Comparison between Parents and Teachers Assessment of Language Development for Infants: 18-35 Months

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide clinicians with clinical information about language and vocabulary development in infants by comparing the assessments of parents and teachers.Methods: A total of 128 parents and teachers of preschoolers of typical disabilities assessed the level of language development of a child. The language ability of infants was measured by SELSI and K M-B CDI.Results: The results of the study are as follows. Firstly, there was a positive correlation between parents and teachers on the SELSI total score, and the receptive and expressive language score. Additionally, a positive correlation was also observed within each age group. Secondly, there was a difference between the total scores in assessments from parents and teachers, where teachers showed higher scores in their assessments. However, there was no significant difference in both the receptive and expressive language. By observing the three different age groups, within the group of 30 to 35 months, there was a significant difference between assessments of parents and teachers in only the SELSI total score. Whereas for the other two age groups, there was no significant difference observed. Thirdly, there was a positive correlation between parents and teachers on the K M-B CDI total, expressive lexicon, and grammar score. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was also observed within each age group. Fourthly, there was no significant difference between the all area of the scores in assessments from parents and teachers. Furthermore, within each age group, there was also no significant difference observed.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to consider not only the parents but also the teacher’s assessment when evaluating language development for infants. And this study provides useful clinical information for early assessment and intervention in infants who show signs of delayed language development.