CONCURRENT AND PREDICTIVE-VALIDITY OF AN EARLY LANGUAGE SCREENING-PROGRAM

The efficacy of screening 2-year-old children for language delay using a parent-report questionnaire was investigated in three studies. The Language Development Survey(Rescorla, 1989) was mailed to 650 families at the time of their child's second birthday. Fifty-three percent of the surveys received by parents were completed and returned. Screening outcomes were then compared, in double-blind fashion, with the result s of comprehensive clinical evaluations at ages 2 (N = 64) and 3 (N = 36). Parents' report of the size of their children's expressive vocabu laries was highly correlated with clinical language measures at age 2. Children who screened positive performed significantly poorer than ch ildren who screened negative on standardized language tests and on mea sures taken from spontaneous conversation. The screening program demon strated excellent sensitivity and specificity For identifying language delay at age 2 but somewhat lower levels for predicting developmental status one year later.