COMMUNICATION SCREENING OF PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS

Abstract

Communication Screening Stamps were developed to be “stamped” in the child's medical chart and administered by a nurse or pediatrician. The STAMPS consists of 5 to 7 items to be administered or queried at each of 9 chronologic age intervals coinciding with pediatric immunization schedules from 2-24 months. In contrast to the ELM, a marketed screening instrument for children 0-36 months of age, the STAMP is less time-consuming to administer and less complex to score. Results of data analysis for a sample of 236 children revealed that the STAMPS yield high sensitivity and specificity in relation to the ELM (93% and 91% respectively). When both screening instruments were used with populations at high risk for communication deviance (N=33), the STAMPS showed increased sensitivity over the ELM (100% vs. 83%) in relation to the presence of communication deviance (as revealed thorugh formal speech/language assessment). Specificity for the STAMPS (80%) in high-risk populations was based on a small number of children who either passed or failed the STAMPS and passed the follow-up speech-language assessment. Interjudge reliability computed for the STAMPS for three judges over six trials was 100%. Results of ongoing studies specificity with children of varied handicapping conditions will be reported.