Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students’ Through-the-Air English Skills: A Review of Formal Assessments

Strong correlations exist between signed and/or spoken English and the literacy skills of deaf and hard of hearing students. Assessments that are both valid and reliable are key for researchers and practitioners investigating the signed and/or spoken English skills of signing populations. The authors conducted a literature review to explore which tests researchers are currently using, how they administer the tests, and how reliability and validity are maintained. It was found that, overall, researchers working with this population use the same tests of English employed by practitioners working with hearing students (i.e., the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals). There is a disconnect between what is being used in research with deaf and hard of hearing students and what is being used in practice with them. Implications for practice are discussed.