title: Pragmatic language assessment in Williams syndrome: a comparison of the Test of Pragmatic Language-2 and the Children's Communication Checklist-2.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) are recognized as having a strong desire for social relationships, yet many of them have difficulty forming and maintaining peer relationships. One cause may be impairments in pragmatic language. The current study compared the assessment of pragmatic language skills in individuals with WS using the Test of Pragmatic Language-Second Edition (TOPL-2; Phelps-Terasaki & Phelps-Gunn, 2007) and the Children's Communication Checklist-Second Edition (CCC-2; Bishop, 2003).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty children and adolescents diagnosed with WS were given the TOPL-2, and their parents completed the CCC-2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TOPL-2 identified 8 of the 14 older children (ages 8-16 years) as having pragmatic language impairment and all of the 6 younger children (ages 6-7 years) as having such. In comparison, the CCC-2 identified 6 of the 14 older children and 2 of the 6 younger children as having pragmatic language impairment. The older group also had a higher composite score than the younger group on the CCC-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TOPL-2 identified significantly more participants as having pragmatic language impairment than did the CCC-2. The TOPL-2 may be more useful in assessing pragmatic language in older children than younger children. The results offer important preliminary clinical implications of language measures that may be beneficial in the assessment of individuals with WS.
authors.affiliation: Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. hoffmann.255@osu.edu
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Marilee A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rabidoux
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andridge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D057189:Checklist / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000379:methods; D018980:Williams Syndrome / Q000150:complications*