Assessment Report

Identifying Information
On September 16, 2014, the The Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills (KSEALS), was administered to Student A by examiner Rachel Cason. Student A was born July 10,
2010, and she was 4 years, 2 months, and 6 days old at the time of the examination. The student
is currently enrolled in a four-year-old preschool program. This report was completed on
September 18, 2014.
Reason for Referral
Student A was asked to complete this assessment at the recommendation of the students teacher.
This student receives speech services as she recovers from a cleft palate operation, but her
teacher was uncertain as to how much her cognitive ability was impacted. The teacher suspects
that the student is on track academically and only needs more processing time, rather than special
services. The assessment was also completed to give the examiner practice in administering the
K-SEALS.
Background Information
Student A is a four-year-old female preschool student who is spunky, curious, and friendly. She
has a bit of trouble with articulation due to her cleft palate operation, but she is good at slowing
down when she speaks to make sure she is understood. Socially, this student gets along easily
with her peers and enjoys interacting with a variety of other students. Her teachers believe that
her cognitive ability is most likely not impaired despite her speech difficulties.
Behavioral Observations
This student was somewhat hesitant to begin the assessment, but she enjoyed looking at the
pictures in the Vocabulary subtest. She maintained her attention until the middle of the Numbers,
Letters, and Words subtest, at which time she began to point to pictures randomly and play with
writing utensils on her table. The examiner regained her attention by very specifically asking the
student to point to only one item on the page. The student was more engaged during the
articulation survey.
Assessment Results and Clinical Impressions
The Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills (K-SEALS) is nationally-normed
test for ages 3-0 to 6-11, written by Alan S. Kaufman, PhD, and Nadeen L. Kaufman, EdD. This
instrument, published in 1993, measures childrens expressive and receptive language skills, pre-

academic skills, and articulation. The test is broken into three subcategories (vocabulary;
numbers, letters, and words; and articulation) that are administered using a testing easel in a oneon-one setting with a child.
Results:
Domain
Vocabulary
Numbers, Letters, Words
Early Academic &
Language Skills Composite
Expressive Language
Receptive Language
Number Skills
Letter and Word Skills
Articulation

Standar
d Score

Descriptive
Category

Percentile
Rank

107
120
116

Confidence
Interval
(95% accuracy)
98-115
114-125
108-123

Avg.
Well Above Avg.
Above Avg.

68
91
86

117
113
N/A
N/A
N/A

108-125
104-121
N/A
N/A
N/A

Above Avg.
Above Avg.
N/A
N/A
Poor - Below Avg.

87
81
N/A
N/A
N/A

Considering the nationally-normed mean score of 100 and standard deviation of 15, Student A
scored within the average to above average range for most of the domains tested. She scored
highest in the Numbers, Letters, and Words category, earning a score that is well over one
standard deviation above the mean. The students Expressive Language score was also high,
while she scored lower in Vocabulary. However, even her Vocabulary score falls within the
average range for her age group. The students raw scores for Number Skills and Letter & Word
Skills were not converted to standard scores because these domains are reserved for students
aged 5-0 to 6-11.
Student As lowest score was obtained in the Articulation survey. Her raw score on this subtest
was 5/20, which places her in the below average range for her age.
Recommendations
Based on Student As scores, the examiner recommends that the student continue receiving
instruction in her current academic placement, along with continued speech services. The
articulation survey shows that the student is still struggling with pronunciation and clear speech.
The examiner recommends that the student receive more frequent and intensive speech therapy
to help her overcome the setbacks associated with cleft palate. However, as suspected, the
students academic progress is on track with that of her peers, and in many cases, her ability is
above the average level. Therefore, the examiner believes it is in the students best interest to
maintain her current academic placement, as she seems to excel academically in the general
classroom.

Summary
Student A, a four-year-old preschool student, was administered the Kaufman Survey of Early
Academic and Language Skills (K-SEALS) on September 16, 2014. The student scored within
the average to above average range in most of the domains, but her score on the Articulation
survey was below average for her age. Considering these results, the examiner recommends that
the student remain in her current academic placement, with additional speech services to assist
her in improving her articulation.

Rachel Cason