Stability of language performance at 4 and 5 years: measurement and participant variability

Abstract

Substantial variability across the entire range of possible CELF scores was observed in this community cohort between the ages of 4 and 5 years. The stability of LI classification was lower than that reported in previous research conducted primarily on smaller clinical cohorts. The current study’s results suggest that the variability observed in developmental language pathways is the result of a combination of limitations in measurement instruments, individual children’s abilities and the arbitrary nature of the boundaries defining LI.