Reading Program for Language Developmental Disorders

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Laura M Justice, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Ohio State University

Disqualifiers: Autism, Hearing loss, Intellectual disability, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

320 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to examine the impact of a caregiver-implemented shared reading program, Sit Together and Read (STAR), on children ages 4 to 5 with developmental language disorder. The main questions it aims to answer are: * how much STAR impacts children's literacy skills in the short-term and long-term--up to two-years after completing STAR. * how do caregiver supports in the form of small monetary rewards or encouraging texts help caregivers to implement STAR at its intended frequency of sessions per week. Caregiver participants will be assigned to either a control group or one of three STAR groups. Children's skills related to literacy and learning will be assessed before the intervention starts, at the end of the intervention, and every six months post-intervention for two years. Researchers will determine the short term and long term impacts of STAR compared to the control group. Researchers will compare the three STAR conditions to see if the rewards or encouragement helped parents to follow through with completing more STAR sessions.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Sit Together and Read (STAR) for language developmental disorders?

Research shows that interactive book reading can help children with language impairments learn new words, suggesting that programs like Sit Together and Read (STAR) may be effective in supporting language development. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the STAR treatment different from other treatments for language developmental disorders?

The STAR treatment is unique because it involves training caregivers to engage in interactive reading with children, which increases the children's communication and vocabulary during shared reading. This approach focuses on enhancing the quality of interaction between the caregiver and child, rather than just the reading itself, making it different from other treatments that may not emphasize caregiver involvement. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Research Team

Laura M Justice, PhD

Principal Investigator

Ohio State University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for caregivers of children ages 4 to 5 who are receiving or waiting for speech services due to language disorders. The child should primarily communicate in English and not have other conditions like hearing loss, severe intellectual disability, or autism that could cause language issues.

Inclusion Criteria

Receptive, expressive, or mixed language disorder

I am currently receiving or waiting for speech therapy services.

I am having trouble with speaking or understanding language.

Exclusion Criteria

I do not have any conditions like hearing loss that could explain my language disorder.

I do not have any conditions known to cause language disorders besides intellectual disability.

I do not have any conditions like autism that could explain my language disorder.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Caregivers implement the Sit Together and Read (STAR) program with children, with some groups receiving additional supports such as monetary rewards or text encouragement

15 weeks

Pretest and post-test assessments

Follow-up

Children's literacy skills are assessed every six months post-intervention to determine the long-term impact of the STAR program

24 months

Assessments at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Monetary Reward
• Sit Together and Read (STAR)
• Text Encouragement

Trial Overview The study tests the effectiveness of a reading program called STAR on improving literacy skills in young children with developmental language disorder. It will also assess if monetary rewards or text encouragement help caregivers conduct more reading sessions.

Participant Groups

Group I: STAR Only Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Typical implementation of Sit Together and Read (STAR)

Group II: STAR + text encouragement Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Typical implementation of Sit Together and Read (STAR) plus caregivers receive encouraging text messages

Group III: STAR + Reward Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Typical implementation of Sit Together and Read (STAR) plus additional small monetary incentives for caregivers

Group IV: Untreated Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Caregivers read to child as usual over 15 week period.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Ohio State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

891

Recruited

2,659,000+

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Collaborator

Trials

354

Recruited

5,228,000+

Findings from Research

In a study involving 27 kindergarten children with specific language impairment (SLI), it was found that 36 exposures to interactive book reading were optimal for new word learning, as higher intensities did not yield additional benefits.

Variability in treatment response was noted, with children who had poor phonological awareness, low vocabulary, or difficulties with nonword repetition showing less improvement, indicating a need for tailored approaches in therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interactive Book Reading to Accelerate Word Learning by Kindergarten Children With Specific Language Impairment: Identifying an Adequate Intensity and Variation in Treatment Response. Storkel, HL., Voelmle, K., Fierro, V., et al.[2022]

In a study of 581 second-grade children, 52% of those with language impairment (LI) also had reading disabilities (RD), compared to only 9% of children without LI, highlighting a strong link between LI and RD.

Behavior disorders (BD) were found in 29% of children with LI, and the study revealed that BD in these children was influenced by their reading status, indicating that RD mediates the relationship between LI and BD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The association of reading disability, behavioral disorders, and language impairment among second-grade children. Tomblin, JB., Zhang, X., Buckwalter, P., et al.[2007]

A rehabilitation program significantly improved language skills in vulnerable children with sensory deprivation, but differences in language abilities persisted even after intervention.

