Table A2.
Characteristics of the 10 selected systematic reviews.
| Authors, Year, Reference | Goal of the Review | Study Design (n° of Studies) | Population | Language of Assessment | Language Domain/Task |
Test/Assessment Tool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bettio et al., 2019 [73] Data search: 2013–2017 |
Identify: (a) risk factors associated with delays in the development of children’s oral language (b) protective factors that could moderate the effects of risk factors associated with oral language delays |
Systematic reviews (n = 2), cohort studies, longitudinal (n = 8), cross-sectional studies (n = 2). | Size of total sample not specified Age = Birth to 8 years |
Not specified. Countries where studies were conducted: Finland (1), Ireland (1), Brazil (3), Canada (2), Australia (2), Norway (1), Scotland (1) and USA (1) |
Receptive–expressive language (language development in general) | (I) Static risk factors: Male gender, low birth weight, preterm birth, low parental schooling, low socioeconomic status, ≥4 children living in the same household, family history of language delay, father working outside all day, difficult temperament, intracranial hemorrhage, brain injury and persistent otitis media. (II) Dynamic risk factors: Poor quality of communication with the mother, family dynamics, family not reading to the child at home, and problems with the mother’s mental health. |
| Denman et al., 2017 [70] Data search: 1994–2014 |
Evaluation of psychometric quality of diagnostic spoken language tests for monolingual English-speaking children | Manuals of tests (n = 12), diagnostic accuracy studies (n = 7) | Size of total sample not specified Age: range 4–12 years |
English | Spoken and written language skills including phonemic awareness and pragmatics | Tests assessing language skills across at least two domains of word (semantics), sentence (syntax/morphology) and text (discourse): Assessment of Literacy and Language [ALL]; Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language [CASL]; Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals—5th Edition [CELF-5], Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals: Preschool—2nd Edition [CELF:P-2], Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variance—Norm Referenced [DELV-NR], Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities—3rd Edition [ITPA-3], Reynell Developmental Language Scales—4th Edition [NRDLS], Oral and Written Language Scales—2nd Edition [OWLS-2], Preschool Language Scales—5th Edition [PLS-5], Test of Early Language Development—3rd Edition [TELD-3], Test of Language Development—Primary: 4th Edition [TOLD-P:4], Woodcock Johnson 4th Edition Oral Language [WJIVOL] |
| Fisher, 2017 [72] Data search: until July 2015 |
Analysis of predictors of expressive language outcomes among late talkers | Prospective studies (n = 23), 1 dissertation, 11 personal communications, corresponding to 20 LT samples. | N = 2134 59% boys, 41% girls Age: 18–35 months, with 5 months follow-up assessment |
American English, British English, Dutch, Australian English, Finnish, Greek, French, Serbian | Expressive language | Predictors Continuous: expressive vocabulary size, receptive language, phrase speech, socioeconomic status Nominal: gender, family history. |
| Kasper et al., 2011 [68] June–October 2007, updated January and May 2008. |
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a screening program, diagnosis and interventions for specific language impairment (SLI). | Screening: Cluster randomized controlled studies (n = 2) |
Total sample: N = 10,942 15–24 months with 2 years follow-up period |
German | Spontaneous language production (expressive lexicon and morphosyntax) | VTO language screening |
| Law et al., 1998 [64] Data search: 1966–1997 |
Evaluation of screening procedures for speech and language delays. | Cross-sectional studies (n = 45) | 0–7 years | English | Receptive–expressive language Articulation |
One screen/multiple populations: Fluharty Preschool Language Screening test, Sentence Repetition Screening Test, Northwestern Syntax Screening test, Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test Expressive/Receptive (DDST), Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test, Parent Questionnaire with/without comprehension items, Nurses Developmental Screening, Speech and language Screening Questionnaire; WILSTAAR, SKOLD, ELM, Hackney, LDS, Levett-Muir, Rigby Speech Screen, Stevenson Screen, TPSI, Uppsala Language Screen. |
| Law et al., 2000 [65] Data search: 1967–May 1997 |
Evaluation of the feasibility of universal screening for speech and language delay | Cross-sectional studies (n = 45) | Sample size not specified Age: 5–70 months |
