Using TECS-E to identify children with DLD and those with language difficulties

Given the number of individuals with DLD, it is necessary to have reliable assessments that help to differentially diagnose them. We also need assessments that will help to identify children in high risk groups, who are currently going undiagnosed and are therefore not receiving additional supports. We believe that the TECS-E will also provide a guide for speech and language therapists and educationalists regarding appropriate points of entry for intervention to improve children’s understanding of complex sentences and therefore improve their oral language and literacy skills. Intervention at this level will facilitate these children’s ability to answer high-level questions, engage in classroom discourse, integrate more effectively in mainstream school and in society throughout their lives.

When we have established how large numbers of typically developing children perform on the test we will then use the test with children who have developmental language disorder (DLD) and children who are at risk of language difficulties.

Using the TECS-E in this study, we aim to establish if it distinguishes children a) with a diagnosis of DLD from those with typical development and b) with and without language difficulties in a group of children at risk of reading comprehension difficulties.

In this study we also aim to establish what are the best cut-off points to allow TECS-E distinguish those with mild, moderate and severe language difficulties?

We are not yet recruiting for study 3.