Generative Language Intervention for Young Children With Down Syndrome Using Augmentative and Alternative...

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Disabilities
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Background:

• Children with Down syndrome often exhibit speech intelligibility issues, potentially masking their true language and cognitive abilities.
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can address these communication challenges, but consistent language intervention is often lacking.
• Misconceptions about competence can arise due to speech difficulties in children with Down syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of the AAC Generative Language Intervention (AAC-GLI) on the aided expressive grammar of young children with Down syndrome.
• To determine if AAC-GLI can enhance grammatical production in aided communication for this population.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial design was employed.
• Participants received AAC devices and participated in AAC implementation workshops.
• The intervention group received 4 months of twice-weekly play-based AAC-GLI sessions.
• Progress was measured using weighted Mean Length of Utterance in Symbols (W-MLUSym).

Main Results:

• The intervention group demonstrated significantly superior performance in W-MLUSym.
• These positive results were observed despite challenges related to COVID-19, including reduced enrollment and increased attrition.

Conclusions:

• The AAC-GLI approach is effective in improving aided expressive grammar skills for young children with Down syndrome.
• Targeted AAC language intervention is vital for supporting expressive language development and functional communication in children with Down syndrome.