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Sun J, Justice LM, Shen Y, Jiang H, Villasanti HG, Schmitt MB. Dimensionality of Speech-Language Pathologists' Child-Directed Talk During School-Based Therapy With Primary-Grade Students. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024; 33:866-882. [PMID: 38118435 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-23-00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement structure of the linguistic features of speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) talk during business-as-usual therapy sessions in the public schools and to test the longitudinal stability of a theorized dimensional structure consisting of quantity, grammatical complexity, and lexical complexity. METHOD Seventy-five SLPs' talk during therapy sessions with primary-grade students was automatically transcribed and coded for linguistic features from a corpus of 579 videotaped therapy session videos collected at the beginning, middle, and end of one school year with an approximately 12-week interval. We explored video characteristics and conducted descriptive statistics on eight linguistic indices of SLP talk to examine the variability in SLP talk between therapy sessions. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to explore the dimensional structure of SLP talk at each time point separately for the theorized three dimensions, and we conducted longitudinal measurement invariance analyses to test the stability of the three-factor structural model across the academic year. RESULTS There were considerable variabilities among SLPs in the characteristics of SLP talk during therapy sessions. The proposed three-factor structure of SLP talk consisting of quantity, grammatical complexity, and lexical complexity had good model fit at all three time points. The linguistic measurement properties representing the three factors were invariant over time. CONCLUSIONS Results provided robust evidence of between-SLP variability in their child-directed talk, established a three-dimensional structure of the linguistic features in SLP talk, and identified that the linguistic features in SLP talk stably measured the same constructs across one school year, based on measurement invariance. The dimensions of SLP talk during therapy with students may represent important, malleable features of therapy that influence child language gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Laura M Justice
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Ye Shen
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Hui Jiang
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | | | - Mary Beth Schmitt
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin
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Ubeda Tikkanen A, Vova J, Holman L, Chrisman M, Clarkson K, Santiago R, Schonberger L, White K, Badaly D, Gauthier N, Pham TDN, Britt JJ, Crouter SE, Giangregorio M, Nathan M, Akamagwuna UO. Core components of a rehabilitation program in pediatric cardiac disease. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1104794. [PMID: 37334215 PMCID: PMC10275574 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1104794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing effort in both the inpatient and outpatient setting to improve care, function, and quality of life for children with congenital heart disease, and to decrease complications. As the mortality rates of surgical procedures for congenital heart disease decrease, improvement in perioperative morbidity and quality of life have become key metrics of quality of care. Quality of life and function in patients with congenital heart disease can be affected by multiple factors: the underlying heart condition, cardiac surgery, complications, and medical treatment. Some of the functional areas affected are motor abilities, exercise capacity, feeding, speech, cognition, and psychosocial adjustment. Rehabilitation interventions aim to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life for those with physical impairments or disabilities. Interventions such as exercise training have been extensively evaluated in adults with acquired heart disease, and rehabilitation interventions for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease have similar potential to improve perioperative morbidity and quality of life. However, literature regarding the pediatric population is limited. We have gathered a multidisciplinary team of experts from major institutions to create evidence- and practice-based guidelines for pediatric cardiac rehabilitation programs in both inpatient and outpatient settings. To improve the quality of life of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease, we propose the use of individualized multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs that include: medical management; neuropsychology; nursing care; rehabilitation equipment; physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapies; and exercise training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ubeda Tikkanen
- Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joshua Vova
- Department of Physiatry, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Lainie Holman
- Department Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Maddie Chrisman
- Wolff Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Kristin Clarkson
- Department of Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rachel Santiago
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lisa Schonberger
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kelsey White
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Daryaneh Badaly
- Learning and Development Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Naomi Gauthier
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tam Dan N. Pham
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jolie J. Britt
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Scott E. Crouter
- Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies, The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, IL, United States
| | - Maeve Giangregorio
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Meena Nathan
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Unoma O. Akamagwuna
- Department Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, TX, United States
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Laher Z, Dada S. The effect of aided language stimulation on the acquisition of receptive vocabulary in children with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disability: a comparison of two dosages. Augment Altern Commun 2023:1-14. [PMID: 36939217 DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2022.2155566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aided language stimulation is an augmented input strategy that facilitates the expressive and receptive language skills of persons who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The aim of this study was to determine and compare the acquisition of receptive vocabulary items during implementation of aided language stimulation with dosages of 40% and 70%, respectively. An adapted alternating treatment design was replicated across six participants with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disability. All participants demonstrated receptive vocabulary acquisition when aided language stimulation was provided with a dosage of 70%, and two participants demonstrated acquisition when a dosage of 40% was provided. Receptive vocabulary acquisition was maintained following a 6-day withdrawal period. The dosage of augmented input may impact receptive vocabulary acquisition for children with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disability, with higher dosages being more effective for some participants. The findings indicate that clinicians should be aware that dosage is an important consideration when providing aided language stimulation to facilitate receptive vocabulary acquisition in children with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakiyya Laher
- Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Shakila Dada
- Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Frizelle P, McKean C, Eadie P, Ebbels S, Fricke S, Justice LM, Kunnari S, Leitão S, Morgan AT, Munro N, Murphy CA, Storkel HL, Van Horne AO. Editorial Perspective: Maximising the benefits of intervention research for children and young people with developmental language disorder (DLD) - a call for international consensus on standards of reporting in intervention studies for children with and at risk for DLD. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:474-479. [PMID: 36127873 PMCID: PMC10087453 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Current methods for reporting interventions do not allow key questions of importance to practitioners, service providers, policy-makers and people with DLD to be answered, and hence limit the implementation of effective interventions in the real world. To extend the existing EQUATOR guidelines to the context of speech language therapy/pathology for children with language disorder and to provide more specific guidance on participants, interventions and outcomes within the CONSORT checklist (used to improve the reporting of randomised controlled trials) and TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) to ensure consistency of reporting. We will develop a core team to include representatives from each of the key groups who will either use or be influenced by the final reporting guidance across different countries. To achieve each set of aims, we will conduct reviews of the literature (which present typologies of intervention characteristics in (D)LD and related disorders); carry out focus groups; and use systematic consensus methods such as the Delphi technique, nominal group technique or consensus development conferences. Through the development and adoption of standard intervention reporting criteria, we anticipate that we will overcome the numerous barriers for practitioners, services and policy-makers in applying intervention evidence to practice. We believe that establishing international consensus on reporting guidelines would significantly accelerate progress in DLD research and the ease with which it can be used in clinical practice, by capitalising on the growth in intervention studies to enable international collaboration and new methodologies of data pooling, meta-analyses and cross-study comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Frizelle
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Cristina McKean
- Department of Speech and Language Sciences, School of Education, Communication & Language Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Patricia Eadie
- Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Susan Ebbels
- Moor House Research and Training Institute, Moor House School & College, London, UK.,Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Silke Fricke
- Division of Human Communication Sciences, Health Sciences School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura M Justice
- Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sari Kunnari
- Research Unit of Logopedics, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Suze Leitão
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Angela T Morgan
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Speech Pathology Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Natalie Munro
- Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Carol-Anne Murphy
- HIST Health Research Institute and School of Allied Health, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Holly L Storkel
- Department of Speech, Language, Hearing: Sciences & Disorders, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Amanda Owen Van Horne
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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Arnold HL, Plante E, Vance R. Translating Enhanced Conversational Recast to a Telepractice Setting. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2022; 53:275-289. [PMID: 35104418 DOI: 10.1044/2021_lshss-21-00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This investigation adapted a well-studied language treatment method, Enhanced Conversational Recast, paired with auditory bombardment to a teletherapy format. METHOD The study used a single case series approach (n = 7) to determine the feasibility of teletherapy with children ages 5 and 6 years of age. Treatment targeted grammatical errors in the context of dialogic reading and craft activities. Clinicians administered 24 doses in the form of focused conversational recasting, followed by 12 doses consisting of simple sentences containing the grammatical forms targeted for remediation. Children were treated for up to 26 sessions, with four children treated on consecutive weekdays and three treated twice a week. Treatment progress was operationalized as generalization of target grammatical forms to untreated linguistic contexts, as well as spontaneous use of the treated form. To control for nontreatment effects, generalization of an untreated form was also tracked throughout the treatment period. RESULTS Six of the seven children showed clinically meaningful gains in the use of the grammatical forms targeted for treatment within the treatment period. This was true for children enrolled in both treatment schedules. Learning for treated forms was retained after treatment was discontinued. In comparison, no change was seen for untreated forms for six of the seven children. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that this treatment method is feasible in a telepractice format, even with young children. The range of individual results is generally comparable to previous face-to-face versions of this treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley L Arnold
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson
| | - Elena Plante
