The Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation – DELV™–Screening Test (ST) and DELV™–Norm Referenced (NR) test (DELV, 2018) is the only unbiased, standardized test, designed to identify speech and language disorders/delays in English-speaking children ages 4 to 9. Its extensive norming procedures make it appropriate for both mainstream and non-mainstream speakers, including those who speak African American English.
The DELV tests incorporate key insights of modern cognitive science uncovered through acquisition research into the surprising complexity of “simple” words and sentences found in everyday language. They reveal dimensions of language disorders rarely taken into account, and for purposes of unbiased testing, are not sensitive to linguistic and cultural variation.
The unique features of the DELV allow for a profile of a child’s strengths and weaknesses, not just a diagnostic categorization. The DELV thus provides a non-discriminatory understanding of central aspects of language vital for success in early schooling and the transition to literacy.
Here are some of the language elements the DELV will help you discover.
Try them yourself!