Description: The REEL-2 assesses
communication behaviors (receptive and expressive) of infants
and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age. The format is a
132-item checklist of language milestones, with 3 items contained
in each of the 22 age intervals (age intervals vary from 1
to 3 months depending on the chronological age of the child).
The examiner completes the checklist based on information
provided by the child’s caregiver. Typically, more than
three items need to be administered to obtain the ceiling
age interval for the child (further details are provided in
the “Method of Scoring” section below). The REEL-2
uses caregiver report to identify any major language problems.
Scores derived from the REEL-2 include an Expressive Language
Quotient, a Receptive Language Quotient and a Language Quotient.
The REEL-2 is undergoing revision, and the publisher expects
the third edition to be released in late 2003 or mid-2004.
Uses of Information: The primary
uses of the REEL-2 are to (1) provide descriptions of the
developmental status of young children in the language area,
(2) assist with setting intervention goals, and (3) serve
as a screening instrument for medically and environmentally
at-risk populations. The REEL-2 is also used to determine
the extent to which interventions have changed the language
status of individual children.
Reliability: (1) Internal consistency
reliability (Cronbach’s alpha):.98 for 0 to 11 months,
.97 for 12 to 23 months, and .95 for 24 to 36 months, with
an average of .97. (2) Test-retest reliability: .90 to 1.0.
Validity: (1) Concurrent validity:
studies showed that the REEL-2 relates well to normal expected
levels of functioning (Eich, 1971). However, studies were
completed on small samples with similar characteristics. (2)
Predictive validity: no information available.
Method of Scoring: The examiner
uses the child’s chronological age to determine the
age interval from which the questions should first be asked.
Behaviors observed for each item are scored as either typical
of the child (+), emergent (+-), or never observed (-). Scores
are computed by summing the (+) responses. The examiner then
determines the ceiling interval, which is the highest age
interval receiving at least two (+) item scores. The results
of the Receptive Language Age and the Expressive Language
Age are combined to form the Combined Language Age. Then,
each of these scores (the Receptive Language Age, Expressive
Language Age, and the Combined Language Age) are respectively
divided by the child’s chronological age and multiplied
by 100 to obtain a Receptive Quotient, an Expressive Quotient,
and a Language Quotient.
Interpretability: The Examiner’s
Manual includes average scores for the limited norming sample
of children used to determine the validity of the REEL-2,
but does not contain any overall score percentiles or cutoffs
to guide interpretation of the REEL-2 scores. However, it
does contain several interpretation guidelines, including
the relationship between Receptive Language skills and hearing
and nervous system disorders, as well as the relationship
between delays in Receptive Language versus Expressive Language.
It also includes suggestions for intervention strategies related
to language stimulation.
Training Support: None described.
Adaptations/Special Instructions for
Individuals with Disabilities: None described.
Report Preparation Support: The
Examiner’s Manual contains general suggestions on how
to present reports/recommendations to parents: (1) the interviewer
should provide parents/caregivers with the REEL-2 manual and
other relevant booklets; (2) information about the score should
be accompanied by the interviewer’s explanation, which
could include other interpretations and recommendations for
intervention programs; and (3) the interviewer should avoid
using technical language to explain the REEL-2 scores.
References:
Bzoch, Kenneth, and Richard League. Receptive-Expressive
Emergent Language Test: A Method for Assessing the Language
Skills of Infants, Second Edition. Austin: Pro-Ed, 1991.
Bzoch, Kenneth, and Richard League. Receptive-Expressive
Emergent Language Test: A Method for Assessing the Language
Skills of Infants, Second Edition: Examiner’s Manual.
Austin: Pro-Ed, 1991.
Eich, W.F. A Validation Study for the REEL. (Unpublished
manuscript), 1971.
|
