Features of culturally and linguistically relevant speech-language assessments for Indigenous children: A scoping review.
Zoe E Higgins, Pascal Lefebvre
PMID 39342529WHAT IT FOUND
Relevant assessments for Indigenous children use several sources, including language samples, observation and dynamic assessment, in familiar settings, while accounting for home language and dialect.
Standardised tests alone may misread difference as disorder.
Key findings
01The review identified recommended features of culturally and linguistically relevant assessment: using a battery that includes alternative approaches, ensuring cultural authenticity, and considering the child's language and dialect.
02Norm-referenced tests were common but were often criticised for bias against Indigenous children, while alternative approaches such as language sample analysis, observation and dynamic assessment were recommended.
03Authors recommended assessing bilingual children in all their languages and using dialect-neutral elements or adapted tools to avoid mistaking language difference for disorder.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only English or French articles were included, so work in other languages may be missing. The included studies varied widely in participants, ages, regions, languages and assessment tools; most reported limited generalisability. The review synthesises authors' recommendations and discussion points, not tested effects, so it cannot show which assessment feature improves outcomes. Assessment features were categorised by the first author without secondary validation. Family interviews were not extensively explored.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that any named test or approach improves outcomes. It is a scoping review of assessment features recommended in the literature, not a trial of those features.