Working on Rapid Language Development in Toddlers
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Cognitive Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | Any |
| Updated: | 1/28/2018 |
| Start Date: | September 2009 |
| End Date: | December 2015 |
An Efficacy Trial of Milieu Teaching Language Intervention in Children With Language Disorders
The goal of the study is to examine the effects of teaching parents to use language support
strategies on language skills in toddlers with language delays. We hypothesize that children
whose parents who learn to use language support strategies at home will have greater language
skills than those children whose parents do not learn the strategies.
strategies on language skills in toddlers with language delays. We hypothesize that children
whose parents who learn to use language support strategies at home will have greater language
skills than those children whose parents do not learn the strategies.
The goal of the proposed project is to conduct an efficacy trial to determine whether
Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) significantly improves language deficits in young children at
high risk for persistent language delays. The target population is children ages 24 -36
months who exhibit significant co-occurring delays in productive and receptive language
skills, who have cognitive skills within the range of normal development, and who do not have
other identified disabilities. An empirically based and manualized language intervention,
Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT), implemented by therapists and parents will be compared to
community based "business as usual" services in a randomized experiment enrolling 120
children and their parents. Children assigned to the EMT group will receive 24, 1-hour
sessions of direct intervention at home that will include teaching their parents to implement
EMT procedures across activities. Children will be assessed at 4 time points (before and
after intervention, at 6 months and 12 months post-intervention) allowing the description and
comparison of individual language growth trajectories over a period of 18 months. In
addition, we will examine the relation between language growth and emergent problems in
behavior and social skill development to determine whether early language intervention can
prevent these difficulties frequently associated with early language delays. Results from
this study will determine the efficacy of parent-plus-therapist implemented EMT with a new
population of children, provide evidence about the potential for preventing persistent
language delays and secondary social effects of early language delays, and expand
developmental theory linking persistent language delays to specific risk factors and
behavioral outcomes. The results of this study will have specific policy implications related
to early identification and the inclusion of young children with language delays as a target
population for early intervention.
Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) significantly improves language deficits in young children at
high risk for persistent language delays. The target population is children ages 24 -36
months who exhibit significant co-occurring delays in productive and receptive language
skills, who have cognitive skills within the range of normal development, and who do not have
other identified disabilities. An empirically based and manualized language intervention,
Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT), implemented by therapists and parents will be compared to
community based "business as usual" services in a randomized experiment enrolling 120
children and their parents. Children assigned to the EMT group will receive 24, 1-hour
sessions of direct intervention at home that will include teaching their parents to implement
EMT procedures across activities. Children will be assessed at 4 time points (before and
after intervention, at 6 months and 12 months post-intervention) allowing the description and
comparison of individual language growth trajectories over a period of 18 months. In
addition, we will examine the relation between language growth and emergent problems in
behavior and social skill development to determine whether early language intervention can
prevent these difficulties frequently associated with early language delays. Results from
this study will determine the efficacy of parent-plus-therapist implemented EMT with a new
population of children, provide evidence about the potential for preventing persistent
language delays and secondary social effects of early language delays, and expand
developmental theory linking persistent language delays to specific risk factors and
behavioral outcomes. The results of this study will have specific policy implications related
to early identification and the inclusion of young children with language delays as a target
population for early intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Language delay
Exclusion Criteria:
- Hearing loss
- Language other than English as the home language
- Additional disabilities (e.g., autism, Down syndrome)
We found this trial at
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site
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education...
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