In this study, a promising new intervention implemented for adults with aphasia due to stroke, Multimodal Communication Treatment, was modified for its use with one child with autism spectrum disorder to identify if the child could learn and communicate new words through learning multiple modalities. Data was collected on the child’s communicative output as well to assess the frequency and types of his communication attempts. The child presented with challenging behaviors throughout the intervention period, and its potential impact on the execution of the intervention was studied. The study found that Multimodal Communication Treatment was not an effective intervention approach for this child. The majority of his output was not communicative in nature and challenging behaviors impacted the effectiveness of implementing the approach. Further research is needed to identify whether Multimodal Communication Treatment could be an effective intervention for children with more communicative intent and increased attention. / text

Purpose: This study is Phase One of a multi-phase research initiative. The purpose of this study was to examine how well a low-dose, dual oral narrative and expository language intervention delivered in a small group setting improved expressive and receptive oral narrative and expository language in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students who have been identified as having language disorder or emerging English academic language. Method: We administered a dynamic assessment of language to 325 kindergarten, first, and second grade students from two elementary schools in two school districts. The results of the dynamic assessment identified 61 students who had a language disorder or emerging English academic language. We randomly assigned those 61 students to a treatment or control group; however, 7 students were removed from the study due to incomplete data sets following the posttest phase. Students in the treatment group received small group oral narrative and expository language intervention two times per week over four weeks (eight 20-minute sessions). We administered narrative and expository assessments immediately prior to intervention to all students in the treatment group (n = 27) and the control group (n = 27). Those same measures were administered immediately following intervention to both groups. Results: We conducted a series of one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), using the pretest narrative retell as a covariate for each of the dependent variables. There were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups for any of the dependent variables. However, trends from means indicate that the treatment group was beginning to perform higher than their control-group peers at the conclusion of this Phase One study, suggesting that significant differences between groups may emerge in later phases. To maximize the efficiency of contextualized language intervention by alternating narrative and expository intervention procedures each week under realistic conditions, it is necessary to ascertain when two 20-minute sessions per week, which is the time that most speech-language pathologists dedicate to language intervention for their students, will yield significant results across both narrative and expository outcomes.

The general aim of the thesis is to show how The Situational Language Intervention Programme (SLIP) was formulated in order to include the critical factors of: the cognitive abilities and linguistic characteristics of the intellectually handicapped; pragmatics, semantics and syntax and the four models of language acquisition; the criteria that guide language intervention programme development; the use of precise and systematic teaching methods that stimulate the use of language in the students' environment. The general objective of both SLIP and this thesis is to show how to increase moderately to severely intellectually handicapped adolescents' language-communication through the appropriate use of the forms of language applied to its functions in a specific range of situations. Chapter Two of the thesis is concerned with the cognitive abilities of intellectually handicapped people and the implications of intellectual handicap on communication and language development. In addition it discusses, stage by stage, the positive and negative markers of language acquisition. These markers illustrate to the teacher the signs of linguistic retardation at each stage of language learning. The contents of Chapter Three provide an outline of the four models of language acquisition, i.e. Pragmatic, Semantic/Cognitive, Psycholinguistic/Syntactic and Behavioural. Those models contribute to our understanding of how language develops and illustrate to us the complex nature of language acquisition. In addition, this discussion documents the past and current research viewpoints and draws our attention to the limitations that existing theories have in providing a "full�blown" model of language acquisition. Furthermore, Chapter Three is stating that the recent analysis of language-training for communication disordered and intellectually handicapped students has shown that a more balanced study of the semantic and pragmatic factors in language acquisition is emerging. This chapter is urging teachers to re-analyze, re-evaluate and modify their language intervention programmes by integrating the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic factors. Both the contents of Chapters Two and Three are demonstrating that it is necessary to address the theoretical viewpoint and academic findings both of which are important aspects of the role of the interventionist. They have to be addressed if the teacher is to make judgments concerning the efficacy of different models in attaining certain goals. Such factors govern the utilization and integration of certain approaches and procedures. The contents of Chapters Four and Five discuss how the language interventionist can lead the intellectually handicapped student into increased language usage and communicative competence. Chapter Four is concerned with the current critical issues and developments in: curriculum and programme design for the moderately/severely intellectually handicapped adolescent; criteria to guide programme development and direction of language intervention; direct instruction techniques; augmentative communication systems and their basic programme guidelines. Chapter Five outlines the framework of the Situational Language Intervention Programme (SLIP) which was designed and implemented by the author. The content and procedures utilized by SLIP are greatly influenced by the contents of Chapters Two, Three and Four. This influence is demonstrated in the discussion concerning SLIP's: aims and objectives; content and design decisions; selection of forms to be taught; sequencing; teaching procedures and methods of instruction. Chapter Five also discusses the implementation of SLIP.

