Articulation and Phonology Assessment Tool for AAE Speakers

What is it about?

This article introduces the Lee Assessment of Articulation and Phonology for African American Children (LAAPAAC)—a new tool designed specifically for assessing the speech of children who speak African American English (AAE). Traditional speech assessments often don’t account for the typical patterns found in AAE, which can lead to misdiagnosis. The LAAPAAC helps speech-language pathologists (SLPs) better distinguish between speech differences related to AAE and true speech sound disorders. This article (Part 1) focuses on how the tool was created and provides evidence that it is appropriate for evaluating articulation and phonology in young AAE speakers. This culturally responsive assessment supports more accurate, fair, and effective clinical decision-making.

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Many African Americans speak African American English (AAE), which has its own grammar and sound patterns. But most speech tests were made for children who speak General English. Therefore, African American children may be misdiagnosed as having a speech issue when they are just speaking a different, valid form of English. This article is important because it introduces a new tool made for children who speak AAE. With further development, it may help speech therapists tell the difference between a true speech disorder and normal AAE speech.

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