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson
| | - Rebecca Vance
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson
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Farquharson K, McIlraith A, Tambyraja S, Constantino C. Using the Experience Sampling Method to Examine the Details of Dosage in School-Based Speech Sound Therapy. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2022; 53:698-712. [PMID: 35302900 DOI: 10.1044/2021_lshss-21-00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this project was to collect practice-based evidence regarding dosage in speech sound therapy sessions in school-based settings. Dosage is the number of trials within a therapy session for any one particular child. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face a variety of obstacles to service delivery, often making the implementation of evidence-based practices difficult. To that end, we were interested in exploring how therapy parameters, such as group size and session frequency were associated with dosage. METHOD Using the experience sampling method, we queried school-based SLPs (n = 90) across the United States. SLPs participated via a phone application, which randomly alerted them to participate 3 times per day for 5 days. SLPs also completed a demographic questionnaire that included information regarding caseload size and job satisfaction. RESULTS We report results from 670 therapy sessions. Results revealed that the therapy parameter of group size was negatively related to dosage. The SLP parameter of caseload size was positively related to dosage, but this was a small association. The child parameter of comorbidity was negatively related to dosage. CONCLUSIONS Our results support that as group size increases, children receive smaller doses of speech sound practice. Similarly, children who have a reported comorbidity received smaller doses compared to children who have an isolated speech sound disorder. We discuss implications for school-based practitioners and researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sherine Tambyraja
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus
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7
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Frizelle P, Tolonen AK, Tulip J, Murphy CA, Saldana D, McKean C. The Influence of Quantitative Intervention Dosage on Oral Language Outcomes for Children With Developmental Language Disorder: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2021; 52:738-754. [PMID: 33465314 DOI: 10.1044/2020_lshss-20-00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the degree to which quantitative aspects of dosage (dose, dose frequency, and total intervention duration) have been examined in intervention studies for children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Additionally, to establish the optimal quantitative dosage characteristics for phonology, vocabulary, and morphosyntax outcomes. Method This registered review (PROSPERO ID CRD42017076663) adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Search terms were included in seven electronic databases. We included peer-reviewed quasi-experimental, randomized controlled trial or cohort analytical studies, published in any language between January 2006 and May 2020. Included articles reported on participants with DLD (M = 3-18 years); oral language interventions with phonology, vocabulary, or morphosyntax outcomes; and experimental manipulation or statistical analysis of any quantitative aspect of dosage. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Results Two hundred forty-four articles reported on oral language interventions with children with DLD in the domains of interest; 13 focused on experimentally/statistically manipulating quantitative aspects of dosage. No article reported phonological outcomes, three reported vocabulary, and eight reported morphosyntax. Dose frequency was the most common characteristic manipulated. Conclusions Research is in its infancy, and significant further research is required to inform speech-language pathologists in practice. Dosage characteristics are rarely adequately controlled for their individual effects to be identified. Findings to date suggest that there is a point in vocabulary and morphosyntax interventions after which there are diminishing returns from additional dosage. If dose is high (number of learning opportunities within a session), then the literature suggests that session frequency can be reduced. Frequent, short sessions (2/3 × per week, approximately 2 min) and less frequent, long sessions (1 × per week, approximately 20 min) have yielded the best outcomes when composite language measures have been used; however, replication and further research are required before clinicians can confidently integrate these findings into clinical practice. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13570934.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Frizelle
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Josie Tulip
- School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
| | | | - David Saldana
- Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, University of Seville, Spain
| | - Cristina McKean
- School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
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8
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Farquharson K, Therrien M, Barton-Hulsey A, Brandt AF. How to Recruit, Support, and Retain Speech-Language Pathologists in Public Schools. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/1052684620966062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been a persistent shortage of qualified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) across the United States. This shortage is predicted to continue, as data reported by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that there will be a 27% increase in job openings through the year 2028. In some states, the shortage has led to service provision from individuals without a background in speech-language pathology and/or without speech-language pathology certification and licensure. Speech and language services that are delivered by unqualified personnel may lead to inadequate time devoted to therapy—either too much, or too little—which is ultimately unethical, illegal, and expensive. However, there is a real issue at hand for school leadership—and that is: How to recruit, support, and retain highly qualified SLPs? In the current tutorial, we will provide evidence-based action steps for how and why to recruit, support, and retain certified and licensed SLPs. Specifically, we discuss the qualifications of the SLP, roles and responsibilities of school-based SLPs, caseload versus workload considerations, various service delivery models, and a review of SLP job satisfaction research. Throughout the tutorial, we will provide concrete and evidence-based ideas for school leadership to consider when recruiting, supporting, and retaining SLPs.
