Our study “Using Q-BEx to Identify Risk for Language Impairment in Bilingual Children” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing research.
Alternative risk factor indices were derived from the Risk Factor and Proficiency modules differing in the weight and detail given to language proficiency. Our aim was to identify the optimal one to include in the Q-BEx backend calculator (which processes the data into spreadsheets and individual child reports).
Each index was applied to two datasets comprised of five- to eight-year-old children: one with independent diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)/Typical Development (TD) (109 bilingual children tested in France) and one of largely all-comer children (278 bilingual and monolingual children tested in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom). We compared how these alternative indices predicted (likely) DLD/TD status, and structural language outcomes, assessed with LITMUS tools, designed for bilingual children.
Optimal balance of sensitivity and specificity was achieved by an index composed of four equally weighted components (age of first word, age of first sentence, early development concerns, and strongest speaking skills between the child’s languages).
- Clinical Application: The optimal risk factor index is now used by the Q-BEx backend calculator to trigger “Red Flags.” It serves as a first-level screening tool to identify children requiring formal diagnostic assessment via LITMUS or other specialist tools.
- Consistency: The index proved reliable across different linguistic environments and both monolingual and bilingual populations, ensuring objective triage for inclusive research sampling.
De Cat, C., Tuller, L., Gusnanto, A., Kašćelan, D., Prévost, P., Serratrice, L., & Unsworth, S. (2026). Using Q-BEx to Identify Risk for Language Impairment in Bilingual Children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/57fyb_v2 (OSF preprint, accepted version)