementation Science in CSD and Starting Where You Are.

In this prologue, we introduce readers to the Forum: Clinicians and Researchers Navigating Implementation Science in CSD. Implementation science (IS), or the study of the adoption of evidence-based practice in real-world settings, is a key area of development in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The goal of this forum was to show by example how researchers and clinicians are collaborating to begin to apply IS in CSD. This goal culminated in a scoping review of IS in CSD, a tutorial on incorporating IS into clinical practice research, three articles on stakeholder engagement, and three examples of IS studies in CSD included in this forum. We hope this forum helps clinicians and researchers to begin wherever they are in their knowledge and understanding of IS in CSD.

The Process and Product of Coherence Monitoring in Young Readers: Effects of Reader and Text Characteristics.

We examined sixth graders' detection of inconsistencies in narrative and expository passages, contrasting participants who were monolingual speakers (N = 85) or Spanish-English DLLs (N = 94) when recruited in pre-kindergarten (PK). We recorded self-paced reading times and judgments about whether the text made sense, and took an independent measure of word reading. Main findings were that inconsistency detection was better for narratives, for participants who were monolingual speakers in PK, and for those who were better word readers. When the text processing demands were increased by separating the inconsistent sentence and its premise with filler sentences there was a stronger signal for inconsistency detection during reading for better word readers. Reading patterns differed for texts for which children reported an inconsistency compared to those for which they did not, indicating a failure to adequately monitor for coherence while reading. Our performance measures indicate that narrative and expository texts make different demands on readers.

Regulating Hemp and Cannabis-Based Products.

(1)Different state agencies often regulate the hemp and cannabis industries separately. (2) Pharmaceutical products derived from cannabis are currently in clinical trials for approval in the U.S. and other countries. One product is already approved for use in 29 countries, but not in the U.S. (3) In August 2017, NCSL unanimously approved a policy position supporting federal legislation to define industrial hemp as a distinct agricultural crop (containing 1 percent or less of THC) and allow states to regulate commercial hemp farming.

Early Identification of Reading Comprehension Difficulties.

Most research on early identification of reading disabilities has focused on word reading problems and little attention has been given to reading comprehension difficulties. In this study, we investigated whether measures of language ability and/or response to language intervention in kindergarten uniquely predicted reading comprehension difficulties in third grade. A total of 366 children were administered a battery of screening measures at the beginning of kindergarten and progress monitoring probes across the school year. A subset of children also received a 26-week Tier 2 language intervention. Participants' achievement in word reading was assessed at the end of second grade, and their performance in reading comprehension was measured as the end of third grade. Results showed that measures of language ability in kindergarten significantly added to the prediction of reading comprehension difficulties over and above kindergarten word reading predictors and direct measures of word reading in second grade. Response to language intervention also proved to be a unique predictor of reading comprehension outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of their relevance for the early identification of reading disabilities.

Early identification of reading disabilities within an RTI framework.

Early and accurate identification of children at risk for reading disabilities (RD) is critical for the prevention of RD within a response to intervention framework. In this study, we investigated the use of universal screening and progress monitoring for the early identification of RD in kindergarten children. A total of 366 children were administered a battery of screening measures at the beginning of kindergarten and progress-monitoring probes across the school year. A subset of children who showed initial risk for RD also received a 26-week Tier 2 intervention. Participants' achievement in word reading accuracy and/or fluency was assessed at the end of first grade. Results indicated that a screening battery containing measures of letter naming fluency, phonological awareness, rapid naming, or nonword repetition accurately identified good and poor readers at the end of first grade. Findings also showed that children's response to supplemental and/or classroom instruction measured in terms of growth in letter naming fluency added significantly to the prediction of reading outcomes.

Validity of a Non-Speech Dynamic Assessment of Phonemic Awareness via the Alphabetic Principle.

