Towards the validation of the SASIT-E60 as a diagnostic test for SLI.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Towards the validation of the School Age Sentence Imitation Test-English 60 Sentences (SASIT-E60) as a diagnostic test for Specific Language Impairment in primary-school-age children (9-11 years).
IRAS ID
167729
Contact name
Daniel Gibbons
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 16 days
Research summary
Is the 'School Age Sentence Imitation Test - English 60 Sentences' (SASIT-E60) (a sentence repetition (SR) test) effective at differentially diagnosing Specific Language Impairment (SLI) from typical language abilities, in 9-11-year-old children, and how accurate is its diagnostic performance?
SLI is a language disorder affecting about 7% of primary-school-age children. These children often have a poor prognosis, for example with regards to their educational attainment, and also low self-esteem and risk of anxiety disorders in adolescence. Although early identification of SLI, and subsequent early intervention, is important, current approaches to diagnosis are considered unsatisfactory.
SR tests have been found to be effective as a potential diagnostic test for SLI in children up to age 11, however a SR diagnostic test for SLI has not been adopted clinically. Furthermore, currently validated tests are limited to younger school-age children only (3-8 year olds). A new SR test, the SASIT–E60, is being developed to address current issues with other SR tests, and a previous validation of this test demonstrated high levels of diagnostic accuracy for children aged 6-8 years. The SASIT-E60 could be a clinically useful and effective test for identifying children with SLI.
This study aims to add to the evidence to validate a SR test for use with older school-age children (from ages 9-11-years), using a disgnostic study design. Children with SLI and typically developing children will be recruited from schools, NHS clinics and language resources, and tested in schools and at home. Participants will complete a number of language and non-verbal ability assessments. Data will be analysed to measure the diagnostic performance of the SASIT-E60, by calculating sensitivity and specificity.
The study is part of Masters degree dissertation, and is being funded by the National Institute of Health Research (who funds the degree), Solent NHS Trust, and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0209
Date of REC Opinion
7 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion