1 – Uses few or no English words; understands greetings and other basic, memorized phrases.
2 – Uses some English phrases though thoughts may be disconnected; understands basic English sentences when spoken clearly and slowly but relies on body language and facial expressions to determine meaning.
3 – Responds in complete thoughts and has a large vocabulary of everyday common terms. Can perform tasks based on a short series of instructions, takes short time to mentally translate and can understand complex sentences when repeated or rephrased.
4 – Responds in complete sentences and can re-word what he/she is saying when the meaning is unclear or when he/she cannot remember unusual vocabulary words. Can perform tasks based on complex instructions and understands others when they are speaking at a natural rate.
5 – Responds completely with more descriptive language and does not take time to mentally translate when listening or speaking. Understands conversations about abstract things.