The Speech Assessment for Toddlers: A tool to strategically sample emerging speech production abilities of late talking toddlers
Tracks
Concurrent session T2
Assessment
Early language
Paediatric/Infant
Speech
| Tuesday, May 28, 2024 |
| 2:10 PM - 2:25 PM |
| Meeting Room 01 |
Overview
Rosemary Hodges and Elise Baker
Details
⏫ Research insights
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
Presenter
Dr Rosemary Hodges
Clinical Director
Word Stars Speech Pathology
The Speech Assessment for Toddlers: A tool to strategically sample emerging speech production abilities of late talking toddlers
2:10 PM - 2:25 PMPresentation summary
Background: Late talking toddlers present with small expressive vocabularies, in the absence of broader developmental concerns. Some late talkers present with speech production difficulties such as reliance of phonologically simple default vocalisations, restricted sound and word shape inventories, sequencing constraints, and poor accuracy. The speech production skills of late talkers are emerging and heterogenous. In this presentation, we introduce the Speech Assessment for Toddlers (SAT)—this tool allows for strategic sampling of emerging speech production skills characteristic of late talking toddlers.
Method and Results: The SAT was developed to reflect the varied speech production abilities of late talkers. It was designed to elicit carefully selected stimuli, allowing analysis of speech characteristics such as pre-lexical vocalisations and sound effects, sound and word shapes inventory, consonant sequences across vowels, speech error patterns, accuracy, word stress, and phrase-level accuracy and constraints. The SAT uses play-based scenarios to maximise toddler engagement, and ceilings to minimise toddler frustration.
A case study example of the use of the SAT with a late-talking toddler will be presented. Through the case study, we demonstrate the breadth of speech production information collected and analysed using the SAT, and contrast this with the information collected during a 10-minute unstructured play-based sample. In summary, the SAT revealed a larger inventory of consonant sounds and word shapes, and across vowel sequencing capabilities that were not observed in the play-based sample.
Conclusion: The use of strategic sampling using the SAT allowed for rich data about the speech production skills of a late talking toddler. The use a structured strategic sampling tool provides a foundation for comprehensive phonological analysis and treatment target selection for late talkers.
Method and Results: The SAT was developed to reflect the varied speech production abilities of late talkers. It was designed to elicit carefully selected stimuli, allowing analysis of speech characteristics such as pre-lexical vocalisations and sound effects, sound and word shapes inventory, consonant sequences across vowels, speech error patterns, accuracy, word stress, and phrase-level accuracy and constraints. The SAT uses play-based scenarios to maximise toddler engagement, and ceilings to minimise toddler frustration.
A case study example of the use of the SAT with a late-talking toddler will be presented. Through the case study, we demonstrate the breadth of speech production information collected and analysed using the SAT, and contrast this with the information collected during a 10-minute unstructured play-based sample. In summary, the SAT revealed a larger inventory of consonant sounds and word shapes, and across vowel sequencing capabilities that were not observed in the play-based sample.
Conclusion: The use of strategic sampling using the SAT allowed for rich data about the speech production skills of a late talking toddler. The use a structured strategic sampling tool provides a foundation for comprehensive phonological analysis and treatment target selection for late talkers.
Key messages
1) Late talkers often present with speech production difficulties: their speech is emerging and heterogeneous
2) Assessment of late talker speech needs to strategically sample the varied emerging speech production skills of late talkers
3) A structured speech sampling context such as the Speech Assessment for Toddlers can offer rich information about a late talkers’ emerging speech production skills. This allows for comprehensive phonological analysis and can guide treatment target selection
2) Assessment of late talker speech needs to strategically sample the varied emerging speech production skills of late talkers
3) A structured speech sampling context such as the Speech Assessment for Toddlers can offer rich information about a late talkers’ emerging speech production skills. This allows for comprehensive phonological analysis and can guide treatment target selection
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Rosie is the clinical director at Word Stars Speech Pathology (WSSP), a private practice in Western Sydney. Rosie has over 10 years clinical experience across a variety of settings including private practice, school-based, and not-for-profit services. In 2016, she completed her PhD at The University of Sydney on the speech and language skills of late talking toddlers. Since then, she has continued to engage in research on developmental and acquired communication disorders in children.
Rosie provides supervision and mentoring at WSSP and works closely with the Managing Director to develop and evaluate services and projects. Clinically, Rosie maintains a small early intervention caseload.
Rosie is passionate about evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence in speech pathology. She regularly provides professional development within the profession via workshops, conferences, and mentoring. She is also a strong advocate for raising awareness of communication difficulties within the community, particularly in early childhood education.
Dr Elise Baker
Associate Professor Allied Health
Western Sydney University, and South Western Sydney Local Health District
The Speech Assessment for Toddlers: A tool to strategically sample emerging speech production abilities of late talking toddlers
2:10 PM - 2:25 PM**********
Session chair
Lisa Furlong
Student volunteer(s)
Emily Candy
Curtin University
Sophia Jo
Curtin University
The information contained in this program is current at of the time of publishing but is subject to changes made without notice.
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