Early intervention is crucial; starting rehabilitation before age 5 may lead to better outcomes, highlighting the importance of addressing sensory deficits as soon as possible for social inclusion.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chances of reversibility in early sensory deprivation of the Homo vulnerabilis: A 5-year (and ongoing) prospective study. Goycoolea, MV., Levy, R., Bustamante, MP., et al.[2019]

In a study of 123 children aged 2 to 5 with language problems, various treatment approaches were effective, with significant improvements in language skills observed across all groups after one year.

Targeted language therapy was crucial for improving language comprehension, as children who only received surgical hearing improvements did not show significant gains in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of different treatments in young children with language problems. Keegstra, AL., Post, WJ., Goorhuis-Brouwer, SM.[2015]

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia showed significant and persistent academic deficits in reading and math from second to fourth grade, with those having both conditions performing the worst.

Despite these challenges, only a small percentage (20%-27%) of children with dyslexia and/or DLD received specialized support services, particularly highlighting that children with DLD-only received support at less than half the rate of those with dyslexia, indicating a need for increased awareness and intervention for these disorders.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reading and Math Achievement in Children With Dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder, or Typical Development: Achievement Gaps Persist From Second Through Fourth Grades. Duff, DM., Hendricks, AE., Fitton, L., et al.[2023]

A parent-based shared book reading (SBR) intervention over 8 weeks significantly improved mothers' use of specific conversational strategies, such as Shared Book Handling and Captivating Talking, in 20 mother-child dyads with children who have developmental language disorder (DLD).

Children whose mothers participated in the SBR intervention showed notable increases in engagement and verbal production during reading sessions, indicating that the intervention can enhance communicative behaviors, although further research is needed to explore long-term effects and additional strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impacts of a shared book-reading intervention for Italian-speaking children with developmental language disorder. Lavelli, M., Barachetti, C., Majorano, M., et al.[2020]

The SharePR measure, a 10-item parent-report tool, effectively quantifies the quality of shared reading between caregivers and infants, demonstrating strong reliability and internal consistency in two studies involving 207 mother-infant dyads.

Scores from the SharePR measure were positively correlated with the home literacy environment in older infants, suggesting that higher quality shared reading may enhance literacy development, particularly in families from underserved backgrounds.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Shared reading with infants: SharePR a novel measure of shared reading quality. Hutton, JS., Huang, G., Crosh, C., et al.[2023]

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show strong decoding skills but struggle with comprehension, highlighting the need for targeted instructional practices to support their reading development.

Shared book reading interventions are effective for enhancing language and literacy skills in young children with ASD, emphasizing the importance of interactive communication between the adult and child during reading activities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Building Comprehension Skills of Young Children With Autism One Storybook at a Time. Fleury, VP., Whalon, K., Gilmore, C., et al.[2021]

Training caregivers to use the Complete Reading Cycle (CRC) during storybook reading significantly improved the communicative participation and lexical diversity of preschool children with language impairment, as evidenced by increased frequency of communicative turns and total number of words spoken.

While most children showed higher frequencies of story initiations during the training, the variability in this measure suggests that individual responses may differ, indicating the need for tailored approaches in caregiver training.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Training caregivers to facilitate communicative participation of preschool children with language impairment during storybook reading. Crowe, LK., Norris, JA., Hoffman, PR.[2013]

A study using technology-enhanced shared reading experiences showed that hearing parents of deaf or hard-of-hearing children can improve their engagement in reading activities, leading to increased time spent on shared reading.

The intervention also resulted in significant sign vocabulary acquisition for the children, highlighting the importance of early linguistic exposure in addressing reading difficulties often faced by deaf children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technology-enhanced shared reading with deaf and hard-of-hearing children: the role of a fluent signing narrator. Mueller, V., Hurtig, R.[2013]

References

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

Interactive Book Reading to Accelerate Word Learning by Kindergarten Children With Specific Language Impairment: Identifying an Adequate Intensity and Variation in Treatment Response. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The association of reading disability, behavioral disorders, and language impairment among second-grade children. [2007]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chances of reversibility in early sensory deprivation of the Homo vulnerabilis: A 5-year (and ongoing) prospective study. [2019]

4. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of different treatments in young children with language problems. [2015]

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

Reading and Math Achievement in Children With Dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder, or Typical Development: Achievement Gaps Persist From Second Through Fourth Grades. [2023]

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

Impacts of a shared book-reading intervention for Italian-speaking children with developmental language disorder. [2020]

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

Shared reading with infants: SharePR a novel measure of shared reading quality. [2023]

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

Building Comprehension Skills of Young Children With Autism One Storybook at a Time. [2021]

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

Training caregivers to facilitate communicative participation of preschool children with language impairment during storybook reading. [2013]

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

Technology-enhanced shared reading with deaf and hard-of-hearing children: the role of a fluent signing narrator. [2013]