Most assessments of phonemic awareness require speech responses and cannot be used with individuals with severe speech impairments who may use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This study investigated the reliability and construct validity of the Dynamic Assessment of Phonemic Awareness via the Alphabetic Principle (DAPA-AP), which does not require speech. In all, 17 adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities completed the DAPA-AP, a letter-sound knowledge task, four measures of phonological awareness, and two reading assessments. Results indicated the DAPA-AP was both a reliable and valid assessment of phonemic awareness for this sample. Consequently, the DAPA-AP represents an important step in developing phonemic awareness assessments that have the potential to be suitable for use with a wide range of individuals, including those with SSI.

Prevalence and Nature of Late-Emerging Poor Readers.

Some children demonstrate adequate or better reading achievement in early school grades, but fall significantly behind their peers in later grades. These children are often referred to as late-emerging poor readers. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and heterogeneity of these poor readers. We also examined the early language and nonverbal cognitive abilities of late-emerging poor readers. Participants were 493 children who were a subsample from an epidemiological study of language impairments in school-age children. In kindergarten, children were administered a battery of language, early literacy, and nonverbal cognitive measures. Word reading and reading comprehension achievement was assessed in second, fourth, eighth, and tenth grades. Latent transition analysis was used to model changes in reading classification (good vs. poor reader) across grades. Population estimates revealed that 13.4% percent of children could be classified as late-emerging poor readers. These children could be divided into those with problems in comprehension alone (52%), word reading alone (36%), or both (12%). Further results indicated that late-emerging poor readers often had a history of language and/or nonverbal cognitive impairments in kindergarten. Subtypes of poor readers also differed significantly in their profiles of language, early literacy, and nonverbal cognitive abilities in kindergarten. Results are discussed in terms of causal factors and implications for early identification.

The use of a dynamic screening of phonological awareness to predict risk for reading disabilities in kindergarten children.

This study examined the usefulness and predictive validity of a dynamic screening of phonological awareness in two samples of kindergarten children. In one sample (n = 90), the predictive validity of the dynamic assessment was compared to a static version of the same screening measure. In the second sample (n = 96), the dynamic screening measure was compared to a commonly used screening tool, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Initial Sound Fluency. Results showed that the dynamic screening measure uniquely predicted end-of-year reading achievement and outcomes in both samples. These results provide preliminary support for the usefulness of a dynamic screening measure of phonological awareness for kindergarten students.

Floor effects associated with universal screening and their impact on the early identification of reading disabilities.

Response to intervention (RTI) holds great promise for the early identification and prevention of reading disabilities. The success of RTI rests in part on the accuracy of universal screening tools used within this framework. Despite advancements, screening instruments designed to identify children at risk for reading disabilities continue to have limited predictive validity. In this study, the authors examined a common screening instrument for the presence of floor effects and investigated the impact that these effects have on the predictive validity of the instrument. Longitudinal data (kindergarten to third grade) from a large cohort of children were used. These data included children's performance on five measures from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and two reading achievement outcome measures. The results showed that DIBELS measures were characterized by floor effects in their initial administrations and that these effects reduced the predictive validity of the measures. The implications of these findings for early identification are discussed.

Reading achievement growth in children with language impairments.

PURPOSE: This study examined the reading achievement growth of children with language impairments (LI) across the school grades. The authors sought to determine whether children with LI demonstrate a delayed, deficit, or cumulative pattern of reading achievement growth when compared with children with typical language (TL). METHOD: A group of 225 children with LI and a group of 379 children with TL were identified in kindergarten and were administered multiple measures of word recognition and reading comprehension in 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 10th grades. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the constructs of word recognition and reading comprehension were invariant across grades and groups of children with LI and TL. Further analyses indicated that a multiple group latent growth curve analysis was appropriate. This analysis showed that children with LI differed significantly from children with TL in initial level (2nd grade) of word recognition and reading comprehension, but they did not differ significantly in the shape of their growth trajectories. CONCLUSION: These results are consistent with a deficit model of reading growth in children with LI. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for early identification.