You are required to produce a written report on a case study child. The child you have been allocated will be outlined on Moodle. You will be provided with a summary of characteristics of the child’s speech and language skills. For each area you will need to:

1. Explain the developmental features of the child’s speech and language profile with reference to the literature.
2. Outline whether the child’s speech and language skills are indicative of typical or delayed development.
3. Describe one *assessment you would complete to further investigate each area (one assessment for speech and one assessment for language).
4. Justify your choice of each assessment with reference to the case study data, evidence-based practice, and high-quality literature. The assessment may be formal or informal.

*The term ‘assessment’ is used refer to the measurement of speech and/or language skills by a speech pathologist both formally and informally (referred to as ‘authentic’ assessment in Shipley & McAfee, 2022). If you chose to recommend an informal assessment, ensure you describe what you will do as part of that informal assessment. For example, if you are going to observe the child, you will need to describe where you will observe them, how you will observe them and what you will observe. If you choose to recommend a formal assessment, you will need to base your description on information from the assessment manual. This information will need to be paraphrased and not copied.

A template for writing this report has also been included as an example, in a separate document provided on Moodle.

There is a word limit of 1600 words which includes in-text referencing and citations but does not include your reference list. Adherence to word count is not included in the marking rubric however the marker will not read or mark past 1600 words.

Criteria one assesses your ability to explain developmental features of speech with reference to high quality literature, describe and recommend an appropriate assessment for the case study and justify your assessment choice. This section is worth 45% of the assessment grade.

Criteria two assesses your ability to explain developmental features of language with reference to high quality literature, describe and recommend an appropriate assessment for the case study and justify your assessment choice. This section is worth 45% of the assessment grade.

Criteria three assesses your ability to use appropriate writing style, formatting, and APA referencing. This section is worth 10% of the assessment grade.

For this assessment task, you will be required to complete a 40 minute viva (an oral assessment in the form of an interview) based on a paediatric clinical scenario. Your viva may occur on the 14th or 16th of June, 2023 between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Your specific date and time allocation will be provided at least four weeks prior to your scheduled viva via Moodle. Your viva will be audio-recorded for assessment marking purposes. The steps of the viva process have been outlined below:

1. One week before your viva. You will be provided basic case history information and the assessment results of a paediatric client which can pertain to the developmental areas of speech and language. In preparation for your viva, you are expected to research your case, and prepare to answer questions in relation to the following areas. You are permitted to bring an A4 (double-sided) page of notes with you to your viva (size 11, Calibri font, 1.5 spacing). While you may refer to these notes in your viva, you are expected to communicate clearly and succinctly and therefore an over reliance on notes is not recommended.
2. At the time of your viva. You will report to the allocated room at the time outlined on Moodle. You will wait on a chair outside of the room, until you are asked to enter by the examiner.
3. Section 1: Analysis and interpretation. Your examiner will commence your viva by asking questions in relation to the ‘analysis and interpretation’ of the background information and assessment results you were previously provided. There are 4 main questions that will be asked as part of this section however your examiner may ask additional prompt questions. 
4. Section 2: Planning of evidence-based speech pathology practices. Next, your examiner will ask questions in relation to the ‘planning of evidence-based speech pathology practices’. As part of this section, you will be expected to explain your management of the case including goal setting, intervention strategies and recommendations for key stakeholders. You will also be posed with a question in relation to a change in the background information of your case. This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to problem solve. There are 4 main questions that will be asked as part of this section however your examiner may ask additional prompt questions. 

Criteria one assesses your ability to analyse and interpret assessment data including providing a differential diagnosis and clearly communicate this information in an oral interview. This section is worth 50% of the assessment grade. 

Criteria two assesses your ability to create and justify a holistic management plan for a paediatric client and clearly explain this management plan in an oral interview. This section is worth 50% of the assessment grade.