De Scenario Test-Kids

Een normeringsonderzoek bij Nederlandssprekende kinderen zonder taal- en communicatieproblemen

Abstract

There is currently no test for children with acquired aphasia assessing the child’s ability to use verbal and non-verbal communication in everyday situations. The “Szenario-Kids”, a German test developed by Plum and colleagues (Plum e.a., 2015) might fill this gap. This test is an adaptation of the Scenario Test (van der Meulen et al. 2008), a test for adults with (severe) aphasia assessing verbal and non-verbal communication in everyday situations. Plum and colleagues created a version suitable for children.
In the current study, we created a pilot Dutch translation: the Scenario Test-Kids (STK) of theGermanSzenario-Kids and investigated to what extent Dutch children without language and communication disorders were able to use different channels of communication in the STK. We tested the performance on the STK of 47 children without speech and language disorders. Children were divided into three age groups: 6-7 years, 8-9 years, and 10-12 years. The results show that the Dutch pilot translation of the STK is useful for children in the age of 6-12 year. Furthermore, we found that children in the age group 6–7 years score significantly lower than older children in using other communication channels than speech (writing, gesturing and drawing). As yet, it is unclear why younger children have more difficulty conveying a concept through a gesture or a drawing.
In conclusion, the STK is a feasible test for the assessment of verbal and nonverbal communication in children aged 6-12 years. However further research is necessary before this test can be used in practice. A well-designed study examining the psychometric qualities of the test will be the next step. Preferably, such a study includes children with a broader age range.