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

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The objective of the project is to implement the LENA Start Program at the Alief The objective of the project is to implement the LENA Start Program at the Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. The purpose of the study is to learn how maternal expectations about language development influence the child's language development. Also, the study will evaluate how much the mothers believe can affect their child's language development. More specifically, the program implementation will serve as a model that other school districts can readily replicate.

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 data supports the effectiveness of the LENA Start Program treatment for language development?

Research shows that the LENA Start Program, which helps parents improve their children's language skills, led to significant improvements in child vocalizations and conversational turns compared to a generic parent education program. This suggests that the program can effectively enhance parent-child language interactions. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the LENA Start Program treatment different from other language development treatments?

The LENA Start Program is unique because it uses a small recording device to analyze a child's language environment, focusing on factors like child vocalizations and conversational turn-taking. This approach provides detailed insights into the language interactions a child experiences, which can be particularly beneficial for children with hearing loss or those in non-English-speaking households. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Research Team

Snejana Nihtaianova, PhD

Principal Investigator

William Marsh Rice University

Eligibility Criteria

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.

I am 18 years old or older.

Exclusion Criteria

My child speaks English or Spanish as their first language.

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.

Timeline

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

Treatment Details

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.

Participant Groups

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+

Findings from Research

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 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]

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]

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]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Language ENvironment analysis (LENA) system investigation of day long recordings in children: A literature review. [2019]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Systematic Review of the Use of LENA Technology. [2018]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The school to home link: summer preschool and parents. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automated Language Environment Analysis: A Research Synthesis. [2020]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parent education to improve early language development: A preliminary evaluation of LENA StartTM. [2021]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Language ENvironment Analysis to improve outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. [2022]