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Article History:
Received June 25, 2021
Revision received September 19, 2021
Accepted September 30, 2021
Editor-in-Chief: Holly L. Storkel
Editor: Douglas Bryan Petersen
https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00096
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Syntax assessment and treatment is a major focus of speech-language pathologists who work with young children with language needs. The Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) provides an efficient method for the assessment of syntax of preschool-age children. The purpose of this tutorial is to illustrate how to hand-score an IPSyn from language sample transcripts and use this information to formulate appropriate syntactic goals.
Method: We describe general methods and tips for facilitating hand-scoring. Two case study transcripts of a late talker at 36 and 48 months are provided. One case study transcript is fully scored in IPSyn with detailed explanations; the second case study is provided as a practice example with an IPSyn answer key. Relevant sample probes are provided to assist in the goal of obtaining a representative set of language structures.
Results: We show how the IPSyn can be scored, subscale by subscale, and can highlight developmental stages of syntax following Brown's stages of grammatical development. We illustrate how the visual snapshot developmental nature of the instrument makes it ideal for deriving goals.
Conclusion: The IPSyn is a practical and valuable tool for the assessment of syntax of preschool-age children.
Language sampling is a cornerstone of clinical assessment and is an excellent source of information about child language production. Measures of syntax are of particular interest, given that many children with language delays and disorders experience difficulty with syntax (Eisenberg & Guo, 2013, 2016; Hadley et al., 2016; Hadley & Short, 2005; Rescorla et al., 2000). Clinicians underuse language sampling, and when they do, they often fail to adequately measure syntax as part of their assessment (Arndt & Schuele, 2013; Finestack & Satterlund, 2018; Pavelko et al., 2016; Westerveld & Claessen, 2014). This is not only due, in part, to the time needed to transcribe language samples but also due to lack of knowledge of syntax and how to efficiently assess it (Altenberg et al., 2018; Pavelko et al., 2016).
Of available measures of syntax for preschool children, the Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn; Altenberg et al., 2018; Scarborough, 1990) is one of the...