TESTING ACTIVE VOCABULARY - A COMPARISON OF MEASURING-INSTRUMENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE RETARDATION

A new measuring instrument for testing active vocabulary (Subtest ''vocabulary'' of K-ABC) was compared with an established one (AWST 3-6) to see whether they agree sufficiently for the new to replace the old. Fifty-four three- and four years old children with developmental language retardations were examined by both tests. Though both tests highly correlate (r = 0.84; p = 0.0001), the T-scores of the subtest ''vocabulary'' of the K-ABC, on average, were 2.8 points higher (p = 0.003) than those of the AWST. The differences between the methods were plotted against their mean for each child. 95% of the differences can be expected in the broad range of -16,0 and +10,4 (i.e. within +/- two SD). Twenty-one children had an extremely reduced score (T-score < 30) in the AWST and thus, were classified as highly retarded. Only 9 children were equally classified by the K-ABC. The subtest ''vocabulary'' of the K-ABC can partly substitute the AWST 3-6, it can only be recommended for a diagnostic screening in clinical samples. Normal kindergarden-children tend to grasp the AWST-items in a more holistic way and therefore no correlation exists between this ability and the more detailed style of cognition in a nonverbal intelligence test (CMMS). Developmental language retarded children of the same age approach the AWST-items in a more detailed style and thus achieve a correlation with the CMMS-performance.