Comprehensive Assessment & Progress Monitoring Battery for K–5 CI/HA Students

Students:

• Keidy: Bilateral CI, implanted a few years ago, 1st grade; very limited articulation, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
• Alanny: CI implanted 4 years ago, 2nd–3rd grade; making visible progress in articulation and sentence structure.
• Andy: Bilateral HA, 5th grade; fair articulation, occasionally omits grammatical markers.

Purpose:
To systematically track progress in speech, language, listening comprehension, and AAC/device use, using standardized tools, trial-by-trial data, CASLLS levels, and functional language tasks.

1. Articulation / Speech Sound Production

Goal: Improve accuracy of target speech sounds in isolation, words, phrases, and connected speech.

Recommended Tools:

• GFTA-3: Gold standard for articulation assessment (word-level and connected speech).
• Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale: Quick screening for single words and connected speech.
• CASLLS – Speech Production Levels: Tracks developmental progression specific to children with hearing devices.
• Speech Intelligibility Rating Scales (1–7): Functional intelligibility assessment.

Trial-by-Trial Data Collection:

• Use cueing levels: Independent, minimal, moderate, maximal.
• Record # of trials, correct responses, and % accuracy.
• Track progress over time with line or bar graphs.

Sample Data Table:

Student	Target Sound	Context	Cue Level	# Trials	Correct	% Accuracy	CASLLS Level	Notes
Keidy	/f/	Word	Maximum	10	3	30%	Level 2	Needs repetition & modeling
Alanny	/s/	Word	Moderate	10	6	60%	Level 3	Visible progress
Andy	/th/	Word	Minimal	10	8	70%	Level 4	Omits some final markers

2. Sentence Structure & Grammar

Goal: Improve sentence length, complexity, use of grammatical markers (past tense, plurals, subject-verb agreement), and vocabulary expansion.

Recommended Tools:

• CELF-5: Sentence formulation, expressive and receptive language.
• SALT (Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts): Tracks MLU, grammar, and sentence complexity in connected speech.
• CASLLS – Language Levels: Developmental levels for sentence complexity, grammar, and expressive language.
• TELD-4 (for younger students): Vocabulary, syntax, comprehension.
• Story Retell / Picture Sequencing: Functional task for grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

Trial-by-Trial Data Table Example:

Student	Target	Trials	Correct	Cue Level	% Accuracy	CASLLS Level	Notes
Keidy	2-3 word sentences	10	4	Maximum	40%	Level 2	Needs visual cues & repetition
Alanny	4–6 word sentences	10	6	Moderate	70%	Level 3	Visible progress
Andy	Past tense -ed	10	6	Minimal	60%	Level4	Omits occasional grammatical markers

3. Auditory Comprehension / Listening Skills

Goal: Improve understanding of spoken language at word, sentence, and paragraph level.

Recommended Tools:

• CASLLS – Listening Comprehension Levels: Hierarchical levels of auditory understanding.
• CELF-5 / TELD-4 listening subtests: Standardized comprehension assessment.
• Functional Paragraph / Story Retell: Tracks comprehension, sequencing, grammar, and vocabulary.

Data Collection Table Example:

Student	Task	Cue Level	# Trials	Correct	% Accuracy	CASLLS Level	Notes
Keidy	1-3 sentence story retell	Maximum	5	3	60%	Level 2	Needs repetition & visual cues
Alanny	3-5 sentence story	Moderate	5	4	70%	Level 3	Good retention
Andy	Paragraph retell	Minimal	5	4	80%	Level 4	Omits grammatical markers

Notes / Recommendations:

• Start with simple sentences for students with limited vocabulary (Keidy).
• Gradually progress to longer sentences and paragraph-level comprehension.
• Check comprehension through retelling, sequencing, or answering questions.

4. AAC / Device Use Tracking (if applicable)

Goals: Track expressive communication, independence, vocabulary use, and integration of AAC devices.

Student	Device	Use	Cue Level	Notes
Keidy	Bil CI	Semi-verbal	Maximum	Uses gestures with words
Alanny	RE CI	Verbal	Moderate	Uses gestures with phrases
Andy	Bil HA	Verbal	Minimal	Omits grammatical markers

5. Data Collection Methods & Frequency

• Trial-by-Trial Grids: Track articulation, grammar, and AAC outputs per session.
• Functional Tasks: Story retell, paragraph comprehension, vocabulary tasks.
• Cue Levels: Independent, minimal, moderate, maximal support.
• % Accuracy Calculation: # Correct ÷ Total Trials × 100.
• CASLLS Developmental Levels: Record to track auditory, speech, and language growth.
• Frequency:
• Trial-based targets: Every session
• Paragraph retell / comprehension: Weekly
• Standardized assessments (GFTA-3, CELF-5, CASLLS): Quarterly or per IEP

6. Recommended Screening / Standardized Measures

Measure	Purpose	Age/Grade
GFTA-3	Articulation assessment	K–5
CELF-5	Sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary	K–5
CASLLS	Listening, speech, and language progress in CI/HA users	K–5
Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale	Quick screening	K–5
Speech Intelligibility Rating Scales	Functional speech intelligibility	K–5
SALT	Connected speech analysis	K–5
TELD-4	Early language development	K–3

7. Notes for Implementation

• Start simple: Use clear, short sentences, visual cues, and repetition for students with limited vocabulary.
• Increase complexity gradually: Expand from single words → short sentences → paragraph-level comprehension.
• Graph progress: Use % accuracy and CASLLS levels to visualize growth over time.
• Integrate AAC and verbal outputs for students using CI/HA devices.
• Focus on functional language: Incorporate play, story retelling, and classroom interactions.

Summary:
This battery provides a complete, multi-dimensional approach for assessing and tracking progress in:

• Articulation / speech sound production
• Sentence structure / grammar
• Vocabulary expansion
• Listening comprehension / paragraph retell
• AAC / device-supported expressive communication
• Developmental progression using CASLLS

It allows session-by-session monitoring, functional observation, and standardized assessment data to guide therapy planning and IEP goal writing.