by A new study conducted at the University of Delaware’s Treatment Efficacy and Learning Language (TELL) Lab is testing the effectiveness of recast therapy as a language intervention for bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Led by Amanda Owen Van Horne, a professor of communication sciences and disorders at UD, and her colleague Anny Castilla-Earls, a professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Houston, the study aims to determine whether the language of instruction impacts syntax learning in children with DLD.
DLD is a language disorder that affects a child’s ability to learn and use language, independent of any hearing impairment or intellectual disability. One of the key indicators of DLD is the inability to speak in complete grammatical sentences. The researchers are specifically focusing on bilingual children with DLD to understand how their language proficiency in English or Spanish and the language of instruction may affect their learning.
To further explore this relationship, Owen Van Horne and Castilla-Earls have been awarded a $3.27 million grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The study builds upon a pilot study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved 11 students with DLD from Texas. The preliminary results of the pilot study, published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, showed promising outcomes.
Unexpectedly, the researchers found that when they taught in one language, most of the children also benefited in the other language. This suggests the possibility of a shared language store in the brain. However, the researchers are keen to determine whether teaching a child in their weaker language also helps them speak more proficiently in their stronger language.
The new five-year study will involve 140 children between the ages of 4 and 6 in Texas and will aim to answer this crucial question. The researchers suspect that teaching new material in a child’s stronger language may lead to better learning outcomes, which could then carry over to their less dominant language. By studying these interactions between language proficiency and the language of intervention, the researchers hope to provide guidance on how to match speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who speak a specific language to children’s needs. This could enhance the quality of service delivery in schools and ensure a better match between personnel and the linguistic needs of the children.
The results of this study have implications beyond language intervention for bilingual children with DLD. They could also impact staffing decisions, particularly for schools in need of Spanish-speaking SLPs. Additionally, the researchers emphasize the importance of maintaining a child’s home language, as it plays a crucial role in their overall development and ability to communicate with their families.
Early intervention is critical for children with DLD, as untreated language impairments can have lifelong consequences, affecting academic and employment outcomes, social relationships, and mental health. By understanding the language of treatment and its impact on learning in bilingual children, the researchers hope to better support this underserved population and address the challenges they face in various aspects of their lives.
The study also aligns with previous research that has shown the negative effects of language and reading impairments on academic performance, graduation rates, and employment outcomes. Identifying effective language interventions for children with DLD can have long-term benefits and potentially save significant costs associated with special education services.
In conclusion, this study on recast therapy as a language intervention for bilingual children with DLD holds promise in improving language outcomes and addressing the needs of an underserved population. Through their research, Owen Van Horne and Castilla-Earls aim to shed light on the role of language proficiency and instruction in the learning process, ultimately enhancing support and resources for children with DLD.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
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