Date of Assessment: 12/8/15

Students Name: Shoshana Kaplan

Language of Assessment: Yiddish and

English
DOB: 08/06/2003

NYC ID: 206634867

Evaluators Name: Zisi Gunsburg

Grade: 7th Grade

School: P.S. 370- Jim Thorpe School

Speech and Language Evaluation Report

Background Information
Shoshana Kaplan is a 12-year-old girl who non-verbal child who lives with her family in
Brooklyn. She has the diagnosis of autism. She attends a District 75 program at P.S. 370.
Her speech therapist, Mrs. Eve Field, was present during the evaluation. As per mothers
reports, Shoshana is from a home with spoken languages of both Yiddish and English. A
speech evaluation was requested in order to assess Shoshanas speech and language
abilities to decide whether or not a Bilingual Yiddish class placement would be
appropriate. The evaluation was conducted on December 8, 2015.
Testing
Evaluation was conducted in both Yiddish and English. She responded equally to English
and Yiddish. Shoshana was evaluated both informally and formally. Informal assessment
included classroom observation, parent oral report, and interview with speech teacher,
paraprofessional, and 1 to 1 para. Mrs. Eve Field was present during the evaluation. She
interviewed the parents over the phone regarding Shoshanas family background. The
speech therapist, paraprofessionals in the classroom, and Shoshanas 1 to 1
paraprofessional were interviewed regarding Shoshanas speech and language abilities
and preferences. Formal tests included the TACL-3 (Test of Auditory Comprehension of
Language) and The Nonspeech Test. The TACL-3 was not scored due to modification of
language of test and standardization to another population.
Shoshanas IEP goals are to produce /p/, /b/, and /m/, eye contact, and to match objects to
pictures. Based on Mrs. Fields report, Shoshana understands basic commands,
inconsistently points to pictures in book, and produces /m/ sounds independently, but
does not produce /b/ and /p/. She can also sign eat when prompted. Based on 1 to 1 and
paraprofessional reports, Shoshana can finger feed herself and can eat with a spoon and
fork, although she does not hold them correctly. Shoshana has a communication app on
her iPad to express herself. She requires prompts and consistency to use it.
Provider observed that Shoshana has an uneven gait due to physical issues, and she wears
braces on both legs to help provide additional supports. She likes putting many non-food

items and her hands into her mouth consistent with oral hyposensitivity. As a result, she
was given a chewy tube which she wears around her neck and bites consistently. This
reduces mouthing of hands and other items. She sits quietly in the classroom and does not
respond to her surroundings unless she is asked or offered something directly.
Based on informal assessment of skills, Provider found that Shoshana imitates motor
movements e.g. touch head, clap, produces /m/ sound, points to correct big/small
opposite, stops momentarily when hearing the bell, signs more (and vocalizes /m/ to
request more) and finished, points up when directed to show me up, vocalizes/groans
to indicate request for something she wants, and follows simple directions e.g. pops
bubbles upon request. She cannot follow commands that include prepositions e.g. Give
me the spoon that is under the box, attend to book read to her, and identify picture in a
book.
Based on the Non-speech test for receptive language and informal testing, Shoshana
changes behavior as examiner approaches and speaks. She attends, listens, and looks to,
and searches for sound source, localizes sound source with accuracy, attends to visual
stimulation, smiles at other people, looks at examiners face, responds to her name,
changes reaction to different intonation patterns, reacts to no, follows at least 3 verbal
commands or requests with or without gestures, identifies at least 3 body parts, and
identifies at least 1 picture/item named from a set of 2. She cannot maintain eye-contact,
show interest in pictures for 30 seconds, attend to conversation of examiner for 1 minute,
respond appropriately to 1 or more simple questions, attend to naming of pictures for
more than 1 minute, identify 3 or more objects, pictures, or actions, follow simple
commands in a sequence, identify pronouns or prepositions, identify functions of objects,
demonstrate understanding of the concept of one, size, adjectives, plural form, verb
tense, and possessives.
Based on Non-Speech test for expressive language section, Shoshana can vocalize vowellike sounds, vocalize playfully, vocalize at sound source and examiner, smile during play,
express feelings differentially through facial expressions, stop vocalizing in response to
sound at least momentarily, participate in vocal play with sounds in his repertoire, use 1
to 3 simple gestures or signal in response to examiner and meaningfully, imitate sounds
and gestures in own repertoire, initiate at least one communicative interaction with
examiner ( requested more with sign), respond appropriately to verbal commands, and
signal at least 3 body parts. She cannot babble same sound or syllables repeatedly,
vocalize 2 to 3 vowel sounds, words, or expressions, participate in gesture games with
examiner, respond to simple questions (via device), signal names of objects, use 3-7
signals meaningfully, and respond to yes/no question consistently (via communication
device).

Based on the TACL-3, Shoshana can comprehend cat, bird, girl, blue, running, and little.
She cannot comprehend box, yellow, cutting, jumping cross and two.
Summary and Conclusions
Shoshana is a 12-year-old girl who is non-verbal and has the diagnosis of autism. A
speech evaluation was requested in order to assess Shoshanas speech and language
abilities to decide whether or not a Bilingual Yiddish class placement would be
appropriate. During the evaluation, Shoshana responded to English and Yiddish equally.
I recommend that Shoshana be placed and mandated for Bilingual Yiddish class and
services based on parents preferences and request. In addition, during Shoshanas current
placement in a Bilingual Yiddish class while placement decisions are being made,
Shoshana is comfortable and well responsive in the class and has been making nice
progress.
Zisi Gunsburg
MS, TSSLD, CCC-SLP