In 2007, it was estimated that approximately 20% of the United States population spoke more than one language (Grosjean, 2012). As this statistic continues to rise, it is imperative that speech-language pathologists (SLP) are prepared to serve a linguistically inclusive caseload. Dynamic assessment (DA) allows clinicians to assess bilingual children while avoiding sources of bias that are often associated with norm-referenced testing. Utilizing DA to evaluate the multifaceted skills associated with narrative language can provide clinician’s clinical direction for intervention planning (Douglas, Chanthongthip, Ukrainetz, Spencer, and Steeve, 2017). DA is often structured as a pretest-teach-posttest model, which provides insight on current learning ability rather than current skillset. Dose refers to both the measured quantity of a therapeutic agent to be taken at one time and the specification of on-going exposure to an again (i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, etc) (Justice, 2018). In reference to speech-language pathology, dose often refers to the duration of intervention sessions over a given period. However, researchers are beginning to conceptualize dose as the engagement in therapeutic events rather than the duration of time spent in a session (Williams, 2012). In such cases, dose is represented as something the child does (e.g., produces a target phoneme) and as something the clinician does (e.g., providing exposure to a target phoneme) (Hassink & Leonard, 2010). While research on dose continues to develop, there is little research on implications of dose in bilingual populations. Due to the current COVID-19 global pandemic, many SLPs have transitioned their practice to alternative methods of delivery. The current study aims to examine the impact and opinions of practicing SLPs on dose, narrative intervention, and dynamic assessment of bilingual populations. The study surveyed licensed SLPs to obtain information on the current practices and definitions of dose, DA, and subsequent language interventions to bilingual populations.

Dynamic assessment represents an opportunity for educational psychologists to utilise a play-based approach for assessing the functional behaviour of children who struggle to perform in formal testing situations (Tzuriel, 2000; Hill, 2015). A systematic literature review aims to evaluate available empirical research on the use of dynamic assessment approaches within the early years to provide a clearer view of the evidence for their use and to support educational psychologists' development of such approaches within their professional practice. The review of this evidence indicated mixed results for the usefulness of dynamic assessment in the early years phase and warranted closer inspection of the use of dynamic assessment by educational psychologists. In the empirical project, a purposive convenience sample was used. Two practising educational psychologists were interviewed using semi structured interview schedules and observed delivering dynamic assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and a content analysis was used to analyse the videoed observations. The findings of this empirical project highlight the type and level of mediation required for dynamic assessment of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage; how educational psychologists evaluate the usefulness of dynamic assessment for assessing and identifying the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage; and the implications of dynamic assessment for intervention for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Implications are discussed for promoting the use of dynamic assessment among educational psychologists as a useful tool for assessment of children in the early years age phase.

Purpose: Between 13% and 20% of two year olds are late to talk; of those, up to 25% are at risk of persistent language impairment. This highly exploratory study examined whether a dynamic assessment (DA) of single word learning could be used to predict medium term development trajectory and thus provide better information regarding which late talkers were most at risk of continued language delay. Method: Six novel non-words were taught within a scripted play activity, which controlled for number of exposures. Retention and recall of each novel word was tested following both 3 and10 exposures using a predetermined hierarchy of prompts. Participants were 20 typically developing children and 20 late talkers aged 24-29 months. The late talking group (mean age 26 months) was tracked for 8 to 9 months with re-administration of the DA task 3 months after the initial testing. The task employed a graduated prompting framework because it is highly scripted and can be completed within a single brief session; advantageous for screening purposes. Results: Findings indicated that the DA scores for single word learning were associated with change over an 8 to 9 month period. The association between the task and standardised assessment (PLS) change scores was observed to increase over a 3 month period, when the average age of the late talking participants was 29 months. At this time, participants achieving DA scores more closely approximating those of typically developing children were operating within the normal range on standardised testing (PLS) 5 to 6 months later. Conclusions: More accurate differentiation of children who were late blooming versus those likely to be language impaired was achieved closer to 2 ½ years of age. Implications for service provision in terms of directing input to where it is most needed and also in identifying most optimal timing for input are discussed.

abstract: Purpose: Over-identification of Navajo Head Start children into special education on the Navajo Reservation has come to the attention of Tribal leaders, Educational leaders, and parents due to the use of invalid assessment measures. Dynamic assessment (DA) of narratives may be a tool for distinguishing language differences from language disorders. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Predictive Early Assessment of Reading and Language (PEARL), a dynamic assessment of narratives, accurately classifies Navajo Head Start students with typically developing (TD) language or with language impairment (LI), and to examine which measures best predict children’s overall performances on the PEARL. Method: Ninety, 4- and 5-year-old Navajo preschoolers with LI and with TD language were selected. Children completed the PEARL, which measured both language comprehension and production using pretest and posttest scores, and a modifiability scale. In addition, children completed the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamental, Preschool, Second Edition (CELF – Preschool 2) and language samples. A Navajo Speech Language Pathologist confirmed the diagnosis of the participants. Research assistants pretested, briefly taught the principles of narrative structure (story grammar, language complexity and episode) and evaluated response to learning using an index of modifiability. Results: Results of discriminant analysis indicated that PEARL pretest differentiated both ability groups with 89% accuracy. In addition, posttest scores discriminated with 89% accuracy and modifiability scores with 100% accuracy. Further, the subtest story grammar was the best predictor at pretest and posttest, although modifiability scores were better predictors of both ability groups. Conclusion: Findings indicate that the PEARL is a promising assessment for accurately differentiating Navajo preschool children with LI from Navajo preschool children with TD language. The PEARL’s recommended pretest cut score over-identified Navajo children with TD language; therefore, a new recommended cut score was determined. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Speech and Hearing Science 2017

