Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals- Fourth Edition (CELF-4) Group Members: Jennifer Heitkemper, Terri Mooney, Jackie Schultheis, Courtney Combs,

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals- Fourth Edition

(CELF-4)

Group Members: Jennifer Heitkemper, Terri Mooney, Jackie

Schultheis, Courtney Combs, and Christin Assi

Test Background

Author Eleanor Semel, Ed.D Elisabeth H. Wiig, Ph.D Wayne A. Secord, Ph.D

Publisher Pearson Education, Inc.

Age Range 5-21 years

Cost: Screening Test- $262

Includes: Screening Test Examiner’s Manual, CELF-4 Screening Test Record Forms (25), CELF-4 Screening Test Stimulus Book

Purpose

An evaluation tool that is used to identify, diagnose, and conduct follow-up evaluations of language and communication disorders in patients between the ages 5 and 21 years old.

The fourth edition has better assessment procedures that are comprehensive, flexible and multi-perspective

Design and Construction

Administered individually Used by:

SLPs School

Psychologists Special Educators Diagnosticians

Materials: Examiner’s Manual

Two Stimulus Books

Record Forms 1 and 2

Observational Rating Scale

The CELF-4 Assessment Process Model

Test Administration

Stimulus Book is set up as an easel and placed between examiner and examinee Directions shown to examiner Visual stimuli shown to examinee

Directions for each subtest are written on stimulus book and Record Form

Certain subtests allow repetition Certain subtests have a ceiling

Give example

Subtests-Level 1

Concepts & Following Directions

Word Structure

Formulated Sentences

Recalling Sentences

Word Classes 2

Word Definitions

Concepts and Following Directions

Word Structure

Formulating Sentences

Subtests-Level 2

Word Classes 1

Sentence Structure

Expressive Vocabulary

Word Definitions

Sentence Assembly

Semantic Relationships

Understanding Spoken Paragraphs

Word Classes - 1

Sentence Structure

Expressive Vocabulary

Sentence Assembly

Semantic Relatioships

Subtests-Level 3

Phonological Awareness

Word Associations

Rapid Automatic Naming

Number Repetition 1

Familiar Sequences 1

Rapid Automatic Naming

Level 3 Assessment Demonstration Familiar Sequences

All Ages Repeat familiar sequences as fast as

possible Alphabet Days of the Week Odd Numbers Etc.

Number Repetition All Ages Repeat numbers forwards and backwards

Subtests-Level 4

Pragmatics Profile

Observational Rating Scale

Scoring Test – Types of Scoring Subtests

Scaled Scores Confidence Intervals (68, 90, or 95% level)

Percentile Ranks Confidence Interval

Age Equivalents Criterion-Referenced Scores

Meets/Does Not Meet Normal/Slower than Normal/Non-Normal

Scoring Test – Types of Scoring Core Language Score and Indexes

Scaled Scores from specified tests are added together and converted to a standard score

Standard Score Mean – 100 SD -15 Confidence Interval

Percentile Rank Confidence Interval

Discrepancy Comparisons Looking for significance of differences between:

Receptive Language Index/Expressive Language Index

Language Content Index/Language Structure Index

Test Score Interpretation

Norm-Referenced Core Language Score Norm-Referenced Index Scores

Receptive Language Index Expressive Language Index Language Content Index Language Structure Index Working Memory Index

Adequacy of Norms

Age and ethnic background

Non-native English speakers and second language English speakers

Not normed on other aspects

Test Strength and Limitations

Results give clinicians a broad view of student’s language skills

4 Levels of assessment allow for deeper understanding of possible underlying problems

Multiple composite scores to assess student’s strengths and weaknesses

Full test is time consuming to administer

Clinician needs to be very familiar with dialects or language communities to which a student is exposed

Any modifications made to the test invalidate the norms so scores cannot be reported

No indication of normalization on ESL children

Lack of engaging content for some subtests (ex. Recalling Sentences and Phonological Awareness)

Heavy reliance on memory

Strengths Limitations

Test Reliability

Does this test provide consistent scores? Test-Retest Reliability

-Is the test dependable across repeated administrations.

-Data showed that the test was reliable across all ages.

No alternate form was administered. Internal Consistency

-How well does the test measure one construct?

- Split-half method

Test Validity

Does this test measure what it is meant to measure?

Content Validity- Positives- Negatives Construct Validity- Sensitivity- level of construct validity- Used diagnostics validity statistics to test

sensitivity of various cut scores.

Questions?

References

Ryan, M. (Producer) (2012, March 28). Test and assessments group project: Celf-4. CELF-4. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/E958293A-C2EA-4A03-

B8EE-98CA705035A0/0/CELF4_Case_Studies.pdf

Alphonse, J. (Performer), Blakley, A. (Performer), & Brown, D. (Performer) (2011, Oct 26). Celf-4. ablakley24. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6JNsGUtvM

Celf-4 case studies. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/E958293A-C2EA-4A03-

B8EE-98CA705035A0/0/CELF4_Case_Studies.pdf

Semel, E., Wiig, E., & Secord, W. (2004). Clinical evaluation of language fundamentals: Fourth edition. (4th ed.). San Antonio : Pearson Education, Inc.