THE JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION VOL. 26/NO. 3/1992/pp. 269-280 THE APPLICATION OF DYNAMIC METHODS TO LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: A NONBIASED PROCEDURE

Dynamic methods are discussed as interactive a task matching young children's socialization and process-oriented procedures for nonbiased better differentiates between nondisabled and lan-assessment of communicative competence and guage disordered children than a static stan-language-learning potential. Specifically, this study dardized measure. Dynamic methods were most demonstrates the application of mediated learn- effective in differentiating nondisabled children ing experience to language assessment. Significant from those with possible language disorders. results of the study supported the hypothesis that Futurists predict that by the year 2000, thirty percent of the U.S. population will consist of traditional minorities, such as African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans (Cambell, Bellamy, 8c Bishop, 1988). These well-publicized changes in the U.S. population are even more dramatic within the population of children. In some states, "minority " children will constitute more than 50 % of the school population (Olsen, 1988). Already, "minority " children constitute more than 70 % of the school population in our 15 largest urban centers (Hodgkinson, 1985)