Abstract
Purpose The Access to Literacy Assessment System-Phonological Awareness (ATLAS-PA) was developed for use with children with speech and/or language impairment. The subtests (Rhyming, Blending, and Segmenting) are appropriate for children who are 3-7 years of age. ATLAS-PA is composed entirely of receptive items, incorporates individualized levels of instruction, and is adaptive in nature. Method To establish the construct validity of ATLAS-PA, we collected data from children with typical development (n = 938) and those who have speech and/or language impairment (n = 227). Results Rasch analyses indicated that items fit well together and formed a unidimensional construct of phonological awareness. Differential item functioning was minimal between the two groups of children, and scores on ATLAS-PA were moderately to strongly related to other measures of phonological awareness. Information about item functioning was used to create an adaptive version of ATLAS-PA. Conclusions Findings suggest that ATLAS-PA is a valid measure of phonological awareness that can be used with children with typical development and with speech and/or language impairment. Its adaptive format minimizes testing time and provides opportunities for monitoring progress in preschool and early elementary classrooms. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12931691.
Highlights
Children with a primary speech and/or language impairment account for 43% of those receiving special education services within schools (U.S Department of Education, 2017)
We describe the development and validation of the Access to Literacy Assessment System–Phonological Awareness (ATLAS-Phonological awareness (PA)), a new, adaptive measure of PA tailored for children with speech and/or language impairment that is administered using a web-based browser
There is an abundance of research showing that children with speech and/or language impairment, autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy commonly exhibit lower levels of PA when compared to their peers with typical development (Dessemontet et al, 2017; Dynia et al, 2019; Næss et al, 2012; Peeters et al, 2009; Thatcher, 2010)
Summary
Lower speech abilities may contribute to the differences in PA, as verbal speech allows children to play out loud with the sounds of language, facilitating the development of PA; such experiences may be more limited for children with some types of disabilities, minimizing their opportunities to develop skills in this area (Peeters et al, 2009). This highlights the need for more accessible PA assessments that can evaluate knowledge for children with a range of linguistic needs and capabilities
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