Although clinicians have long understood the risks of misidentifying an English learner or nonmainstream dialect speaker with language impairment, research to date has lacked a more nuanced view of assessment within diverse populations. Specifically, practitioners need the knowledge and tools to diagnose “disorder within difference,” a concept that is introduced and then exemplified in this journal self-study course, based on a Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools clinical forum. The authors of the articles examine a variety of assessment and screening tools used with children of varying linguistic backgrounds, including speakers of rural southern dialects, speakers of African American English, and Spanish-English bilingual children.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Summarize evidence regarding the use of diagnostic and screening tools for speakers of nonmainstream English as well as modifications that enhance the sensitivity and specificity of these tools
• Explain the potential clinical implications of the relationship between dialect density, oral language, and reading in speakers of African American English
• Discuss how ability group and language competence interact in morphological development in English learners and the language sample analysis tools that most effectively assess this development

Related Courses

This course is part of the Working With Multilingual Learners learning path. What is a learning path? A learning path is a curated set of courses on an essential topic, designed for you to complete as you have time in your schedule. Our learning paths identify sets of key courses so you can get on your way to mastering particular areas of practice according to your needs, priorities, and interests.

DEI Professional Development Requirement

This course counts toward the ASHA certification maintenance professional development requirement for DEI (which encompasses cultural competency; cultural humility; culturally responsive practice; and diversity, equity, and inclusion). See more courses that count toward this requirement or read more about professional development requirements for certification maintenance.

Watch One of the Authors Discuss the Conceptual Framework Behind This Clinical Forum

Learning Assessment

Online, multiple-choice exam