LLE could be a sign of other types of language disorders or intellectual disabilities, so there is a risk of misdiagnosing a child as just being a<unk> . This symptom may be secondary to: problems with their vocal tract or hearing, autism, neglect or abuse. In order for toddlers to be diagnosed as<unk> s, they need to see a doctor and a speech pathologist. A doctor will conduct a full medical examination and a speech pathologist will do a full screening and comprehensive assessment. The Language Development Survey (LDS) is a prevalent screening method used on toddlers aged 18–35 months of age. This tests to see if a child's expressive vocabulary and syntax is developing in a standard way. The LDS consists of a parent or carer of the child to report on the child's language development in regards to word combination. This screening takes a total of ten minutes. It also takes risk factors into consideration such as, the child's demographic and history. This test, combined with other forms of assessment, will determine whether a child is a<unk> , or if their language delay is associated with another type of language disorder or intellectual disability. Types of assessment Assessments are carried out in order to determine the speech and language ability of a child. A speech pathologist works with the parent or carer of the child to decide on the most appropriate assessment. Ethnographic interviewing Ethnographic interviewing is a style of assessment that consists of one-on-one interviews between the assessor and assessed. It requires the assessor to ask the child open-ended questions to find information about the child's environment. Language sampling Language sampling is utilised to obtain random samples of a child's language during play, conversation or narration. Language sampling must be used with standardized assessments to compare and diagnose a child as a<unk> . Dynamic assessment Dynamic assessment involves testing, teaching and retesting a child. Firstly, the child's knowledge is tested. Then, the child is taught a word. Finally, the child is retested to see if he has learnt the target language. This type of assessment is useful in determining whether a child is a<unk>  or if his language delay is a factor of another kind of disorder. Standardised assessments Norm-referenced test A norm-referenced test consists of comparing and raking a child's scores to others. This allows a child's results to be compared to a statistical standard. A child can be at risk of being a<unk>  if his test results are on the lower end of the scale compared to other test<unk> s. Criterion-referenced test A criterion-referenced test consists of comparing a child's scores to a pre-set standard. A child's scores are taken and analysed to see if they meet the criteria of a typically developing child. This test can be carried out formally or informally. Observation techniques Analog tasks Analog tasks consist of the assessor observing the child participate in play in a staged environment that simulates a real-world situation. The assessor can take note of the child's behaviour and language performance, and use it to diagnose the child. Naturalistic observation Naturalistic observation involves observing a child's interaction with others in a trivial social setting. It is often used with criterion-referenced assessments to diagnose a child. Systematic observation and contextual analysis Systematic Observation and Contextual Analysis consists of observing the child in a mixture of contexts. The child is observed while doing a task, playing or interacting with others. Conclusions are then drawn of his language function and problems are identified if present. Culture and assessment When choosing tests and assessments for a child, culture is taken in to consideration. The assessments carried out on the child needs to be appropriate for the child's cultural setting. Tests cannot be translated as this affects the data and can result in a child being misdiagnosed. For children who speak more than one language, assessments need to be catered to that. A standardized test is not enough to diagnose a child who is bilingual. Bilingual children need to be assessed using a combination of ethnographic interviewing, language sampling, dynamic assessment, standardised tests and observation techniques to be accurately diagnosed as a<unk> .
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