Identifying communication difficulties in early childhood: Validation of the FOCUS questionnaire
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12697/eha.2025.13.2.06Keywords:
communication skills, communication difficulties, assessment of communication skills, FOCUS questionnaire, early childhoodAbstract
Suhtlemine on üks olulisemaid lapse arenguvaldkondi, mille mahajäämust on oluline märgata varases eas – nii on võimalik seda kas ületada või vähendada suhtlusraskuste mõju lapse edasisele arengule. Eestis kasutusel olevad normeeritud keeletestid võimaldavad hinnata lapse keelelise arengu taset ja dünaamikat, kuid ei anna ülevaadet lapse toimetulekust reaalsetes suhtlusolukordades. Uuringu eesmärk oli hinnata eesti keelde tõlgitud FOCUS-küsimustiku (ingl Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six) sobivust eesti laste suhtlusoskuse hindamiseks. Uuringus osales 66 lapsevanemat, kelle laste vanus jäi vahemikku 24–36 kuud. Valim koosnes kahest rühmast: eakohase kõne arenguga laste vanemad (EK; n = 45) ning kõne arengu hilistumisega laste vanemad (KAP; n = 21). Tulemustest selgus, et FOCUS-küsimustik on usaldusväärne mõõtvahend, mis eristab eakohase kõne arenguga lapsi kõne arengu hilistumisega lastest. Võrdleva valiidsuse kontrollimisel avaldusid mõõdukad kuni tugevad seosed ASQ:SE-2-küsimustiku tulemustega. Uuringu tulemused kinnitasid, et FOCUS-küsimustik sobib 24–36 kuu vanuste eesti laste suhtlusoskuse hindamiseks.
Downloads
References
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. American Educational Research Association.
Baird, G., & Norbury, C. F. (2016). Social (pragmatic) communication disorders and autism spectrum disorders. Archieves of Disease in Childhood, 101, 745–751. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2014-306944
Berlo, D. K. (1960). The Process of Communication: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, Inc.
Bishop, D. V. M. (2003). The Children’s Communication Checklist: Second Edition, CCC-2 Manual. London: Pearson Assessment.
Bishop, D. V. M., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., Greenhalgh, T., & and the CATALISE-2 consortium. (2017). Phase 2 of CATALISE: A multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development: Terminology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1068–1080. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12721
Bowen, C. (2015). Children’s Speech Sound Disorders. Second Edition. Chichester: Wiley–Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119180418
Brennan, R. L. (Ed.). (2006). Educational Measurement (4th ed.). American Council on Education/Praeger.
Cohen, L., Manion, L, & Morris, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.) Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203029053
Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. (2018). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Crais, E. R. (2011). Testing and beyond: Strategies and tools for evaluating and assessing infants and toddlers. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 42, 341–364. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2010/09-0061)
Cummings, L. (2021). Pragmatic impairment. In J. S. Damico, N. Müller and M. J. Ball (eds.), Handbook of Language and Speech Disorders (pp. 192–208). Second Edition, Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119606987.ch10
Dickinson, D. K., McCabe, A., Anastasopoulos, L., Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., & Poe, M. D. (2003). The comprehensive language approach to early literacy: The interrelationships among vocabulary, phonological sensitivity, and print knowledge among preschool-aged children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 465–481. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.3.465
Edwards, S., Garman, M., Hughes, A., Letts, C., & Sinka, I. (1999). Assessing the comprehension and production of language in young children: An account of the Reynell Developmental Language Scales III. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 34(2), 151–171. https://doi.org/10.1080/136828299247487
Fletcher, P. (2021). Language acquisition and language delay. In J. S. Damico, N. Müller & M. J. Ball (Eds.), The handbook of language and speech disorders (pp. 152–170). John Wiley & Sons Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119606987.ch8
Greenspan, S. I., Brazelton, T. B., Cordero, J., Solomon, R., Bauman, M. L., Robinson, R., Shanker, S., & Breinbauer, C. (2008). Guidelines for early identification, screening, and clinical management of children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 121(4), 828–830. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-3833
Hallap, M., Padrik, M., & Raudik, S. (2019). 3–4-aastaste laste kõnetest. Tartu: Tartu Ülikool.
Hancock, A., Northcott, S., Hobson, H., & Clarke, M. (2023). Speech, language and communication needs and mental health: The experiences of speech and language therapists and mental health professionals. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 58(1), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12767
Hayes, A. F., & Coutts, J. J. (2020). Use omega rather than Cronbach’s alpha for estimating reliability. But…. Communication Methods and Measures, 14(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2020.1718629
Hirv, L. (2018). Laste suhtlemisoskuse hindamine kommunikatsioonioskuste küsimustiku (CCC-2) abil. [magistritöö, Tartu Ülikool]. DSpace. http://hdl.handle.net/10062/61502
Kaarjärv, M.-L. (2021) Aktiivsus- ja tähelepanuhäirega laste suhtlemis- ja käitumisoskused: hindamine küsimustike abil. [magistritöö, Tartu Ülikool]. DSpace. http://hdl.handle.net/10062/71237
Kaldoja, M.-L., Mäeots, A., Tolli, M., & Saareoja, H. (2021). Eestindatud küsimustiku "Ages and Stages: Social-Emotional Questionnaires Second Edition" (ASQ:SE-2) sobivus 36 kuu vanuste laste sotsiaal-emotsionaalse arengu sõeltestimiseks. Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri, 9(1), 162–185. https://doi.org/10.12697/eha.2021.9.1.01
Kaljuste, K. (2020) Autismispektri häire ning aktiivsus- ja tähelepanuhäirega laste suhtlusoskuste hindamine kommunikatsioonioskuste küsimustiku abil. [magistritöö, Tartu Ülikool]. DSpace. http://hdl.handle.net/10062/68749
Karlep, K. (2003). Emakeele abiõpe II. Kõnearendus. Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus.
