Seven case studies are presented to illustrate how the tasks in the proposed test
battery provide the tools to distinguish language differences due to development or
dialect from true signs of delay or disorder. The case studies exemplify different
combinations of language strengths and weakness found among participants of extensive
field research in the age range from 4 to 9 years. Special attention is paid to certain
aspects of language development, such as time clauses or double wh-questions, in which dialect features play no role. All levels of performance, from
the highest to the lowest, are found in children who are speakers of Mainstream American
English (MAE) and the same is true for those whose language patterns indicate a strong
variation from MAE.
Profile - path of progress - subdomain - item types - strength - weakness - interpretation