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9
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Swain NR, Eadie PA, Snow PC. Speech and language therapy for adolescents in youth justice: A series of empirical single-case studies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2020; 55:458-479. [PMID: 32196891 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescents in contact with youth justice are a vulnerable and marginalized group at high risk of developmental language disorder (DLD) and other communication difficulties. Though preliminary studies have demonstrated the benefits of speech and language therapy (SLT) services in youth justice, limited research has empirically tested the efficacy of intervention in these settings. AIMS To evaluate the extent to which intensive, one-to-one language intervention improved the communication skills of incarcerated adolescents with below-average (> 1 SD below the mean) language and/or literacy skills. METHODS & PROCEDURES A series of four empirical single case studies was conducted, using multiple baseline intervention design. Individualized intervention programmes were administered, and progress on outcome measures (probes) was evaluated throughout the baseline, intervention and maintenance phases using Tau-U, a non-parametric distribution-free statistic. Additional measures were used as secondary outcomes of the intervention, including standardized language subtests, subjective rating tools by participants and their teachers collected pre- and post-intervention, and a brief structured participant interview, independently administered by youth justice staff. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Medium-to-large effect sizes, the majority of which were statistically significant, were detected on the primary outcome measure across the four cases, indicating improvements in the targeted communication skills. Positive results were also evident in comparisons of pre- and post-measures on standardized language subtests, subjective self- and teacher ratings of communication, and the participants' impressions of the interventions. For those participants who could be followed up, gains in language skills were generally maintained at 1 month post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS This study provides further evidence of the efficacy of one-to-one SLT intervention for adolescents in youth justice in order to address language and literacy difficulties. These findings inform future SLT service provision for adolescents in these settings, with clear policy and practice implications. Future research should investigate the wider benefits to individuals' engagement in youth justice intervention and recidivism, as well as assessing maintenance of gains over a longer period. What this paper adds What is already known on this subject The high rates of DLD in youth justice is well known, with difficulties spanning multiple areas of language and literacy. SLTs are increasingly working in community and custodial youth justice settings, and a few preliminary studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of such work. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study extends the evidence base of the efficacy of SLT for language and literacy difficulties in youth justice, using a series of four empirical single case studies. It is also argued that SLT should be more actively considered in planning multidisciplinary interventions for young people in custody. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The results of this research support current moves to include SLT services in youth justice systems, and illustrate for clinicians currently working in this sector a way of structuring and measuring the impact of intervention services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel R Swain
- Department of Education and Training, Parkville College, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Patricia A Eadie
- Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Pamela C Snow
- School of Education, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC, Australia
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10
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Calder SD, Claessen M, Ebbels S, Leitão S. Explicit Grammar Intervention in Young School-Aged Children With Developmental Language Disorder: An Efficacy Study Using Single-Case Experimental Design. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2020; 51:298-316. [PMID: 32255750 DOI: 10.1044/2019_lshss-19-00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study evaluated the efficacy of an explicit, combined metalinguistic training and grammar facilitation intervention aimed at improving regular past tense marking for nine children aged 5;10-6;8 (years;months) with developmental language disorder. Method This study used an ABA across-participant multiple-baseline single-case experimental design. Participants were seen one-on-one twice a week for 20- to 30-min sessions for 10 weeks and received explicit grammar intervention combining metalinguistic training using the SHAPE CODING system with grammar facilitation techniques (a systematic cueing hierarchy). In each session, 50 trials to produce the target form were completed, resulting in a total of 1,000 trials over 20 individual therapy sessions. Repeated measures of morphosyntax were collected using probes, including trained past tense verbs, untrained past tense verbs, third-person singular verbs as an extension probe, and possessive 's as a control probe. Probing contexts included expressive morphosyntax and grammaticality judgment. Outcome measures also included pre-poststandard measures of expressive and receptive grammar. Results Analyses of repeated measures demonstrated significant improvement in past tense production on trained verbs (eight of nine children) and untrained verbs (seven of nine children), indicating efficacy of the treatment. These gains were maintained for 5 weeks. The majority of children made significant improvement on standardized measures of expressive grammar (eight of nine children). Only five of nine children improved on grammaticality judgment or receptive measures. Conclusion Results continue to support the efficacy of explicit grammar interventions to improve past tense marking in early school-aged children. Future research should aim to evaluate the efficacy of similar interventions with group comparison studies and determine whether explicit grammar interventions can improve other aspects of grammatical difficulty for early school-aged children with developmental language disorder. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.11958771.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Calder
