Assessment Considerations with Hearing Children of Deaf Parents

Jimmy Lee, MS, CCC-SLPDepartment of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences

Gallaudet University Washington DC

Jimmy Lee, MS, CCC-SLP

james.lee@gallaudet.edu

Gallaudet University Hearing and Speech Center Coordinator of Speech Language Services Clinical Supervisor Instructor Former member of ASHA’s Multicultural

Issues Board

Gallaudet University Hearing and Speech Center The Center is a full service, urban clinic. We

serve members of the Gallaudet community and the greater Washington DC area. We are committed to our community. The Gallaudet and surrounding community include a large number of Deaf families with hearing children.

Agenda

ASHA Guidelines - Rationale for Bilingual Language Assessment

Children of Deaf Adults – CODAs/kodas Assessment Considerations Assessment Strategies

Guidelines for Assessment

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1985). Clinical Management of Communicatively Handicapped Minority Language Populations [Position Statement]. Available from www.asha.org/policy.

Cultural Sensitivity

“Ability to recognize cultural factors which affect the delivery of speech-language pathology and audiology services to minority language-speaking community. “

Cultural Sensitivity - Considerations

Cultural Variables Child-rearing practices Ethnicity Experience Gender/gender identification Generational views Nonverbal behaviors (i.e., eye contact, gestures) Perceptions and beliefs about age and disability Race Religion Rules of interaction (i.e., turn taking, interruption) Sexual orientation Socioeconomic status

Assessment

“Ability to administer and interpret formal and informal assessment procedures to distinguish between communication difference and communication disorders. “

Linguistic Variables

All primary and subsequent oral, written, and manual languages used by the individual and family

Bilingual Language Assessment In accordance with the ASHA Code of Ethics and the guidelines for

evaluating English language learners:

It should be noted that test scores would be invalid for testing a client who is not reflected in the normative group for the test's standardization sample, even if the test were administered as instructed. However, these tests can provide valuable descriptive information about a client's abilities and limitations in the language of the test.  

  www.asha.org  For this reason, all scores obtained should be interpreted with extreme

caution.  Static testing should be used for future comparative purposes only.  More dynamic assessment will provide invaluable information regarding the client’s progress as an English Language Learner.

Dynamic Assessment

A method of conducting a language assessment which seeks to identify the skills that an individual child possesses as well as their learning potential.  The dynamic assessment procedure emphasizes the learning process and accounts for the amount and nature of examiner investment.  It is highly interactive and process-oriented.  The following chart compares features of a traditional (or static) assessment procedure to the dynamic assessment procedure. 

http://www.asha.org/about/leadership-projects/multicultural/issues/da/default

Assessment Variations

Static Assessment Client/Family is passive Examiner observes Identifies Deficits Standardized

http://www.asha.org/about/leadership-projects/multicultural/issues/da/default

Dynamic Assessment Client/Family is active Examiner participates Describes modifiability Fluid and Responsive

Hearing Children of Deaf Parents

CODA vs. koda CODA – Adult Child of Deaf Parents koda – Pediatric Child of Deaf Parents

We will consider kodas for today’s discussion The National Kids of Deaf Adults (KODA)

Family Conference http://nkodafc.org/4201/index.html

Assessment Considerations

Identify L1 Indentify secondary languages Establish proficiency in L1 if not English Establish proficiency in English Determine if a difference or disorder is

present

Confounding issues with kodas

Bimodal language learners SLPs proficiency in ASL Lack of valid reliable means of assessing ASL Communication with the Deaf family members Cultural v. Medical Models Family’s ability to share information about

spoken language development Perceptions of family of SLPs

Bimodal bilinguals

Phonological Development in ASL Phonological Development in spoken English Lack of overlap modally – potential theoretical

brain mapping Hands v. Mouth Identification of Articulation/Phonological

Disorders

Collaboration

Interpreters Occupational Therapists ASL Specialists

Case History

Relevant topics

the age of acquisition of L1 and L2the perceived development of ASL (siblings, kodas, deaf kids)the language(s) used at home and at school/work the amount and integrity of exposure to each language the language of preference with siblings, peers, parents, etc the progress made as an English Language Learner if availablethe report of academic performance

Language Sample Analysis

Morphology Syntax Semantics Pragmatics Phonology

Static Language Testing

PLS, CELF P, Birth to Three, Rossetti, CASL Be aware of modifications Report Modifications Assessment through an ASL interpreter Assessment without an ASL Interpreter Language Modality in the session

Spoken Language – All clinicians Sign Language – Designated clinician

Reporting Results/Recommendations

Use Extreme Caution Work over time for a diagnosis of disorder Language Stimulation Speech Therapy v. Language Therapy

Future Directions

How does bimodality impact language learning in kodas?

What errors are characteristic of kodas speech/language and constitute acceptable difference based deficits?

At what age do kodas evidence full mastery of English?

What quantity/quality of spoken language is necessary for kodas to acquire spoken English?

Acknowledgements

I gratefully acknowledge ASHA, the Multicultural Issues Board and the Office of Multicultural Affairs for the extensive knowledge and resources I liberally borrowed and applied in this presentation.

I also wish to thank all of the Deaf families who have sought services for their hearing children at the Gallaudet University Hearing and Speech Center

Contact Information

Jimmy Lee, MS CCC-SLP, G '93Clinical Educator/Coordinator of SLP ServicesGallaudet UniversityDepartment of Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences800 Florida Avenue, NEWashington, DC   20002202-651-5665202-651-5324 (fax)http://hsls.gallaudet.edu/x5202.xml

Final thought

"The stranger who tells our stories when we cannot speak not only awakens our spirits and hearts but also shows our humanity – which others want to forget– and in doing so, becomes family" Mende Proverb, Sierra Leone