Dynamic assessment, more than a diagnostic tool? Uses for goals, teaching moments, and procedural issues during intervention of speech sound disorder.

Abstract

Dynamic assessment is typically used for diagnostic and baseline purposes; however, the current study explored expanding the use of dynamic assessment as a curriculum-based measure to additionally capture teaching moments and observe intervention elements during treatment of speech sound disorder (NCT06075303). Teaching moments occur when an SLT presents an antecedent, the child produces a behaviour, and the SLT responds with a consequence related to accuracy; yet, little is known about the characteristics of these elements that are the most essential for improving treatment outcomes. To address this gap, we used the Glaspey Dynamic Assessment of Phonology's scoring system to establish the goal, code teaching moments, describe procedural issues, and evaluate children's skill development. The participants included two English-speaking boys, ages three and six, with speech sound disorder. A modified cycles approach was administered by an SLT and a student clinician with two blocks of targets (minimally and moderately adaptable). Results indicated that coding with dynamic assessment was successfully used for tracking changes within the teaching moments and provided a more complete perspective of treatment efficacy when combined with outcome measures, yet more research is needed to establish goals with dynamic assessment. Both children demonstrated progress in a short period of time, though Participant 1 made more significant gains, which may be attributed to many elements including treatment intensity, target selection, clinician variables, or client variables. Overall, this preliminary research supports that dynamic assessment may lead to dynamic intervention, thus bridging assessment and treatment practices.