Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

What is the most appropriate method for assessing a child's progress after many months of language therapy?

1. Review data collected during intervention sessions

2. Elicit untrained exemplars during conversations

3. Administer a standardized assessment and compare scores

4. Implement dynamic assessment procedures

The correct answer is: Elicit untrained exemplars during conversations

The most appropriate method for assessing a child's progress after many months of language therapy is to elicit untrained exemplars during conversations. This approach provides valuable insights into the child's functional use of language in naturalistic settings. By engaging the child in conversational contexts, clinicians can observe spontaneous language production, generalization of skills, and the ability to apply learned concepts in varied situations beyond structured therapy tasks. Eliciting untrained exemplars captures how well the child utilizes language skills in real-life interactions, which is crucial for determining practical outcomes of therapy. This method reflects the child's capacity to employ learned language in new scenarios, highlighting their progress and areas that may still need further intervention. Other methods, while useful, may not offer as comprehensive a view of the child’s functional language skills. For example, reviewing data collected during intervention sessions primarily reflects performance in a controlled setting rather than generalization to daily life. Administering a standardized assessment can provide valuable normative data but may not accurately portray the child’s improvement in everyday communication. Dynamic assessment procedures are also beneficial for examining potential learning processes but may not fully capture the child’s progress after extensive therapeutic intervention. Overall, eliciting untrained exemplars allows for a holistic understanding of the child’s language abilities as they relate