Transitioning Speech-Language Assessment to a Virtual Environment: Lessons Learned From the ELLA Study

Werfe, Krystal L.; Grey, Brittany Johnson Michelle Brooks Marren Cooper Ellie Reynolds Gabriella Deutchki Elizabeth Vachio Morgan Lund Emily A.; Werfel, K. L.; Grey, B.; Johnson, M.; Brooks, M.; Cooper, E.; Reynolds, G.; Deutchki, E.; Vachio, M.; Lund, E. A.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a quick shift to virtual speech-language services;however, only a small percentage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) had previously engaged in telepractice. The purpose of this clinical tutorial is (a) to describe how the Early Language and Literacy Acquisition in Children with Hearing Loss study, a longitudinal study involving speech-language assessment with children with and without hearing loss, transitioned from in-person to virtual assessment and (b) to provide tips for optimizing virtual assessment procedures. Method: We provide an overview of our decision making during the transition to virtual assessment. Additionally, we report on a pilot study that calculated test-retest reliability from in-person to virtual assessment for a subset of our preschool-age participants. Results: Our pilot study revealed that most speech-language measures had high or adequate test-retest reliability when administered in a virtual environment. When low reliability occurred, generally the measures were timed. Conclusions: Speech-language assessment can be conducted successfully in a virtual environment for preschool children with hearing loss. We provide suggestions for clinicians to consider when preparing for virtual assessment sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)