Pragmatic Language Assessment

Hyter, Yvette D.

doi:10.1097/01.tld.0000269929.41751.6b

Cited by 35 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Although key advantages of standardized tests of pragmatic language include relatively quick administration time and efficient scoring with standard references, information gained from these highly structured assessments may have limited generalizability to everyday contexts (e.g., conversational interaction; Adams, 2002;Prutting & Kittchner, 1987). Thus, more naturalistic assessment of pragmatic language has been recommended (Adams, 2002;Hyter, 2007;McTear & Conti-Ramsden, 1992;Prutting & Kittchner, 1987;Roth & Spekman, 1984) and may be more sensitive than standardized pragmatic assessments for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (Klusek, Martin, & Losh, 2014a). Pragmatic coding systems used in the literature, however, are time intensive and typically not easy to apply in clinical practice.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Multimethod Analysis of Pragmatic Skills in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome

Martin

Bush

Klusek

et al. 2018

J Speech Lang Hear Res

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Purpose Pragmatic language skills are often impaired above and beyond general language delays in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. This study used a multimethod approach to language sample analysis to characterize syndrome- and sex-specific profiles across different neurodevelopmental disabilities and to examine the congruency of 2 analysis techniques. Method Pragmatic skills of young males and females with fragile X syndrome with autism spectrum disorder (FXS-ASD, n = 61) and without autism spectrum disorder (FXS-O, n = 40), Down syndrome (DS, n = 42), and typical development (TD, n = 37) and males with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder only (ASD-O, n = 29) were compared using variables obtained from a detailed hand-coding system contrasted with similar variables obtained automatically from the language analysis program Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT). Results Noncontingent language and perseveration were characteristic of the pragmatic profiles of boys and girls with FXS-ASD and boys with ASD-O. Boys with ASD-O also initiated turns less often and were more nonresponsive than other groups, and girls with FXS-ASD were more nonresponsive than their male counterparts. Hand-coding and SALT methods were largely convergent with some exceptions. Conclusion Results suggest both similarities and differences in the pragmatic profiles observed across different neurodevelopmental disabilities, including idiopathic and FXS-associated cases of ASD, as well as an important sex difference in FXS-ASD. These findings and congruency between the 2 language sample analysis techniques together have important implications for assessment and intervention efforts.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Multimethod Analysis of Pragmatic Skills in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome

Martin

Bush

Klusek

et al. 2018

J Speech Lang Hear Res

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“…Future research could also include consideration of the usefulness of this tool in other cultures. Pragmatic skills are often culture specific and so this would need acceptability ratings from other cultures and the inclusion of experts from those cultures in the team rather than just translating the form into a range of languages (Hyter, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revising the Pragmatics Profile using a modified Delphi methodology to meet the assessment needs of current speech–language therapists

Tan

Smidt

Herman

et al. 2023

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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BackgroundNon‐standardized assessment tools are preferred when assessing communication of individuals with developmental disabilities. Currently, there are limited tools available for assessing this population. Informant report tools such as the Pragmatics Profile (PP) of Everyday Communication Skills are beneficial in gathering a representative view of an individual's communication. However, the PP is out of print and outdated, requiring revisions to meet contemporary assessment needs of speech–language therapists (SLTs).AimsTo seek consensus from an international panel regarding revising the Pragmatic Profile by (1) updating language and terminology, and (2) development of an online tool.Methods & ProceduresA total of 13 experienced SLTs and researchers in the disability field participated in a modified Delphi study including an initial online meeting followed by an anonymous four‐round survey. Participants reviewed the relevance and wording of questions in the original preschool, school‐age and adult versions to create a single combined version of the PP. In each Delphi round, the level of consensus was calculated and qualitative comments were analysed using thematic analysis.Outcomes & ResultsA revised online version of the PP was created including 64 questions. Qualitative analysis illuminated key concepts in the creation of a revised form including the need for plain and age‐neutral language, which is inclusive of all communication modalities and physical impairments, and identifies behaviours that have the potential to be communicative acts. Using conditional logic, users are navigated to the appropriate questions based on the intentionality level of the individual rather than their age.Conclusions & ImplicationsThis study resulted in the revision of a valued assessment tool appropriate for current disability service provision that identifies communication along the continuum of intentionality rather than age.WHAT THIS PAPER ADDSWhat is already known on this subject Non‐standardized tools are appropriate when assessing communication of individuals with developmental disabilities. However, there are limited published tools suitable for this population with several of them out of print, making it difficult to conduct a holistic assessment.What this study adds to the existing knowledge This study resulted in the creation of an online PP based on experts’ opinion. The revised PP modified the primary focus of the tool from age‐ to skill‐based whereby questions are targeted according to intentionality level. Revisions included plain language, and inclusion of all communication modalities and physical impairments via a series of prompts to ensure that the information provided by informants is accurate and relevant.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The revised PP adds to the toolkit of an SLT working with individuals with a developmental disability and allows for accurate reporting of functional communication. Guided by experts’ opinion, the revised PP is likely to be highly valued in the increasingly technological world in which we live.

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“…Because pragmatic language relies on in-context communication, the decontextualized nature of most traditional standardized language assessments eliminates the possibility of obtaining an objective generalizable measure of pragmatic language skills. More naturalistic contexts for assessing pragmatic language have been recommended for research and clinical practice, making ELS an ideal candidate [18][19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Expressive Language Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of a Repetitive Language Coding System: Comparisons between Fragile X Syndrome, Autism, and Down Syndrome

et al. 2022

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Expressive language sampling (ELS) is a frequently used tool for language analysis, as it can be used across widely ranging cognitive and language abilities. ELS can also evaluate pragmatic language, including excessive self-repetition, which is challenging to assess with traditional standardized assessments. This study explored how a well-established ELS protocol can assess three types of linguistic self-repetition in three neurodevelopmental disabilities: fragile X syndrome (FXS), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and Down syndrome (DS). We examined its ability to differentiate between these disorders, the relationships between repetitive language and other participant characteristics, and initial construct validity. We found that the groups with FXS and ASD differed significantly on each of the three repetitive language measure, and that the group with DS differed from either ASD or FXS on two. Cognitive ability was significantly related to phrase repetition in the group with ASD. When the groups were combined, there was evidence of convergent and divergent validity. This study extends previous research on ELS and supports its use as a means to characterize pragmatic language. It also provides information about the relationships between repetitive language and other phenotypic characteristics.

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Pragmatic Language Assessment

Cited by 35 publications

References 22 publications

A Multimethod Analysis of Pragmatic Skills in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome

A Multimethod Analysis of Pragmatic Skills in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome

Revising the Pragmatics Profile using a modified Delphi methodology to meet the assessment needs of current speech–language therapists

Analysis of a Repetitive Language Coding System: Comparisons between Fragile X Syndrome, Autism, and Down Syndrome

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