Development of a modified open set sentence test for assessment of speech perception skills in Hindi preschool children

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical assessment of speech perception skills is very important for several reasons. However, it is routinely assessed in older children and adults but not in very young children mainly due to lack of appropriate tools, especially in Indian languages. Considering the limitations of closed-set and open-set tests for young children modified open set test would be appropriate. Aim: To develop a modified open set sentence test in Hindi based on the Mr. Potato Head Test framework using appropriate toy and sentence material and employ the developed test to assess children with normal hearing in the age range of 18 to 48 months. Method: Two sentence lists with ten sentences each and one practice list with five sentences were developed. The test was recorded in a professional studio by a sound engineer and sentences were calibrated using the Bruel & Kjaer-Type-2250 sound level meter (SLM) so that the test could be administered via speakers using a laptop. The test was administered in a quiet room, directly through a laptop connected to speakers on 200 Hindi speaking children with normal motor and speech developmental milestones and bilateral pass result on OAE screening. Results and discussion: There was a significant difference in the scores between the 5 age groups of children with normal hearing. There was an increase in scores as age increased, thus indicating improved performance with increasing age. There was also no significant difference in the performance on List 1 and List 2 for all age groups indicating that the two lists were equivalent. Item reliability was also observed to be high. Conclusion: The developed Modified Open Set Sentence Test can be successfully used to assess speech perception skills in young children with normal hearing. This test has a potential to be a useful clinical tool when used as a part of a test battery and also play a role in monitoring the progress of an intervention program.