title: Identification of specific language impairment in bilingual children: I. Assessment in English.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to derive cut scores for English testing for use in identifying specific language impairment (SLI) in bilingual children who were learning English as a second language.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 1-gate design, 167 children received comprehensive language assessments in English and Spanish during their first-grade year. The reference standard was identification by a team of expert bilingual speech-language pathologists. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses were used to identify the optimal prediction model for SLI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The original, English EpiSLI criteria (Tomblin, Records, & Zhang, 1996) yielded a sensitivity of .95 and a specificity of .45 (LR+ = 1.73, LR- = 0.11, and AUC = .79) for our bilinguals. Revised cutoff scores yielded a sensitivity of .86 and a specificity of .68 (LR+ = 2.67, LR- = 0.21, and AUC = .77). An optimal prediction model yielded a sensitivity of .81 and a specificity of .81 (LR+ = 4.37, LR- = 0.23 and AUC = .85).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of English testing could be used to make a reasonably accurate diagnostic decision for bilingual children who had attended public school for at least 1 year and were using English at least 30% of the time.
authors.forename: Ronald B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gillam
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bedore
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Bohman
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendez-Perez
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D007807:Language Tests; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity