Normative data for the Intelligibility in Context Scale

Over the past few months Kate Crowe, Ameneh Shahaeian and I have been analysing parent-reported data about 804 Australian preschoolers regarding the Intelligibility in Context Scale. We have determined that for typically developing children the mean ICS score was 4.4 (SD = 0.7) of a possible total score of 5. Children’s speech was most intelligible to their parent, followed by their immediate family, friends, and teachers, and was least intelligible to strangers. Significant differences in scores were identified based on sex and age, but not socioeconomic status or the number of languages spoken. There were significant differences in scores between children whose parents had concerns about their child’s speech (M = 3.9) and those who did not (M = 4.6). The ICS had high internal consistency (α =.94), test-retest reliability, and criterion validity. We hope that this manuscript will be published in a journal some time in the future.

Kate Crowe, Ameneh Shahaeian and Sharynne McLeod

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