Purpose: This study examined how well a dynamic assessment of narrative language accurately identified kindergarten through sixth grade students with and without language disorder. Method: The participants included 110 school-age children from Utah and Colorado who were administered a narrative-based dynamic assessment of language that entailed a pretest, a teaching phase, an examiner rating of the child's ability to learn language (modifiability), and a posttest. Results: The dynamic assessment investigated in this study demonstrated good to excellent levels of sensitivity and specificity. The results of this study also determined that, in concurrence with previous dynamic assessment research, posttest and modifiability scores were most predictive of language ability. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the Dynamic Measure of Oral Narrative Discourse (DYMOND) may be a valid and accurate tool when identifying language disorders in school-age populations.

This thesis is focused on dynamic assessment (DA), an instructional approach based on Vygotskian sociocultural theory, applied to French pronunciation instruction, which can be neglected or inconsistent in the foreign language curriculum. DA aims to combine instruction and assessment into a cooperative, mediated approach in which the mediator works with the learner to identify and develop emergent abilities. These emergent abilities can appear in what is often referred to as the zone of proximal development (ZPD), or the difference between what a learner can do independently and what he/she can do with mediation, which in the present study was the difference between what the participant could pronounce correctly with or without mediation. In carrying out an individual DA session with a learner, the author aimed to find suggestions of potential benefits by applying DA to French pronunciation instruction and gain a more detailed understanding of the learner's performance than is generally possible from a traditional assessment, which is totally devoid of mediation for the sake of validity and reliability. The study includes a discussion of some potential benefits and limitations related to the use of DA for teaching French pronunciation to intermediate L2 learners based on what was observed in the DA session, for example suggestions of increased awareness of pronunciation, suggestions of increased independent performance, and suggestions of decreased errors in specific problem areas.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of the current study was to develop and administer a Spanish static and dynamic assessment of decoding and other important reading measures. Using the best available resources regarding Spanish literacy acquisition and Spanish language development, a preliminary Spanish dynamic and static screener was developed. The resulting test was named the Spanish Dynamic Decoding Measure (S-DDM) and is a counterpart to the original DDM available in English. This test contains three subtests: decoding, phonemic awareness, and word identification. The S-DDM was administered to eight bilingual Spanish-English speaking students with varying levels of Spanish language ability and reading proficiency in grades ranging from second to fourth grade. The results from all three subtests of the S-DDM were analyzed to report the levels of validity, reliability, and variance observed in the administration of the test and performance of the participants. There was a wide range of performance on the pretest sections of the dynamic assessment decoding subtest, and performance at or near ceiling on the posttest sounds sections. Modifiability scores were strong for the students who were not receiving special education services while the two participants receiving special education both received weaker modifiability ratings. There was a wide range of variance observed on all subtests of both the phonemic awareness and word identification subtests, with the exception of the phoneme blending target of the phonemic awareness subtest. Interrater reliability and administration fidelity were found to be within acceptable measures. Results indicated that the test is sensitive to varying degrees of Spanish reading proficiency and reading ability. Future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this screener in identifying Spanish-speaking students who are at-risk for reading difficulties.

This study set out to determine the extent to which educational psychologists in South Africa are familiar with and use dynamic assessment. The study also covered issues such as the dynamic assessment training that educational psychologists receive as well as their attitudes towards dynamic assessment. A review of the literature revealed that only international studies have been done on the use of dynamic assessment by school psychologists. The findings of international studies can, however, not summarily be generalised to the South African context. The only national study that has been done on the use of dynamic assessment by educational psychologists was a qualitative study. The present study endeavoured to address this research hiatus by conducting a national cross-sectional online survey that was sent to all educational psychologists in South Africa. The study sought to find an answer to the following primary research question: "To what extent are South African educational psychologists familiar with and use dynamic assessment?" The sample was selected initially through purposive sampling and later through snowball sampling. The study found that of the 173 respondents who responded to the survey, 69,90% were familiar with dynamic assessment. However, this picture changed dramatically when they were asked to what extent they were familiar with dynamic assessment. A total of only 25,40% of the respondents indicated that they were quite familiar with dynamic assessment, and only 20,80% reported that they used dynamic assessment. Furthermore, only 8,10% had used dynamic assessment once a week during the past six months. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which modifiability ratings and gains in narrative language, made through intervention over time with culturally and linguistically diverse children, aligned with the results of a diagnostic dynamic assessment of language. This study also examined the sensitivity and specificity of the dynamic assessment when response to language intervention was used as the primary indicator of language disorder (LD). A total of 32 culturally and linguistically diverse students from an elementary school in Utah participated in this study, with 17 students with LD and 15 students without LD. Students were administered a dynamic assessment of language and were then provided small group narrative-based language intervention for several weeks. Student progress was monitored each week by collecting narrative language samples. Modifiability ratings were also collected, which provided information on student learning potential. Progress monitoring gain scores from the first intervention session to the last intervention session and mean modifiability ratings were compared between children with and without language disorder. Logistic regression and receiver operator characteristic analyses were conducted to obtain classification accuracy information. The results of this study indicated that growth in narrative language due to intervention did not reflect the results of the dynamic assessment; however, modifiability scores, which measure a student's difficulty in learning language, aligned with the dynamic assessment results. Sensitivity was 94% and specificity was 71%. It is possible that a dynamic assessment of language may be a less biased approach to diagnose LD in culturally and linguistically diverse students.