Oral Communication Battery (OCB): An Assessment Inventory for Young Children

The OCB is an informal assessment tool that can be used to assess phonology, syntax, semantics, morphology, and pragmatics. Following directions in sequence, word and sentence comprehension, storytelling, phonological awareness, articulation/phonology, voice, fluency, and conversational communication skills are examined. This inventory helps you to identify specific strengths and weaknesses so that you can plan intervention programs. Assessment Procedures:

• Developmental Universals (e.g., giving name)
• Morphology - Assesses present progressive, prepositions, plurals, past irregular, possessive, uncontractible copula, articles, past regular, third person regular and irregular, uncontractible auxiliary, contractible copula, and the contractible auxiliary.
• Phonology Screening (production of sounds when naming pictures)
• Auditory Screening Tasks:
  • Memory (Digits, Sentence Repetition, Following Directions, Sequential Memory for Stories)
  • Sound Discrimination (identifying words as same or different.
  • Comprehension + Words + Sentences + Responses to Questions (Critical listening)
• Language Content (Retelling a story)
• Observational Assessment of Voice, Fluency, and Intelligibility
• Functionality of Oral Communication (pragmatic skills such as making requests, initiating interactions, making comparisons)
• Conversational Communication (observations of specific problems during conversation)

This is not a norm-referenced measure. It provides information about specific behaviours that are interfering with effective communication. This is an essential tool for assessing young children and planning intervention programs.