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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As an SLP, I'm a little frustrated by how unethical some SLPs in the area are, framing average scores as "low" or "borderline" to worry parents into paying a significant amount of money to fix something that isn't actually a problem. The test authors designated 85-115 as average scores. Not low average or borderline. We also collect a range of 90% probability that a child falls into which will include higher scores into the mid-90s based on an 86 which takes into account that some children don't perform their best during testing situations, or on certain days, etc. Your child received average scores on two well-respected tests, and the CELF contains a large cognitive load component which can lead to over-identifying. She will almost certainly continue being average, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Those scores are a good thing, and one or two word changes on that report would drastically impact how you felt about your daughter's future.

If you choose to give her ST, it certainly won't hurt her. She'll continue developing typically and therefore make progress. Just know that if you have better things to spend that money on, you shouldn't feel obligated. Your concern wasn't even in this area, nor were the results of the screening. ChildFind offers free screenings if you want a free second opinion, otherwise you may want to consult with another SLP in the area.

(Sorry for how negative the tone of this post is, it just frustrates me to no end. Parents worry enough about their children and those who actually need the help don't need fudging on reports to know it.)[/quote]

I appreciate your thoughts and can understand your frustration. On the other hand, I'm also an educator and evaluator...I understand standard deviation and the range of 85 - 115 but think that scoring at the 16th %ile is worthy of concern. Certainly, most people would have some concerns over a WISC-V Verbal Scale Score of 85.[/quote]

NP here. But, you are not a speech pathologist and you have misinterpreted the percentile. The standard scores are average. And speech therapy is not really going to change that. If this child was to be tested years later,the scores would most likely be the same. The private practice is telling the parent that this child needs speech therapy and that implies that there is a speech language delay when there really isn't. That is unethical.[/quote]

How was the 16th %ile misinterpreted? I'm not saying it's a severe delay but was pointing out that falling within the low average range (some tests give a qualitative performance descriptor at that level as below average) is worthy of concern. In our school system, a child may (depending on the eligibility team's decision) qualify for services if he/she obtained several speech/lang scores at that level.[/quote]

Some tests might have a standard deviation of 10, but these tests were both described as having a standard deviation of 15, which would classify that as average. You may be thinking more of IQ tests, which tend to have descriptors like that. Almost all language tests describe 85 as average. In no way should a child be coded as having a language disability with scores of 85. It's not a delay at all. It's just not advanced, which can be difficult for many people in this area to comprehend.[/quote]

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