British and American English | Receptive–expressive language | 1. Single screening applied to more than one population: Fluharty Preschool Language Screening Test and Sentence Repetition Screening Test versus Test of Language Development and Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language. 2. Comparison of more than one screening applied to a single population: Fluharty Preschool Language Screening Test, Northwestern Syntax Screening test, Revised Denver developmental Screening Test Expressive/Receptive, Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test, Parent Questionnaire with/without comprehension items, Nurses Developmental Screening, Sentence Repetition Screening Test, Speech and Language Screening Questionnaire |
| Maleki Shahmahmood et al., 2016 [71] Data search: 2000–July 2015 |
Evaluation of accuracy of language tests/measures for the diagnosis of Speech and Language Impairment. Evaluation of the possibility to identify universal linguistic markers of DLD. | Cross-sectional studies that compare the performance of two or more diagnostic procedures (n = 23) |
Total sample: N = 2784 (range 29–454) Preschool age (from 36 months) |
12 studies on English or American English-speaking children, 11 studies on children speaking other languages: Cantonese (3), Italian (3), French (1), Spanish (1), Slovakian (1), Hebrew (1), Persian (1) |
-Receptive–expressive language | Studies in English: non-word repetition, experimental test and digit task, language tasks, CNRep, Spelt-P3, NRT, Bus Story, SPELT-P2, GAPS-test, TMT, PS, FVMS, PPVT-III, PPVT-IV, spontaneous language; reference test: clinical assessment by professionals, other tests |
| Nelson et al., 2006 [67] Data search: 1966–Nov. 2004 |
Evaluation of screening and interventions for speech and language delay in primary care setting | Case control, cross-sectional, prospective cohort studies, (n = 38) | KQ2a: N = 13,787; KQ2b and 2c: N = 1627. Total sample N = 15,414 CA < 5 years |
American English, German, Dutch, Finnish | -Receptive–expressive language | 0–2 years: Early Language Milestone Scale (2), PEDS (1), DDST-II (1), PLASTER (1), CLAMS (1), LDS (3), DP-II (1), BINS(1); 2–3 years: PLC (1), Structured Screening Test (1), Levett–Muir Language Screening Test (1), Fluharty Preschool Speech and Language Screening Test (2), SKOLD (1), Hackney Early Language Screening Test (2), Early Language Milestone Scale (1); 3–5 years: Fluharty Preschool Speech and Language Screening Test (1), TEEM (1), SRST (1) |
| Sim et al., 2019 [69] Data search: Medline 1946–March 2017, Embase 1947–2017, EBSCO CINAHL 1983–2017, PsycInfo 1914–2017 and ERIC 1959–2017 |
Evaluation of the predictive validity of screening tools for language difficulties used in a community preschool setting |
Prospective cohort studies (n = 5) | Total sample = 9267 Age: 2–6 years |
English (N = 2), German (N = 1), not specified for the remaining studies (probably English as they use English tests) | -Receptive–expressive language -General cognitive development |
MB-CDI: UK Short Form (MB-CDI: UKSF) or Toddler form (ELFRA-2); Parent Report of Children’s Abilities (PARCA); Language Development Survey (LDS); Reynell Developmental Language Scales (RDLS); Sprachentwicklungs test (for 2-year-olds) SETK-2; nonverbal subscale of the Munchener Funktionelle Entwicklungsdiagnostik, hearing screen ECHO-SCREEN Plus-T; Productive vocabulary, syntax and morphology; Parent reports; Sure Start Language Measure (SSLM); Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); Vocabulary; Development and Wellbeing Assessment (DAWBA); Griffiths Mental Development Scale-Extended Revised (GMDS-ER); New Reynell Developmental Language Scales (NRDLS); General Language Screen (GLS); Developmental Profile II (DPII); Receptive and expressive language. |
| Wallace et al., 2015 [66] Data search: Jan. 2004–July 2014 |
Evaluation of efficacy of screening and treatment for speech and language delays and disorders (update of Nelson, 2006) | Longitudinal studies (n = 24) (KQ1: 0 studies; KQ2a: 24 studies; KQ2b, KQ2c, KQ2d, KQ3, KQ4: 0 studies). |
Total sample: 7823 7–72 months (7–54 screening by parents, 18–72 screening by clinicians) |
KQ2a: American English, German, Swedish, Spanish | -Receptive–expressive language -Gestures -Sounds -Object use |
KQ2A: Tools compiled by parents: PLS-3 o PLS-4; language observation; ELFRA-2 words and sentences (SETK-2); DP II, EAT, RDLS, BPVS; language inventory RAPT; toddlers Inventory CSBS; clinical assessment on MSEL; MLU, RDLS; parent questionnaires; SLP on language samples; REEL word screening; Tools used by clinicians: Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening test; Brigance Screening; Davis Observation Checklist; Denver test of articulation; Denver screening; Early Profile of verbal concepts PLS-4; Fluharty Preschool Language Screening test; FPSLST Language and Articulation; Northwestern; SKOLD; sentence repetition; structured screening test; Hackney, RDLS; SLP. |