LENA Start Program for Language Development

Overseen By Flavio Cunha, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: William Marsh Rice University

Disqualifiers: Age, Child age, Language, Location

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

600 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how a mother's expectations about language development can influence her child's language skills. Participants will either continue with their usual care or join the LENA Start Program, which includes ten weekly, one-hour sessions focused on enhancing language development. The study could help create a model for other schools to improve language development programs. Parents with a child aged 16 to 30 months, who speak English or Spanish, and live in the Alief Independent School District area might be a good fit for this trial. As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity for parents to actively contribute to advancing educational methods that could benefit their child's language development.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the LENA Start Program is safe for language development?

Research has shown that the LENA Start Program is generally safe and well-received by participants. This program involves attending sessions that aid in language development and using the LENA recorder to study the language environment. Studies have highlighted the program's role in boosting early language skills without reporting any major side effects or safety issues.

The trial phase is labeled "Not Applicable," likely indicating that the program is non-invasive and primarily educational. This aligns with the purpose of the LENA Start sessions, which aim to support both caregivers and children. No known risks or side effects are associated with participating in these sessions. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the LENA Start Program for language development because it offers a structured approach that actively involves parents in enhancing their children's language skills. Unlike traditional methods that may rely solely on professional interventions, this program empowers parents with tools and strategies to foster communication during everyday interactions. By engaging parents directly, the program aims to create a more consistent and supportive language-rich environment, potentially accelerating language development outcomes.

What evidence suggests that the LENA Start Program is effective for language development?

Research has shown that the LENA Start Program, which participants in this trial may receive, can enhance children's language skills. One study found that families who joined the program observed improved language abilities in their children a year after completing the sessions. The program employs special technology to increase the quantity and quality of parent-child interactions, crucial for language development. By providing parents with useful feedback, LENA helps them understand how their interactions can foster their child's language growth. These findings suggest that participating in the LENA Start Program could benefit children's language development. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Snejana Nihtaianova, PhD

Principal Investigator

William Marsh Rice University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for parents over 18 with children aged 16-30 months as of September 1, 2022. They must live in the Alief Independent School District area and speak English or Spanish natively. The study excludes those outside this district, non-native speakers of these languages, or without a child in the specified age range.

Inclusion Criteria

I have a child aged between 16 and 30 months as of September 1, 2022.

My child was between 16 and 30 months old as of September 1, 2022.

Adult participants must live in the catchment area of Alief Independent School District

Exclusion Criteria

Children must NOT live outside the catchment area of Alief Independent School District

My child is between 16 to 30 months old as of September 1, 2022.

Adult participants must NOT live outside the catchment area of Alief Independent School District

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

LENA Start Program

Participants attend ten weekly sessions to learn and discuss language development, practice tips, and use the LENA recorder for language environment analysis.

10 weeks

10 visits (in-person or virtual)

Evaluation Study

Baseline and endline data collection through surveys and LENA recordings to assess language development and parental beliefs.

Throughout the program

2 visits (in-person or virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for the effectiveness of the LENA Start Program on language development.

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• LENA Star Program sessions
• Usual care

Trial Overview The LENA Start Program's impact on preparing children for school is being tested. It focuses on how parental expectations about language development affect their child's actual language skills. This program could become a model for other districts to follow.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: LENA Star program Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Behavioral:LENA Star program. Participants who are selected via the lottery to participate in the LENA Star program will complete ten weekly, 1-hour sessions.

Group II: Usual care Active Control 1 Intervention

Behavioral: This arm receives usual care (control group). This group will attend their usual Alief group sessions.

LENA Star Program sessions is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as LENA Start for:

• Improving early language environments
• Enhancing school readiness

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

William Marsh Rice University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

50

Recruited

28,400+

Alief Independent School District (Alief)

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

600+

Alief Independent School District

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

600+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The LENA System is a new recording technology that helps researchers study how children acquire language, including those with language disorders.

