Short-Term Effects of a Caregiver-Mediated Intervention for Preschoolers at Risk for Developmental Language Disorder:...

Area of Science:

• Child Language Development
• Clinical Linguistics
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Early intervention is crucial for children at risk of developmental language disorder (DLD).
• Existing interventions often neglect the transition from vocabulary to syntax.
• The Enhanced Milieu Teaching-Sentence Focused (EMT-SF) intervention targets this critical developmental period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term effects of the EMT-SF intervention on vocabulary and grammar in children at risk for DLD.
• To assess vocabulary outcomes after 6 months of intervention (child age 36 months).
• To assess grammar outcomes after 12 months of intervention (child age 42 months).

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 108 children at risk for DLD (ages 30-31 months) and their caregivers.
• Caregivers were coached on EMT-SF strategies via telehealth by interventionists.
• Vocabulary and grammar were assessed using standardized tests and analyzed via structural equation modeling.

Main Results:

• No significant overall treatment effect on vocabulary was found at 36 months, but a significant effect on receptive vocabulary (PPVT-5) was observed.
• Grammar scores for both groups were below average at 42 months.
• The EMT-SF group showed significantly improved grammar scores at 42 months compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• The EMT-SF intervention positively impacts receptive vocabulary and grammar in children at risk for DLD.
• Grammar remains a vulnerable area for children at risk for DLD, even with intervention.
• Targeting the vocabulary-to-syntax transition is essential for early language interventions.