The HILLT assesses the following areas of verbal comprehension: Simple deductions, why questions, making predictions, formulating solutions, explaining inferences, making inferences from short passages, situation-based and belief-based emotions, mental state verbs, strange stories, faux pas and idioms. It has been standardised on 350 British children aged 5:00 to 11:11 (250 aged 5:00-9:11 and a further 100 10:00-11:11 year-olds for the idiom sub-section). The assessment consists of verbal questions given by the tester and the child’s verbal responses are transcribed and scored. Detailed marking criteria are included.
Understanding of high level language is critical for successful communication and academic learning. Many children with communication impairments (in particular children with receptive language difficulties, pragmatic language impairments and high functioning autism) demonstrate adequate comprehension of some structures and concepts. They may perform within normal limits on current standardised assessments of understanding of grammatical structures. However, they often have specific difficulties in the areas of comprehension covered by the HILLT.
To see a full explanation of The HILLT by the author, click here
Age range
5:00-5:11 for sections 1-8 of the assessment
6:00-6:11 for the complete assessment (sections 1-12)
6:00-11:11 for sub-section 12 (idioms)
Scores provided
Age equivalents and centiles are provided for the total test score.
Age equivalents are provided for each sub-section.
Qualitative interpretation of the results
The child’s responses can be qualitatively analysed as well as quantitatively assessed. Sections are provided within the pack with examples of unusual answers given by both typically-developing and communication impaired children. Suggestions for interpreting these are given.
About the author
Dr Anne Hewitt is a Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy at Manchester Metropolitan University and a Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist in Sefton. She has 30 years of clinical experience working with children with a wide range of communication impairments. She recognised the need for the High Level Language Comprehension Test (HILLT) in her clinical practice and devised it as part of her PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University. She was awarded her PhD in March 2017.
Pack contents.
Background information and instructions.
Twenty nine pages of assessment material/record forms that can be printed as required.
Detailed marking criteria
Age: 5:00–11:11 years
Ref: HILLT
Format: PDF file, Available as a download, 107 pages, 888KB or on CD.
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