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Speech and Language Assessment Overview

Note: Each child will be assessed using the DEAP Diagnostic Screen and the CELF P3 Core Language Subtests. Additional assessments listed below will only be utilised to collect additional information for those children that demonstrate areas of difficulty in either their speech and/or spoken language.  


Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – Preschool Australian and New Zealand Standardised Third Edition (CELF-P3 A&NZ)  

The CELF-P3 A&NZ is a research based, individually administered clinical tool designed to assess the language skills of students, aged 3 years 6 months through 6 years 11 months. The assessment is designed to assess language skills such as use and understanding of grammatical markers (e.g. plurals and past tense), sentence construction as well as use and understanding of vocabulary. A scaled score of 8-12 is considered to be within the normal range.    

Task Description:  

  • Sentence Comprehension: the student was required to point to a picture, given a choice of four, in response to a spoken sentence. (e.g. ‘point to – the boy has a ball’). The sentence structures increase in complexity as the test progresses.  
  • Word Structure: the student was required to finish off sentences using the correct grammatical markers (e.g. ‘ed’ for past tense). This subtest also assesses the use of pronouns (e.g. he/she).  
  • Expressive Vocabulary: the student was required to name objects or actions in response to pictures.  
  • Following Directions: the student was required to point to items in a picture in response to a spoken instruction. The instructions contain different concepts (e.g. big, next to, before) and increase in length and complexity.  
  • Recalling Sentences: the student was required to repeat sentences exactly as they were presented to them.  
  • Basic Concepts: the student was required to point to a picture in response to an instruction containing one basic concept (e.g. ‘point to the one that is tall’). These concepts relate to size, direction, location, and quantity.  
  • Word Classes: the student was asked to identify 2 objects represented as pictures (from a choice of 3-4) related by semantic class features.  

Index scores are calculated using scores from the above subtests. They summarise the student’s overall language (core language), receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (using language) abilities and allow comparisons with children of the same age.  

  • The Core Language score is considered the most representative measure of a child’s language skills and provides a means to quantify their overall language performance.   
  • The Receptive Language index is a cumulative measure of the student’s performance on subtests designed to best probe receptive aspects of language including comprehension and listening.     
  • The Expressive Language index is a cumulative measure of the student’s performance on subtests designed to best probe expressive aspects of language including generating words and sentences in response to tasks.    
  • The Language Content index is a cumulative measure of the student’s performance on semantic knowledge (i.e. vocabulary knowledge and word meanings).   
  • The Language Structure Score is a cumulative measure of the student’s use and understanding of the syntactical structures and morphology of words.   

The Renfrew Language Scales: Action Picture Test, 5th Edition (RAPT)  

The RAPT is an individually administered test that provides a sample of children’s expressive language. It is designed for use with children between the ages of 3 years and 8 years 5 months. The responses are scored from two different perspectives: information and grammar.   


The Renfrew Expressive Vocabulary Test, 5th Edition (REVT) 

The REVT is an individually administered test that measures a child’s expressive vocabulary. It is designed for use with children between the ages of 3 years and 11 years 11 months.   


Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP): Phonology   

The DEAP Phonology Assessment is an individual assessment tool used to profile a child’s speech sound development. It differentiates between age-appropriate error patterns, delayed error patterns and unusual error patterns that do not typically occur in normal speech sound development.   

Occupational Therapy Assessment Overview


Movement Assessment Battery for Children- 3rd Edition (Movement ABC-3) 

 This assessment is used to identify children with movement impairments in the areas of manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance.   

  • Manual Dexterity: the child’s ability to manipulate objects in their fingers and hands. There are four tasks in this subtest: posting coins, threading beads, threading lace, and drawing circles.   
  • Aiming and Catching: the child’s ability to catch a beanbag and throw a beanbag at a target.   
  • Balance: the child’s ability to balance while moving (dynamic) and while standing still. There are three tasks in this assessment: one leg balance, walking heals raised and consecutive jumping on targets. 

Clinical Observations 

Each student was asked to cut around simple and complex shapes and copy drawings of shapes, to further assess their functional fine motor skills. Observation and assessment of postural control and motor planning were made throughout all screening tasks.   

 * Postural Strength & Control – Allows us to sit upright for extended periods and be stable and controlled during movement tasks.    

 * Motor Planning – The ability to plan, organise and carry out movements with refined coordination and control.  


Self-Regulation   

The ability to monitor and be in control of one’s thoughts, feelings and levels of alertness, and behave in accordance with the demands of a situation.