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Protocol - Early Childhood Speech and Language Assessment - Speech and Language Assessment Scale

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Description

The Speech and Language Assessment Scale (SLAS) is a 19-item, parent-report questionnaire designed to identify children with delayed speech and language skills. The SLAS uses seven-point Likert-style questions to assess six subscales: assertiveness, responsiveness, semantics, syntax, articulation, and talkativeness. The protocol includes instructions to generate composite scale scores.

Specific Instructions

In order for Speech and Language assessments to be considered valid, the investigator should make sure that the respondent speaks English well. The respondent should have hearing and cognitive ability adequate for understanding the items and evaluating the child's speech and language ability. For genetic studies, children should be assessed for hearing or nonverbal impairment as related factors that can contribute to low performance. Language impairment can appear without these factors but if these factors appear, the genetics of the language impairment may be confounded with the genetics of the related factors.

Availability

Available

Protocol

Speech and Language Assessment Scale

Please rate your child's language and social skills compared to other children his or her own age.

1. My child's ability to ask questions properly is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

2. My child's ability to answer questions properly is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

3. My child's ability to understand what others say to him/her is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

4. My child's ability to say sentences clearly enough to be understood by strangers is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

5. The number of words my child knows is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

6. My child's ability to use his/her words correctly is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

7. My child's ability to get his/her message across to others when talking is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

8. My child's ability to understand directions spoken to him/her is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

9. My child's ability to follow directions spoken to him/her is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

10. My child's ability to use the proper words when talking to others is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

11. My child's ability to get what he/she wants by talking is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

12. My child's ability to start a conversation, or start talking with other children is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

13. My child's ability to keep a conversation going with other children is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

14. The length of this child's sentences is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

15. My child's ability to make "grown up" sentences is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

16. My child's ability to correctly say the sounds in individual words is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

17. My child's awareness of differences in the way people act, speak, dress, etc. is:

1[ ]very low

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]normal for age

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]very high

18. My child usually speaks:

1[ ]too soft

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]about loud enough

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]too loud

19. My child usually speaks:

1[ ]not often enough

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]about often enough

5[ ]

6[ ]

7[ ]too often

Comments:

Scoring Instructions

Composite scale scores are calculated by adding together the ratings for the items in each subscale and dividing by the total number of items in that scale.

Assertiveness subscale: items 1, 11, 12
Responsiveness subscale: items 2, 13
Semantics subscale: items 5, 6, 10
Syntax subscale: items 14, 15
Articulation subscale: items 4, 7, 16

Assertiveness and responsiveness measure the use of language in social contexts. Semantics measures word learning. Syntax measures grammar. Articulation measures speech sound production and intelligibility.

Detailed instructions on scoring and interpretation can be found in Hadley and Rice (1993).

Personnel and Training Required

None

Equipment Needs

The respondent will need a copy of the questionnaire.

Requirements
Requirement CategoryRequired
Major equipment No
Specialized training No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection No
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual No
Mode of Administration

Proxy-administered questionnaire

Lifestage

Child

Participants

Parents and caregivers of children ages 3-5

Selection Rationale

The Speech and Language Assessment Scale (SLAS) was selected because it is a short, well-established, validated, parent-report instrument that is easy to use and interpret.

Language

Chinese, English

Standards
StandardNameIDSource
Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Child speech lang assess scale proto 62982-4 LOINC
Human Phenotype Ontology Delayed speech and language development HP:0000750 HPO
caDSR Form PhenX PX200302 - Early Childhood Speech And Language Assessment Speech 6197587 caDSR Form
Derived Variables

None

Process and Review

The Expert Review Panel #7 (ERP 7) reviewed the measures in the Speech and Hearing domain.

Guidance from ERP 7 includes the following:

  • No significant changes

Protocol Name from Source

Speech and Language Assessment Scale (SLAS)

Source

Hadley, P. A., & Rice, M. L. (1993). Parental judgments of preschoolers' speech and language development: A resource for assessment and IEP planning. Seminars in Speech and Language, 14(4), 278–288.

General References
Junge, C., & Cutler, A. (2014). Early word recognition and later language skills. Brain sciences, 4(4), 532-559.
Protocol ID

200302

Variables
Export Variables
Variable Name Variable IDVariable DescriptiondbGaP Mapping
PX200302_Ability_Answer_Questions
PX200302020000 My child's ability to answer questions more
properly is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Ask_Questions
PX200302010000 My child's ability to ask questions properly is: N/A
PX200302_Ability_Correctly_Say_Sounds
PX200302160000 My child's ability to correctly say the more
sounds in individual words is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Follow_Spoken_Directions
PX200302090000 My child's ability to follow directions more
spoken to him/her is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Get_Talking
PX200302110000 My child's ability to get what he/she wants more
by talking is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Keep_Conversation_Going
PX200302130000 My child's ability to keep a conversation more
going with other children is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Say_Sentences_Clearly
PX200302040000 My child's ability to say sentences clearly more
enough to be understood by strangers is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Start_Conversation_Other_Children
PX200302120000 My child's ability to start a conversation, more
or start talking with other children is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_To_Get_Message_Across
PX200302070000 My child's ability to get his/her messages more
across to others when talking is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_To_Make_GrownUp_Sentences
PX200302150000 My child's ability to make grown up sentences is: N/A
PX200302_Ability_To_Use_Proper_Words
PX200302100000 My child's ability to use the proper words more
when talking to others is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Understand_Spoken_Directions
PX200302080000 My child's ability to understand directions more
spoken to him/her is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Understand_What_Others_Say
PX200302030000 My child's ability to understand what others more
say to him/her is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Ability_Use_Words_Correctly
PX200302060000 My child's ability to use his/her words more
correctly is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Child_Awareness
PX200302170000 My child's awareness of differences in the more
way people act, speak, dress, etc. is: show less
N/A
PX200302_Length_Of_Sentences
PX200302140000 The length of this child's sentences is: N/A
PX200302_Number_Words_Known
PX200302050000 The number of words my child knows is: N/A
PX200302_Speaking_Frequency
PX200302190000 My child usually speaks: N/A
PX200302_Speaking_Volume
PX200302180000 My child usually speaks: N/A
Speech, Language and Hearing
Measure Name

Early Childhood Speech and Language Assessment

Release Date

October 8, 2010

Definition

This measure is a questionnaire to assess the development of speech and language skills.

Purpose

This measure is used to identify children who have not developed age-appropriate speech and language skills.

Keywords

SLAS, Speech Language Assessment Scale, Early childhood speech and language assessment, Communication, Ages and Stages, ASQ, proprietary, speech and hearing

Measure Protocols
Protocol ID Protocol Name
200301 Early Childhood Speech and Language Assessment - Ages and Stages Questionnaire
200302 Early Childhood Speech and Language Assessment - Speech and Language Assessment Scale
Publications

Rice, M.L. & Tager-Flusberg, H. (2016) Language Phenotypes. In V. Jagaroo and S.L. Santangelo (eds.) Neurophenotypes, Innovations in Cognitive Neuroscience. Springer. 2016 January; doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-3846-5_12