Behavioral Interventions for Developmental Language Disorder
(DLD Treatment Trial)
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial explores two methods to help children with developmental language disorder (DLD) improve their grammar skills. One method involves listening to sentences and learning grammar automatically, while the other teaches grammar rules directly. The goal is to determine which method better aids children in understanding and using complex grammar. Children who struggle with grammar, indicated by difficulty understanding sentences, might be suitable for this study. Participants will receive one of the treatments 20 times over 10 weeks and will be assessed before, immediately after, and five weeks following treatment. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for children to potentially enhance their grammar skills through innovative methods.
Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?
Previous studies have shown that both indirect and direct methods of teaching grammar can help children with developmental language disorder (DLD) improve their language skills. Research indicates that participants generally receive these methods well.
For indirect methods, studies have found that children can learn grammar naturally by repeatedly hearing sentence patterns, without direct instruction. Reports of problems or negative effects with this approach have been minimal.
Direct methods, which involve explicitly teaching grammar rules, have also helped children with DLD improve their language skills. Evidence suggests these methods are effective and safe, with children generally responding well to direct feedback on sentence structure.
Overall, these treatments aim to improve language skills and have been safely tested in similar situations. Participants typically handle the interventions well, with no major safety concerns reported.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?
Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to help individuals with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) improve their grammar skills. Unlike traditional language therapies that often rely on explicit teaching of rules, this trial investigates both implicit and explicit learning approaches. The implicit treatment uses a syntactic priming paradigm, aiming to enhance grammar understanding without direct instruction, which could be more intuitive and engaging. Additionally, the trial examines the timing of interventions, offering immediate versus delayed treatments to see how timing affects language development. This could provide insights into tailoring interventions more effectively based on individual needs.
What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for developmental language disorder?
This trial will compare different approaches to grammar learning for children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Research has shown that certain methods, such as listening to repeated sentence patterns, can help children learn grammar naturally. Participants in the "Implicit Immediate Treatment" and "Implicit Delayed Treatment" arms will receive this implicit approach. Studies suggest that hearing sentences multiple times can enhance their understanding of grammar.
Conversely, direct teaching of grammar rules, known as explicit treatments, has also proven effective. Participants in the "Explicit Immediate Treatment" and "Explicit Delayed Treatment" arms will receive this explicit approach. Evidence supports that children can learn grammar rules when they receive clear explanations and feedback. Both methods can improve grammar skills in children with DLD, but they operate differently.678910Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for school-age children (8-11 years old) with developmental language disorder. It aims to help those struggling with complex grammar knowledge. Children must be able to attend 20 treatment sessions over 10 weeks and participate in assessments before, immediately after, and five weeks post-treatment.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Pre-treatment Assessment
Children complete four outcome measures prior to treatment to assess baseline syntactic knowledge, sentence comprehension, sentence chunking, and narrative comprehension/production.
Treatment
Participants receive either implicit or explicit grammar treatment over 10 weeks, with 20 training sessions.
Immediate Post-treatment Assessment
Outcome measures are re-administered immediately after treatment to assess changes in syntactic knowledge, sentence comprehension, sentence chunking, and narrative comprehension/production.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for sustained treatment effects and generalization of grammar knowledge 5 weeks after treatment.
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Ohio University
Lead Sponsor
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator