Russian Child Language Assessment Battery (RuCLAB) and its Application in Primary School Children with ASD

Abstract

In speech-language pathology practice, standardized language assessment tools are used to evaluate the level of language development and to specify the details of language impairment. For Russian language, a novel Russian Child Language Assessment Battery (RuCLAB) was developed. The RuCLAB provides the assessment of phonology, vocabulary, morphosyntax, and discourse in production and comprehension. Present study aims to describe RuCLAB in detail and to report its application in 7—11 years-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The results revealed between-group differences in children with and without ASD as well as highlighted some individual features in the group of children with ASD: for example, expressive and receptive patterns differed depending on the linguistic level and non-verbal IQ; also children with ASD (as children with complex language disorders) better acquired nouns in comparison to verbs, and the words’ frequency influenced the accuracy in sentence repetition. The results indicate sensitivity and diagnostic importance of RuCLAB as a tool for language assessment in children with ASD.