Recent studies from ASHA news are telling us that the Preschool Language Scale – 5th Edition (PLS-5), may be inflating a scores of a child’s true language capacity. The preschool language scale is a widely used test for children ages birth to 7 years, 11 months. It evaluates and compiles standard scores, age equivalencies, and percentile ranks based on a child’s performance in: expressive and receptive (auditory comprehension) language. The PLS-5 uses an interactive materials set including toys and manual manipulables to encourage child participation.
A recent ASHA study by Kristin K Smith, MA CCC-SLP was conducted to compare PLS-5 results to those of the CELF-P2. The overall results show that the PLS-5 had a greater tendency to over qualify participant’s actual language skill set. In expressive language, 75% of subjects were not identified as having a significant delay unless there were language disordered characteristics present consistent with autism. In receptive language, scores of the PLS-5 tended to be up to 15 points higher, than identified on the comparison test, CELF-P2. In summary, the PLS-5 failed to identify approximately 90% of subjects with language deficits unless characteristics of Autism were present, according to this sample.
Commentator posts from Speech Language Pathologists across the country report:
- “A nonverbal 2 year old would likely score in the normative range for expressive language on the PLS-5”
- “It’s a shame because the PLS-5 is a very expensive test”
- “I have frequently had kids with ASD score very high expressively, but significantly lower receptive my, which makes no sense at all. But their delayed echolalia and memorized phrases will get them credit for items it really shouldn’t. This makes it hard when trying to convince insurance companies that a child really is severely impaired and really does need treatment.”