The Use of Informatics Programming to ‎Assess Oral Language Disorders ‎

Received: 27/01/2024 - Accepted: 12/04/2026 - Published: 30/06/2026

Abstract

This study aims to develop an informational program using the Delphi programming language for the initial assessment of one of the most common oral language disorders in childhood, namely language delay. The importance of this study stems from the need to provide specialists, speech therapists, and professionals working with children with a structured computerized tool that facilitates the process of early assessment. Language delay can negatively affect the child’s communication skills, social interaction, cognitive development, and later academic learning. Therefore, early identification of this disorder is considered an essential step toward planning appropriate intervention programs and reducing the possible developmental consequences.

The proposed informational program was designed according to three main axes that reflect important dimensions of oral language development. The first axis concerns initial acquisitions, which include the basic abilities and prerequisites that support language development, such as attention, imitation, recognition, and early communicative behaviors. The second axis focuses on comprehension, through which the child’s ability to understand verbal instructions, words, meanings, and simple linguistic structures is assessed. The third axis is related to expression, which evaluates the child’s ability to produce words, construct simple utterances, name objects, and express needs or ideas verbally. These axes were selected because they provide a comprehensive preliminary picture of the child’s linguistic abilities and allow the examiner to identify the areas of strength and weakness.      
To determine the effectiveness of the developed program, it was applied to a sample of children aged between four and six years. The study sample included 62 children classified as having language delay. Based on this sample, the psychometric characteristics of the program were calculated in order to verify its validity and reliability. This step was necessary to ensure that the program measures what it is intended to measure and that its results are consistent and dependable when used in the initial assessment process.

In addition, the main study sample consisted of two groups: a group of typically developing children and a group of children with language delay, with a total of 32 participants. The comparison between the two groups showed that typically developing children obtained higher scores than children with language delay across the different items of the informational program. These differences appeared clearly in the three assessed domains: initial acquisitions, comprehension, and expression.

The results confirm that the developed informational program is capable of distinguishing between children with typical language development and children with language delay. Consequently, the program can be considered a useful tool for the preliminary assessment of language delay. It may help specialists organize assessment procedures, obtain clearer diagnostic indicators, and support the planning of early and appropriate intervention strategies.