ERIC Number: EJ925765
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9924
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Exploring the Outcomes of a Novel Computer-Assisted Treatment Program Targeting Expressive-Grammar Deficits in Preschoolers with SLI
Washington, Karla N.; Warr-Leeper, Genese; Thomas-Stonell, Nancy
Journal of Communication Disorders, v44 n3 p315-330 May-Jun 2011
Purpose: The impact of a newly designed computer-assisted treatment ("C-AT") program, "My Sentence Builder", for the remediation of expressive-grammar deficits in children with specific language impairment (SLI) was explored. This program was specifically designed with features to directly address expressive-grammar difficulties, thought to be associated with hypothesized deficits in verbal working memory (VWM). Method: Thirty-four preschoolers with deficits in expressive-grammar morphology participated. Using the randomization procedure of consecutive sampling, participants were recruited. Twenty-two participants were consecutively assigned to one of two treatment groups, "C-AT" or non "C-AT" ("nC-AT"). The "nC-AT" utilized conventional language stimulation procedures containing features which have been traditionally used to address expressive-grammar deficits. A group of equivalent children awaiting treatment and chosen from the same sample of children as the treatment participants served as a control group. Blind assessments of outcomes were completed pre-, post-, and 3-months post-treatment in a formal and informal context. Results: "C-AT" and "nC-AT" participants significantly outperformed controls pre-to-post to 3-months post-treatment in both assessment contexts. No significant differences in treatment gains were found between "C-AT" and "nC-AT." Conclusion: Results suggested that treatments designed to directly address expressive-grammar deficits were better than no treatment for preschool SLI. Further, use of a "C-AT" program may be another feasible treatment method for this disorder population. Learning outcomes: As a result of this activity, the reader will recognize that: (1) expressive-grammar treatment is better than no treatment for immediate and continued language growth, (2) use of a "C-AT" program containing specific features designed to directly address expressive-grammar deficits is another viable, but not necessarily a better treatment option for the remediation of expressive-grammar deficits in preschool children with SLI, and (3) different outcome contexts yield distinct yet equally important findings about growth in children's expressive-grammar skills with treatment. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Stimulation, Language Impairments, Preschool Children, Short Term Memory, Remedial Instruction, Educational Technology, Computer Uses in Education, Grammar, Expressive Language, Sentences, Verbs, Comparative Analysis, Outcomes of Treatment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A