Exploring the need for dynamic assessment in the diagnosis of children with suspected language disorders

Abstract

This study investigates the familiarity with and application of Dynamic Assessment (DA) among Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) in Sweden, focusing on its use in diagnosing language disorders in children. Using a mixed-methods approach, survey data were collected from 565 SLPs, revealing that 72% were familiar with DA. However, a significant proportion rarely applied it in practice, although DA was more prevalent in areas predominantly characterized by low socioeconomic status and a high proportion of multilingual assessments. The findings underscore a gap between international guidelines from experts in the field, which recognize the potential of DA for more accurate diagnosis, particularly in children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and its actual utilization. Despite the evident need (92% of the respondents rated the need for DA as very or quite large), only a minority of the respondents had received formal DA training. These results call for enhanced training and resources to increase the integration of DA into clinical practice, aiming to bridge the gap between current practices and the benefits of utilizing DA in language assessments of children with suspected language disorders.