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62 Sp eech Pathology Australia
MULTICULTURALISM AND DYSPHAGIA
(Semel, Wiig & Secord, 2006), Children’s Test of Non-word
Repetition (CNRep) (Gathercole & Baddeley, 1996), The
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP) (Wagner,
Torgesen & Rashotte, 1999), and letter name and sound
awareness. As with the 4-year-old assessment, parents will
receive feedback on their child’s performance, this time in
comparison to how they performed at age four.
Early findings from ELVS have been published in a number
of journals (see below). Furthermore, ELVS has attracted both
national and international interest, with results being
presented at numerous conferences, including most recently
at the joint conference between the New Zealand Speech-
Language Therapists Association and Speech Pathology
Australia in Auckland (2008), the 12th Congress of the
International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association
(ICPLA) in Istanbul (2008) and at the XI International Con­
gress for the Study of Child Language (IASCL) in Scotland
(2008). The research team is currently analysing data for
future publications.
For more information, please contact the ELVS office on 03
9345 5484, email: or look online at www.rch.
ELVS publications
Bavin, E., Prior, M., Reilly, S., Bretherton, L., Williams, J.,
Eadie, P., Barrett, Y., & Ukoumunne, O. (2008). The early
language in Victoria study: Predicting vocabulary at 1 and 2
years from gesture and object use. Journal of Child Language,
35, 687–701.
Reilly, S., Eadie, P., Bavin, E., Wake, M., Prior, M., J., W.,
Bretherton, L., Barrett, Y. & Okoumunne, O. (2006). Growth of
infant communication between 8 and 12 months: Apopulation
study. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health , 42, 764–770.
Reilly, S., Wake, M., Bavin, E., Prior, M., Williams, J.,
Bretherton, L., Eadie, P., Barrett, Y. & Ukoumunne, O. (2007).
Predicting language at 2 years: A prospective community
study. Pediatrics, 120, e1441–e1449.
Reilly, S., Onslow, M., Packman, A., Bavin, E., Prior, M.,
Eadie, P., Cini, E., Bolzonello, C., & Ukomunne, O. C. (in press).
Predicting stuttering onset by age 3: A prospective, com­
munity cohort study. Pediatrics.
Prior, M., Bavin, E., Cini, E., Reilly, S., Bretherton, L., Wake,
M., & Eadie, P. (2008). Influences on communicative develop­
ment at 24 months of age: Child temperament, behaviour
problems, and maternal factors. Infant Behaviour and
Development, 31, 270–279.
References
Goldman, R., & Fristoe, M. (2000). Goldman Fristoe test of
articulation (2nd ed.). Minneapolis: NCS Pearson Inc.
Kaufman, A. S. & Kaufman, N.L. (2004). Kaufman brief
intelligence test (2nd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: AGS Publishing.
Gathercole, S. E. & Baddeley, A. D. (1996). The children’s test
of non-word repetition. London: The Psychological Corporation
Limited.
Semel, E., Wiig, E., & Secord W. (2006). Clinical evaluation of
language fundamentals – 4th Ed. Australian. Marickville, NSW:
Harcourt Assessment Inc.
How do language and literacy skills develop, what makes
language and reading more difficult for some children,
and what might lead to earlier help for children with
language and/or reading problems? These are some of the
questions that the Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS)
hopes to answer.
Led by Professor Sheena Reilly, ELVS involves a number of
institutions1 and a large team2 including speech pathologists,
psychologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians and a paediatrician.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
has funded two studies. The first followed over 1900 children
from 8 months through to 4 years of age. The second is
continuing the study to 7 years of age with an expanded remit
to address the development of both language and literacy.
All parents who attended the 8-month check-up or hearing
screen at maternal and child health centres in six local
government areas in Melbourne were invited to participate3 .
Parents have completed questionnaires about child develop­
ment, family circumstances and environmental factors of
interest at 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of age. Measures of
communication were also included. For example, at 8, 12 and
24 months, parents completed the Communication and
Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) Infant–Toddler Checklist
(Wetherby & Prizant, 2002). At 12 months of age, half the
children were administered the CSBS Behaviour Sample by
speech pathologists.
At age four years, over 1600 face-to-face assessments were
completed. These included the Clinical Evaluation of Language
Fundamentals Preschool – Second edition (CELF P2) (Wiig,
Secord & Semel, 2006), Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation –
Second edition (Goldman & Fristoe, 2000), and the Kaufman
Brief Intelligence Test – Second edition (KBIT 2) (Kaufman &
Kaufman, 2004). All the families received feedback about their
child’s performance and these results were shared with
speech pathologists in the community.
Families have been kept up-to-date with ELVS’ progress
through newsletters and a website. Children receive an “elf”
birthday card each year which they love! Many families have
been invited to participate in sub-studies such as one
investigating bilingualism led by Ruth Nicholls (see page 63).
The follow-up stage of ELVS involves a parent question­
naire around the child’s 5th, 6th and 7th birthdays, as well as
a face-to-face assessment at 5 and 7. This assessment includes
the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – Fourth
edition – Australian Standardised Edition (CELF-4 Australian)
Research Updates
The early language in Victoria study
Laura Conway
1 Participating institutions: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (lead
institution), Royal Children’s Hospital, University of Melbourne, La Trobe
University, Macquarie University, University of Sydney.
2 ELVS team: Professor Sheena Reilly, Dr Patricia Eadie, Professor Edith Bavin,
Professor Melissa Wake, Professor Margot Prior, Dr Lesley Bretherton, Dr
Joanne Williams, Professor Anne Castles, Professor Mark Onslow , Dr Ann
Packman, Associate Professor Jenni Oates, Dr Obioha Ukoumunne, Professor
John Carlin, Dr Jemma Skeat, Yin Barrett, Catherine Bolzonello, Petrea Cahir,
Eileen Cini, Laura Conway, Kyriaki Ttofari Eecen, Cattram Nguyen, Ruth
Nicholls, Kirsty MacKenzie, Nadia Petruccelli, Lauren Pigdon, Lisa Quinn,
Tina Scalzo, Carly Veness, Amy Watts, Andrea Wong.
3 Exclusion criteria: developmental delay, cerebral palsy, or other serious
intellectual or physical disability, or if the parents did not speak and
understand English.