(TECEL) Test of Early Communication and Emerging Language
Fourth Edition
The TECEL assesses early communication and emerging language in infants and toddlers up to 24 months of age. It can also be used with older children who have moderate to severe language delays. In the hands of speech-language pathologists, early childhood specialists, diagnosticians, psychologists, and related professionals, the TECEL can be used to: (1) Assess communication and language strengths and weaknesses; (2) Design intervention plans; and (3) Predict future language development.
Administration:
The examiner interacts with the child and observes his or her behavior (response to sounds, attention to pictures, and use of words or symbols to refer to objects). Toys, small household objects, and a set of full-color Picture Plates--all included in the Kit--are used to engage the child and elicit specific behaviors. The examiner also interviews the parent or caregiver, asking detailed questions about the child's communication and language skills. Instructions in the manual and on the Record Booklet guide the examiner through both the observation and the interview.
Statistical and Technical Characteristics of the TECEL:
• Norms: normed on 558 children between the ages of 2 weeks and 24 months from 28 states and is demographically representative according to U.S. Census projections for 2010.
• Reliability: evidences a consistently high degree of reliability related to content (.94), time (.87), and scorer differences (.82). The TECEL possesses relatively little test error and test users can have confidence in its results.
• Validity: provides strong qualitative and quantitative evidence of validity, including high correlations with age and cognitive and language abilities.
Other Special Features of the TECEL:
•Includes both receptive and expressive color coded items for easy diagnostic analysis of results.
• Flexible administration options include Interview, Observation, and/or a combination of both.
• Recognizes the continuum from pre-linguistic communication behaviors to symbolic forms in emerging language.
• Can be administered to verbal and nonverbal respondents and is suitable for assessing individuals who communicate by means other than speech.
• Test materials and interview questions are designed to be cross-cultural in content, free of jargon or difficult to understand concepts, and are appropriate for all ages.
• The Informal Assessment and Intervention Plan guides clinicians in analyzing performance on the test, developing recommendations, and generating an Intervention Plan.
• The manual includes case examples.
• All pictures are drawn in full color for an appealing look and laminated for durability.
• All objects have been tested for choke hazard and certified non-toxic
Ages: 2 weeks through 24 months
Administration: Individual; 15-45 minutes
Mary Blake Huer / Lynda Miller
The TECEL Complete Kit includes:
• Examiner’s Manual
• Picture Plates
• Examiner Record Booklets (25)
•Informal Assessment and Intervention Plans (25)
• Object Kit
