CASL-2: A Clinical Assessment Overview
A high-level overview of the CASL-2 (Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition) — what it measures, structure, and clinical use.
The Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition (CASL-2) is an individually administered, norm-referenced assessment used by speech-language pathologists to measure oral language skills across a broad age range. It is widely used to identify language disorder, describe strengths and weaknesses, and inform treatment planning.
What it measures
The CASL-2 assesses spoken (oral) language across multiple domains, including receptive and expressive language, and components such as semantics, syntax, morphology, and pragmatics. It is designed to capture both what a person understands and what they can produce, giving a comprehensive picture of oral language ability rather than a single score.
Structure and use
- It is administered one-on-one by a qualified professional and is norm-referenced, producing standard scores, percentile ranks, and age equivalents.
- It spans a wide age range, making it useful across childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood.
- Core tests support efficient administration when a full battery is not needed; the full assessment gives a broader profile for complex cases.
Results identify whether a language disorder is present, characterize the nature of any difficulty, and guide goals.
Who uses it and why
The CASL-2 is used by speech-language pathologists for:
- Diagnostic evaluation of spoken language disorder.
- Describing a client's language profile for treatment planning.
- Progress measurement and re-evaluation over time.
- Supporting eligibility decisions in school and clinical settings.
Like all standardized assessments, it must be administered according to the published procedures to yield valid results, and findings are interpreted in the full context of the client's history and other data.
Documentation
Standardized assessment results should be recorded with the scores and the clinical interpretation. Tie findings to measurable goals with a treatment plan goal builder, and document sessions consistently with SOAP or DAP notes.