This paper aims to inform language acquisition researchers and speech-language pathologists about the current applications and considerations of using the LENA System in their research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Language ENvironment analysis (LENA) system investigation of day long recordings in children: A literature review. Ganek, H., Eriks-Brophy, A.[2019]

The Language Environment Analysis (LENA) tool has proven to be a reliable method for measuring language exposure in various populations, including young children and adults, with high validity in its automated speech indicators.

Current research using LENA has primarily focused on small pilot interventions that provide parents with feedback on their language interactions, showing promise in addressing the Word Gap, though more extensive studies are needed to fully understand its impact.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automated Language Environment Analysis: A Research Synthesis. Greenwood, CR., Schnitz, AG., Irvin, D., et al.[2020]

The LENA Start™ program, which trains parents to enhance language interactions, showed positive trends in child vocalizations and conversational turns among participants, with 72% successfully completing the program.

In contrast, families in a generic parent education program experienced declines in these language measures, suggesting that LENA Start™ may be more effective in fostering quality parent-child language interactions, although the results were not statistically significant.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parent education to improve early language development: A preliminary evaluation of LENA StartTM. Elmquist, M., Finestack, LH., Kriese, A., et al.[2021]

The systematic review identified 38 studies utilizing LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) technology across diverse populations, highlighting its versatility in researching early language development.

Despite some challenges and limitations in using LENA technology, the findings suggest significant potential for advancing evidence-based practices and interventions in early language development research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Systematic Review of the Use of LENA Technology. Wang, Y., Hartman, M., Aziz, NA., et al.[2018]

Children with hearing loss receive significantly more complex language exposure in preschool settings compared to their home environments, highlighting the importance of structured educational programs.

The study suggests that summer preschool programs can benefit children with hearing loss, and emphasizes the need for ongoing parental education on effective language strategies at home.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The school to home link: summer preschool and parents. Wiggin, M., Gabbard, S., Thompson, N., et al.[2022]

Research on the language environments of deaf or hard of hearing children in Spanish-speaking households is lacking, despite these households representing 10-15% of such children in the Colorado Home Intervention Program.

The study demonstrates that the LENA System, which analyzes children's language environments, can be effectively used to understand the language exposure of deaf or hard of hearing children in Spanish-speaking homes, highlighting the need for further research in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Language ENvironment Analysis to improve outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Aragon, M., Yoshinaga-Itano, C.[2022]

Citations

1. lena.org lena.org/

LENA: Building Brains Through Early Talk LENA is a national nonprofit on a mission to transform children's futures through early talk technology and data-driven programs.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7242915/

Automated Language Environment Analysis: A Research ... LENA was developed with the aim of accurately and automatically estimating the speech occurring naturally in the home environment and, thus, providing a means ...

3. lena.org lena.org/resources/blog-posts/lena-start-snapshot-longitudinal-results-language-skills/

Developmental Snapshot Analysis Shows That ... In 2020, we reported that families who participated in LENA Start showed elevated language skills one year after the program. New data suggests ...

4. pubs.asha.org pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00099

Validation of the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA ... The LENA algorithm correctly identified adult speech 62% of the time and child speech 65% of the time in this study.

5. lena.org lena.org/research/

Children's Language Research Insights Discover LENA's data-driven research insights on children's language development. Explore 250+ studies from 40+ countries. Learn more now.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7855224/

A thorough evaluation of the Language Environment Analysis ... Here, we assess the LENA® system's accuracy across all of its key measures: speaker classification, Child Vocalization Counts (CVC), Conversational Turn Counts ...

7. lena.org lena.org/frequently-asked-questions/

Frequently Asked Questions LENA SP™ is a tool for researchers and clinicians to obtain reliable, detailed language environment data. How effective are LENA programs?

8. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/lena-start-program-for-language-development-a7542

LENA Start Program for Language Development Participants attend ten weekly sessions to learn and discuss language development, practice tips, and use the LENA recorder for language environment analysis.

9. starting-point.org starting-point.org/providers-educators/lena-start-building-brains-through-early-talk/

LENA START: Building Brains Through Early Talk LENA Start is a free, six-week program kinship and foster caregivers of children from birth to age 5 to build strong early language skills through ...