Background: Children with hearing impairment (HI) are at risk for language difficulties, which can persist during childhood. There is a lack of clinical language tests adapted for young preschool children, enabling early identification of language delays. The expressive phonological test PEEPS-SE could enable such testing in these ages. Aims: The…

Although professional organizations in the United States have recommended genetic testing for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), uptake rates of genetic testing remain low. This review lists the recommendations made by professional medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of…

Whether racial and ethnic disparities in disability identification are currently occurring across elementary school is unclear. We analyzed the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (N = 15,140) using discrete-time event history models with time-invariant and time-varying covariates. Black…

Background: As highlighted by research on typically developing children, various biases exist when evaluating bilingual children's abilities. These biases can lead to inequitable assessment of language and cognitive abilities--potentially over- or underestimating bilinguals' skills. Recent reviews on neurodivergent bilingual children alluded to…

Introduction: Dysarthria, a motor speech disorder that has a significant impact on communication, requires precise assessment for accurate diagnosis and intervention. Although internationally recognised assessment tools exist, many are not culturally or linguistically adapted for Spanish-speaking populations. The objective of this study was to…

The Coventry Grid (CG) seeks to address clinicians' concerns over the misdiagnosis of autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) and attachment problems (AP). While literature exists exploring the clinical benefits of the CG, and recent modifications have included the Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile, its potential in the educational context…

This document reports on the methodology used to approach a series of six evidence reviews on the best practices in the identification, support, and collaborative practices of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 available to teachers and early year practitioners working in mainstream education in England. These reviews were commissioned…

This rapid review explores how early years practitioners and settings can better support children with stammering, speech and language needs, and promote strong communication development across universal and targeted support levels. Three core areas were examined: (1) identification and assessment; (2) support and intervention; and (3) working…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the initial reliability and validity evidence of the dynamic assessment (DA) of early reading and language as a second-stage screener in kindergarten, the first year of formal schooling. The DA comprises three subtests that capture students' ability to learn letter sounds and blending…

The wait for ASD evaluation dramatically increases with age, with wait times of a year or more common as children reach preschool. Even when appointments become available, families from traditionally underserved groups struggle to access care. Addressing care disparities requires designing identification tools and processes specifically for and…

Purpose: Parents of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have unique support needs. While support groups have a strong evidence base, they have not been adapted for use with this population. Our goal was to explore support needs among parents of children with DLD and their perspectives on participating in a support group. Method: We…

While the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is considered a "reference standard" measure to observe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little is known about the utility of its Other Abnormal Behaviors or "E codes." This study investigated the unique influence of each E code (overactivity,…

In the SEND Code of Practice (DfE/DoH, 2015), the area of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs refer to a wide range of emotional, behavioural, and social challenges that can impact learning, engagement and participation, mental health, and wellbeing for children and young people. This rapid evidence assessment (REA) reviews how…

Identification of likelihood for autism in the U.S. early intervention (EI) system facilitates referrals to diagnostic assessments and targets autism-specific needs. However, performance of autism screeners in high-likelihood preschool children and barriers to implementation need to be further studied. The current effectiveness-implementation…

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…