Kiessling, C., & Fabry, G. (2021). What is communicative competence and how can it be acquired? GMS Journal for Medical Education, 38(3). https://www.egms.de/static/en/journals/zma/2021-38/zma001445.shtml
Laerd Statistics (2018). Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. https://statistics.laerd.com/statistical-guides/pearson-correlation-coefficient-statistical-guide.php
Law, J., & Roy, P. (2008). Parental report of infant language skills: A Review of the Development and Application of the Communicative Development Inventories. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13(4), 198–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2008.00503.x
McCormack, J., McLeod, S., McAllister, L., & Harrison, L. J. (2009). A systematic review of the association between childhood speech impairment and participation across the lifespan. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 11(2), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549500802676859
Neumann, S., Salm, S., Rietz, C., & Stenneken, P. (2017). The German Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS-G): Reliability and validity of a novel assessment of communicative participation. Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, 60(3), 675–681. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0219
Norbury, C. F. (2014). Practitioner review: Social (pragmatic) communication disorder conceptualization, evidence and clinical implications. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(3), 204–216. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12154
Oddson, B., Thomas-Stonell, N., Robertson, B., & Rosenbaum, P. (2019). Validity of a streamlined version of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six: Process and outcome. Child: Care, Health and Development, 45(4), 600–605. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12669
Padrik, M., Hallap, M., Aid, M., Mäll, R. (2013). 5–6-aastaste laste kõne test. Tartu: Kirjastus Studium.
Padrik, M. (2016). Logopeediline hindamine. Teoses M. Padrik & M. Hallap (toim.), Kommunikatsioonipuuded lastel ja täiskasvanutel: märkamine, hindamine, teraapia. (lk 39–63). Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus.
Padrik, M., Hallap, M., & Kiiver, K. (2024). Suhtluspädevus. Teoses P. Häidkind & P. Soodla (toim.), Erivajadustega õppijad Eesti haridussüsteemis: märkamine, hindamine ja õpetamine. (lk 307–339). Tartu.
Rautakoski, P., Ursin, P. A., Carter, A. S., Kaljonen, A., Nylund, A., & Pihlaja, P. (2021). Communication skills predict social-emotional competencies. Journal of Communication Disorders, 93, 106138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106138
Schoon, I., Parsons, S., Rush, R., & Law, J. (2010). Children’s language ability and psychosocial development: A 29-year follow-up study. Pediatrics, 126(1), e73–80. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3282
Schults, A. (2016). First words of Estonian children: Early communicative development. https://dspace.ut.ee/handle/10062/51571
Singer, I., de Wit, E., Gorter, J. W., Luinge, M., & Gerrits, E. (2023). A systematic scoping review on contextual factors associated with communicative participation among children with developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 58(2), 482–515. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12787
Sotsiaalkindlustusamet. (2021). Kuidas kasutada RFK-d? Praktiline käsiraamat rahvusvahelise funktsioneerimisvõime klassifikatsiooni (RFK) kasutamiseks. https://www.tai.ee/sites/default/files/2024-01/kuidas_kasutada_rfkd_praktiline_kasiraamat_2021.pdf
Squires, J., Briecker, D., & Twombly, E. (2015). Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional. Second Edition. Paul H. Brookes.
Sussman, F. (2012). More Than Words (2nd ed.). Toronto: A Hanen Centrum Publication.
Thomas-Stonell, N., Cunningham, B. J., Robertson, B., & Rosenbaum, P. (2019). The Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS©) Manual, Second Edition.
Thomas-Stonell, N., Oddson, B., Robertson, B., & Rosenbaum, P. (2010). Development of the FOCUS (Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six), a communication outcome measure for preschool children. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 52, 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03410.x
Thomas-Stonell, N., Oddson, B., Robertson, B., & Rosenbaum, P. (2013). Validation of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication under Six outcome measure. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(6), 546–552. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12123
Urm, A., & Tulviste, T. (2016). Sources of individual variation in Estonian toddlers’ expressive vocabulary. First Language, 36(6), 580–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723716673951
Van ’T Hof, M., Tisseur, C., Van Berckelear-Onnes, I., Van Nieuwenhuyzen, A., Daniels, A. M., Deen, M., Hoek, H. W., & Ester, W. A. (2021). Age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis from 2012 to 2019. Autism, 25(4), 862–873. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320971107
Washington, K., Thomas-Stonell, N., Oddson, B., McLeod, S., Warr-Leeper, G., Robertson, B., & Rosenbaum, P. (2013). Construct validity of the FOCUS© (Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six): A communicative participation outcome measure for preschool children. Child: Care, Health and Development, 39(4), 481–489. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12043
Wilmot, A., Boyes, M., Sievers, R., Leitão, S., & Norbury, C. (2024). Impact of developmental language disorders on mental health and well-being across the lifespan: A qualitative study including the perspectives of UK adults with DLD and Australian speech-language therapists. BMJ Open, 14(10), e087532. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087532
World Health Organization. (2025). International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), World Health Organization (WHO) 2019/2021. Külastatud aadressil https://icd.who.int/en
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
The authors who publish in Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education agree to the following terms:
- This journal provides immediate open access to its content. All the articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
- Authors grant the journal right of (1) first publication and distribution of the article, (2) making it available to public, (3) public presentation.
- Authors have the right to enter into separate contractual arrangements for posting the article to an institutional repository or publish it in a book with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted to post citations from their work online (e.g. on their website) with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal (see Open Access).
