As SLPs, we are all familiar with standardized and non-standardized measures for assessing speech sound disorders. But did you know it’s actually not always a requirement for a standardized measure of articulation and phonology to be used in order to diagnose a speech sound disorder and/or determine eligibility in both public school settings and private practice? 

In fact, research supports the following:

“Speech-language pathologists who increase their use of criterion-referenced measures and decrease their use of standardized tests will arrive at more accurate diagnoses of speech sound disorders”.

-Kirk & Vigeland, 2014

Unfortunately, the majority of standardized tests of articulation and phonology do not meet basic psychometric requirements (Kirk & Vigeland, 2014), so it is therefore essential that standardized measures not act as the cornerstone of speech sound assessment. This is where criterion referenced measures like Articulation Test Center Hive come in…

Criterion-referenced testing uses published criteria from studies on child phonological development for comparison. Criterion-referenced measures are a less utilized, but highly informative, way to evaluate a child’s speech. These measures are proven to provide information that is more reflective of a child’s speech skills, supporting the SLP in accurate diagnosis of speech sound disorders.

According to Kirk & Vigeland, 2014, the proven components of a thorough assessment for speech sound disorders include:

    1. Case History and Routine Initial Assessments (Oral Exam & Hearing Screenings)
    2. Single Word Speech Samples (available in ATC Hive)
    3. Connected Word Speech Samples (available in ATC Hive)
    4. Sort out the child’s phonetic inventory (available in ATC Hive)
    5. Review child’s consonant accuracy or PCC (available in ATC Hive)
    6. Error Analysis for Substitutions, Distortions & Omissions (available in ATC Hive)
    7. Analysis of Phonological Error Patterns (available in ATC Hive)
    8. Measure stimulability (available in ATC Hive)
    9. Measure intelligibility (available in ATC Hive)

As you can see, Articulation Test Center Hive is criterion-referenced and provides you with all you need to complete a comprehensive and data-driven assessment, while also saving you time! 

*** Disclaimer: The specific requirements set forth by therapy settings may vary and should be considered on an individualized basis by a licensed and experienced speech-language pathologist. ***

Little Bee Hive FREE trial
The Little Bee Hive pro membership trial gives you full access to both Articulation Test Center Hive and Articulation Station Hive for 14 days. If you are trialing Articulation Test Center Hive, be sure to download Articulation Station Hive too! Use the same login information for both apps.

Group Extended Trial
Groups with 5 or more SLPs (e.g., school districts, clinics) qualify for an extended FREE trial. Just fill out this form to get started!

Little Bee Hive Information Packet
This information packet has all the details about the Little Bee Hive membership including: benefits, free trial, pricing and group signup. Download the packet HERE.