This study examined the effects of a vocabulary intervention for 3 children with cleft lip and/or palate who showed limited consonant inventories and delayed expressive language. In a multiple baseline design across behaviors, a vocabulary intervention was implemented using a milieu model. The treatment produced an increase in vocabulary production that generalized to a conversational language sample in the clinic and home as reported by parents. Phonological variables, including consonant repertoire and syllable structure, were monitored before and after language treatment for all children. Phonological performance improved and did not need to be addressed as a separate goal in intervention.

Intervening early is important to minimize persistent difficulties in language and related domains in young children with or at-risk for language impairment (LI; Rescorla, 2009). Because language is first learned in caregiver–child interactions, parent-implemented interventions are potentially an important early intervention for children with or at-risk for LI. Previous meta-analyses have examined outcomes of parent-implemented interventions for children with primary and secondary LI, but have not included children at-risk for LI due to low SES. A systematic review of the literature identified 25 randomized controlled trials of parent-implemented language interventions examining linguistic outcomes for young children. Studies included 1734 participants (M = 3.7 years) with or at-risk for LI due to low SES. Results of these meta-analyses indicated modest improvements in expressive vocabulary and small improvements in expressive language for children with or at-risk for LI. The effect size for expressive vocabulary outcomes was significant for shared book reading interventions (g = 0.37, 95% CI [0.15–0.59]) and interventions implemented in play and/or routines (g = 0.50, 95% CI [0.05–0.95]). The effect size for expressive language was significant (g = 0.42, 95% CI [0.19–0.65]), but not for receptive language (g = 0.07, ns), and the effect size for receptive vocabulary was not significant (g = 0.18, ns). Sub-group analyses for expressive vocabulary and expressive language indicated moderate to large significant effects for children with or at-risk for primary LI and smaller, non-significant effects for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Findings are generally consistent with a previous meta-analysis (Roberts and Kaiser, 2011), indicating parent-implemented language interventions may have positive effects on linguistic outcomes for young children with or at-risk for LI. Limited measures of parent training procedures and varied measures of parent outcomes limited the analysis of how child outcomes were achieved.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between parental responsivity and language outcomes after a 24-session language intervention in a sample of 62 toddlers with significant developmental delays and fewer than 10 spoken words. The data for this secondary analysis were taken from a longitudinal study that evaluated language outcomes after augmented or spoken language intervention (Romski et al., 2010). Instances of parental responsivity increased from pre-intervention to post-intervention and directive behaviors decreased slightly across all intervention groups. The results suggest a relationship between parental responsivity and expressive language outcomes in children with developmental delay who use augmentative and alternative communication. These findings support the role of parents as social partners in language interventions.

The purposes of this qualitative inquiry were as follows: (a) to understand how mothers of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems in the home, (b) to capture their views regarding AAC use, and (c) to examine the support they received in the process. Data was collected using participant observations, semi-structured interviews and review of archival educational records and were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Results revealed that for children with FXS, the interplay of children’s complex developmental challenges, mothers’ internal struggles, and the absence of external supports leads to limited and variable use of AAC in the home.

Current research indicates that parents of children with developmental disabilities experience more parental stress than parents of typically developing children, yet most are able to successfully cope with the additional care giving demands. There has been little research however, on the role of the communication ability of children with developmental disabilities on parental stress. This study examined the effects of a parent-implemented language intervention on parental stress and its relation to parental perceptions of communication development in young toddlers (N = 59) and their parents. Results indicate that parent stress did not decrease significantly following language intervention. Parents’ perceptions about the severity of their child’s communication deficits partially mediated the relationship between expressive language at baseline and parent stress at post-intervention. In addition, exploratory results begin to support the idea that parents who are initially high in parent stress are able to decrease their overall parent stress following language intervention.

No description available.

This study re-examined the language and social skills of four females with language impairment who were initially studied eight years ago (Brinton, Fujiki, Montague, & Hanton, 2000; Fujiki, Brinton, Isaacson, & Summers, 2001). Language measures included the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition (Semel, Wiig, & Secord, 2003) and a thirty minute language sample. Social measures included the UCLA Loneliness Scale-Version 3 (Russell, 1996), parent, teacher and student forms of the Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott, 1990), and an interview with each participant's teacher or speech-language pathologist. Results of the current assessment were compared to results from the original assessment. In terms of social ability, the two girls who were classified as having the best social skills initially, Jean and Kristine, still appeared to be the most successful in the current study. Despite their social strengths, Jean's teacher indicated that she was socially immature and had difficulty reading the social cues of teachers and peers. Kristine reported that she prefers isolation. Her teacher reported that Kristine may be at risk for self-harm. Amy was still enrolled in resource and speech-language services. Though she had found acceptance in a cultural peer group, her communication style often appeared rude and disrespectful to adults. Marie was dismissed from speech-language intervention, but was still enrolled in resource and received extra academic support from Sylvan Learning Center to be moderately successful. Socially, she demonstrated a high level of problem behaviors and mood swings. According to the UCLA Loneliness Scale, she experienced the most loneliness and isolation of the four subjects. Similar to what has been observed in group studies of children with language impairment, the results from this study found social deficits in these individuals persisted into young-adulthood.