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Mary Claessen
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Susan Ebbels
- Moor House Research and Training Institute, Moor House School & College, Oxted, United Kingdom.,Language and Cognition, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Suze Leitão
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
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11
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Tarvainen S. Oral language comprehension interventions in 1-8-year-old children with language disorders or difficulties: A systematic scoping review. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2020; 5:2396941520946999. [PMID: 36381544 PMCID: PMC9620463 DOI: 10.1177/2396941520946999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The most severe problems in language manifest as difficulties in comprehending oral language. These difficulties are persistent and expose individuals to several risk factors. There is a lack of intervention research in the area of oral language comprehension, and no reviews have focused solely on oral language comprehension interventions in young children. The aim of this review was to identify interventions targeting oral language comprehension in children 8 years or younger with language disorders or difficulties. The review also examined the possible intervention foci, efficacy, and level of evidence of these interventions. METHODS A systematic scoping review of eight databases was carried out. Twenty of 2399 articles met the inclusion criteria and a further six articles were identified through reference lists of sourced articles. These 26 articles described 25 studies. Altogether 2460 children aged 1-8 years participated in the 25 studies. The data from these studies were extracted and analysed, and the intervention foci, efficacy, and level of evidence were evaluated.Main contribution: The reviewed interventions focused on three aspects: modifying the communicative environment of the child; targeting aspects of the child's language; or targeting the child's language processing. Of the included studies, 80% indicated positive effects on participants' oral language comprehension. The level of evidence of the included studies varied. With few exceptions, researchers and practitioners can have moderate confidence in the results of the included studies indicating that it is possible to ameliorate difficulties in oral language comprehension. CONCLUSIONS This review summarises the existing evidence on oral language comprehension interventions in young children with language disorders or difficulties. The evidence base is still limited, and more research is urgently needed. The results suggest that though not all interventions seem to provide desired outcomes, there are several interventions indicating efficacy to target problems in oral language comprehension in 1-8-year-old children with language disorders or difficulties. A careful choice of therapy technique and collaboration with people in the child's environment is required to maximize outcomes.Implications: The results suggest that young children's oral language comprehension skills can be improved by guiding parents and clinicians in their communication strategies, and by clinician-implemented interventions targeting aspects of the child's language. The research on interventions targeting children's language processing is limited, and the results mixed. The present study provides information on different oral language comprehension interventions and their outcomes. The findings are readily applicable for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirpa Tarvainen
- Sirpa Tarvainen, Department of Psychology
and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, Helsinki 00014,
Finland. Emails: ;
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12
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Justice LM. Conceptualising "dose" in paediatric language interventions: Current findings and future directions. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2018; 20:318-323. [PMID: 29788772 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2018.1454985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Dose is a particularly important element of treatment for speech and language disorders, yet relatively little is known concerning how best to operationalise dose in clinical settings. This keynote provides an overview of dose as a theoretical and empirical concept and discusses recent findings that question whether "more is better" when treating children with language disorders. Given recent evidence showing that spaced treatments may result in optimal gains for children, I argue that low-frequency therapy sessions can be especially beneficial for children with language disorders when they are highly productive, providing children with high levels of dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Justice
- a Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA
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