Eligibility Report

Speech and Language Evaluation Student: XX Date of Birth: XX Age: XX School: XX Grade: XX Evaluation Date(s): XX Report Date: XX Background and Related Information: XX is a XX year-old male in the Newcomers Program at XX High School. He was referred for a full special education evaluation due to concerns in the areas of speech, communication, and academic performance. XX transferred from Burundi to the United States during the summer of 2018. His primary languages are Kirundi and Swahili. During the evaluation, XX communicated using a combination of Kirundi, Swahili, and English. A Swahili interpreter was present for the entire evaluation. The speech and language assessment was conducted in Swahili due to his limited English skills.

Assessments: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Functional Communication Profile-Revised (FCP-R) The Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA-3) Speech and Language Probes Educational Assessment of Communication Skills Hearing Screening

Functional Communication Profile-Revised (FCP-R) According to the results of the Functional Communication Profile-Revised (FCP-R) and informal speech and language samples, XX demonstrates functional language skills in the areas of basic requesting as well as answering simple yes/no and wh-questions. Basic concepts such as body parts, colors, and shapes were assessed in XX’s primary language, Swahili. He successfully labeled all 16 body parts but was only able to label 6 out of 10 colors and 2 out of 7 shapes (circle and star). For the rote naming assessment, XX was provided with 53 basic images to label. After five images were omitted as they were deemed irrelevant in Swahili, XX appropriately labeled 36 out of 48 images, demonstrating 75% accuracy. XX is reported to exhibit deficits in the areas of grammar and syntax, and he often speaks in short, basic phrases. According to XX’s parents, he often speaks with a rapid rate, omits words, and demonstrates difficulty following directions. Delays in processing and response formulation for communication were also observed during the evaluation. XX’s teachers and interpreters reveal that reading and writing are particular areas of concern for both English and Swahili. During the evaluation, XX was able to count to 20 and sing the ABC’s in English; however, he omitted several of the numbers and letters when doing so. XX’s interpreter expressed that he is able to understand approximately 70% of what XX says when speaking Swahili, but he often needs XX to repeat what he is saying using different words to better understand him. Overall, XX’s receptive and expressive language abilities were judged to be significantly delayed and below ageexpectations.

The Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA-3) This test was not normed on Swahili-speaking children and/or children for whom English is a second language. Therefore, the results of this test are presented in a qualitative and descriptive manner and should be interpreted with caution due to the lack of norms for the population of English Language Learners. XX was administered the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, Third Edition (GFTA-3) in order to assess his articulation abilities. The GFTA-3 is a systematic means of assessing an individual’s articulation of the consonant and consonant cluster sounds of Standard American English. It provides information about an individual’s speech sound ability by sampling both spontaneous and imitative sound production in single words and connected speech. Sounds-in-Words The Sounds-in-Words test is used to evaluate an individual’s articulation skill at the single word level. The examiner presents a picture stimulus for the individual to label. The examiner scores each consonant and consonant cluster sound in the words as a correct or incorrect production. This test has a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.

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XX achieved a Standard Score below 40 on the Sounds-in-Words measure, which is significantly below average as compared to peers of the same age and gender. During this subtest, XX demonstrated phonological processing errors such as cluster reduction, final consonant deletion, fronting, gliding, and syllable deletion. Misarticulations observed include “r” as in rain, “l” as in lion, and “th” as in think. XX also revealed misarticulations of “k” as in kid, but this is expected as this phoneme is not used in Swahili.

Educational Assessment of Communication Skills The Educational Assessment of Communication Skills checklist was given to XX’s teachers for completion. This checklist compares XX’s communication performance with that of his classmates. Both XX’s English and Survival Skills teachers identified 10 out of 19 possible communication skills as areas of concern (difficulty being understood, difficulty with curriculum vocabulary, difficulty following directions, extra wait time to respond, use of incorrect grammar, difficulty expressing ideas in an organized and coherent manner, difficulty asking relevant questions, and difficulty attending to instruction). XX’s Survival Skills teacher reports that his speech skills negatively affect his academic performance, and both teachers indicate that classroom modifications are needed for him to be successful. Classroom strategies that were reported to be helpful include: 1) frequent breaks 2) pace of instruction tailored to XX’s current level of performance 3) providing extra “wait time” to comprehend or respond 4) checking for understanding 5) reminders to speak at an appropriate volume.

Hearing Screening Results of the hearing screening indicate normal hearing at 25 dB for 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz.

Fluency and Voice Observations and teacher reports reveal XX’s speech volume to be quiet and below expectation. Stuttering-like behaviors were noted for XX in Swahili; however, due to his limited English skills, a fluency assessment in English was unable to be conducted at this time.

Results and Impressions: Based on informal assessment and parent, teacher and interpreter input, XX’s speech sound production, fluency, voice, and language skills were found to be significantly delayed and below age-expectation.

Summary: XX is a 17;6-year-old male in the Newcomers Program at Harrisonburg High School. He was referred for a full special education evaluation due to concerns in the areas of speech, communication, and academic performance. A Swahili interpreter was present for the entire evaluation. The speech and language assessment was conducted in Swahili due to XX’s limited English skills. Assessment results and parent, teacher, and interpreter report indicate that XX’s receptive and expressive language abilities, fluency, voice, and speech sound productions were judged to be significantly delayed and below age-expectations in his native language.

Recommendations: 1. Specific eligibility criteria must be met before determining if XX qualifies for speech and language services. All eligibility components should be taken into consideration when determining his final eligibility status. 2. Provide visual and verbal supports for multi-step direction tasks. 3. Allow XX extra time to formulate his thoughts before needing to verbally express them. 4. Encourage XX to repeat his responses and to increase his volume when he is not understood by others through visual and verbal prompting.

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Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Student

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