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Standardizing test scores for a target population: The LMS method illustrated using language measures from the SCALES project.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Centile curves and standard scores are common in epidemiological research. However, standardised norms and centile growth curves for language disorder that reflect the entire UK local school population do not exist. METHODS:Scores on six language indices assessing receptive and expressive functioning of children were obtained from the SCALES population survey. Monolingual English speaking participants were aged between five and nine years. Children who attended special schools at study intake, or who were learning English as an additional language were excluded. We constructed language norms using the LMS method of standardisation which allows for skewed measurements. We made use of probability weights that were produced from a two-step logistic model. Distributions of estimated standard scores from an intensively assessed sub-population and from the full population were contrasted to demonstrate the role of weights. RESULTS:Non-overlapping centile curves and standardised scores at each age were obtained for the six language indices. The use of weights was essential at retrieving the target distribution of the scores. An online calculator that estimates standardised scores for the measures was constructed and made freely available. CONCLUSIONS:The findings highlight the usefulness and flexibility of the LMS method at dealing with the standardisation of linguistic and educational measures that are sufficiently continuous. The paper adds to the existing literature by providing population norms for a number of language tests that were calculated from the same group of individuals.

SUBMITTER: Vamvakas G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6405128 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Standardizing test scores for a target population: The LMS method illustrated using language measures from the SCALES project.

Vamvakas George G Norbury Courtenay Frazier CF Vitoratou Silia S Gooch Debbie D Pickles Andrew A

PloS one 20190307 3

<h4>Background</h4>Centile curves and standard scores are common in epidemiological research. However, standardised norms and centile growth curves for language disorder that reflect the entire UK local school population do not exist.<h4>Methods</h4>Scores on six language indices assessing receptive and expressive functioning of children were obtained from the SCALES population survey. Monolingual English speaking participants were aged between five and nine years. Children who attended special ...[more]

PMID: 30845265

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Project description:At the group level, children exposed to certain health and demographic risk factors, and who have delayed language in early childhood are, more likely to have language problems later in childhood. However, it is unclear whether we can use these risk factors to predict whether an individual child is likely to develop problems with language (e.g., be diagnosed with a developmental language disorder). We tested this in a sample of 146 children who took part in the UK-CDI norming project. When the children were 15-18 months old, 1,210 British parents completed: (a) the UK-CDI (a detailed assessment of vocabulary and gesture use) and (b) the Family Questionnaire (questions about health and demographic risk factors). When the children were between 4 and 6 years, 146 of the same parents completed a short questionnaire that assessed (a) whether children had been diagnosed with a disability that was likely to affect language proficiency (e.g., developmental disability, language disorder, hearing impairment), but (b) also yielded a broader measure: whether the child's language had raised any concern, either by a parent or professional. Discriminant function analyses were used to assess whether we could use different combinations of 10 risk factors, together with early vocabulary and gesture scores, to identify children (a) who had developed a language-related disability by the age of 4-6 years (20 children, 13.70% of the sample) or (b) for whom concern about language had been expressed (49 children; 33.56%). The overall accuracy of the models, and the specificity scores were high, indicating that the measures correctly identified those children without a language-related disability and whose language was not of concern. However, sensitivity scores were low, indicating that the models could not identify those children who were diagnosed with a language-related disability or whose language was of concern. Several exploratory analyses were carried out to analyse these results further. Overall, the results suggest that it is difficult to use parent reports of early risk factors and language in the first 2 years of life to predict which children are likely to be diagnosed with a language-related disability. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

Project description:BackgroundThe Step Test (ST) is a measure of dynamic standing balance and paretic-lower-extremity motor control in patients with stroke. Little is known about the extent to which impairments assessed by the ST relate to activity and participation during stroke recovery.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine relationships between ST scores and measures of activity and participation during the first 6 months after stroke.DesignThis was a prospective cohort study.MethodsThirty-three individuals (18 men, 15 women) with a diagnosis of a single, unilateral stroke participated in the study. Participants were tested one time per month from 1 to 6 months poststroke. The ST was considered an impairment-level measure. Self-selected gait speed and the MedicalOutcomesStudy 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Function Index (PFI) were used to assess physical function. Three domains (mobility, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, participation) of the Stroke Impact Scale were used to assess self-reported disability. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the bivariate associations between ST scores and each physical function and disability measure at each time point (1-6 months).ResultsThe ST scores were positively associated with both physical function measures. The associations were stronger for self-selected gait speeds (R(2)=.60-.79) than for the PFI scores (R(2)=.32-.60). During the first 6 months after stroke, each additional step with the paretic lower extremity on the ST corresponded to a 0.07-m/s to 0.09-m/s increase in gait speed, and each additional step with the nonparetic lower extremity was associated with a 0.07-m/s to 0.08-m/s gait speed increase. The impairment-disability associations were weaker than the impairment-physical function associations.LimitationsLimitations of the study include a relatively small sample size and lack of examiner blinding with regard to participant characteristics.ConclusionsImpairments in balance and paretic-lower-extremity motor control, as measured by the ST, relate to physical function and disability during the first 6 months following stroke.

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Standardizing test scores for a target population: The LMS method illustrated using language measures from the SCALES project.

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Standardizing test scores for a target population: The LMS method illustrated using language measures from the SCALES project.

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