[SENTREP test: two lists of sentences of equal length to check the attention and the presence of linguistic maturity problems].
BACKGROUND
Comparing the syntactic complexity of the sentences, in addition to its length, may help detect the linguistic weaknesses of Spanish-speaking subjects.


OBJECTIVE
The test consists of two lists of sentences of similar length: a list of sentences of well-controlled length, based on the repetition of bisyllabic words (such as the ones suggested by Kagan & Klein) and adding length to the sentences in two syllables steps; and a parallel list where a series of linguistic complexities are included (negatives, persons, numbers, tenses, composite or multiple verbs, relatives, etc) where length increases one syllable at a time.


METHODS
We administered this test to 41, 44, 62 and 18 student aged 6, 9, 12 and 15 at a upper-class school in Bogotá; and to parallel groups of 20 gifted students (in a school for gifted children near Bogotá) and 40 disabled Hispanic non-readers attending an independent special program.


RESULTS
Below a certain developmental level (the age of 9) student must face complexity as one more difficulty that diminishes the length of the repeated sentence. On the contrary: after this age, their mastery of the structure of language acts as a leading thread that allows the repetition of longer and longer sentences, much longer than their simple attention span.


CONCLUSIONS
This diagnostic approach adds an unexpected approach to the very quick observation and detection of both attentional and linguistic problems.
Sedó
M A
MA
Urban Medical, Escuelas Públicas de Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. manuel@sedo.net
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008037:Linguistics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests