Project Activities
This identification study will conduct primary data collection to carefully study dosage, technique, and context for kindergarteners and first graders with language impairment receiving treatment from 90 speech-language pathologists. Participating students will be screened to include only students with primary language impairment, and exclude students who exhibit language differences (e.g., English language learners) or language difficulties stemming from other primary origins (e.g., hearing loss). Participating students are tested on measures of language and reading in the fall and the spring of the academic year. Between these assessments, students are observed in six therapy sessions and characteristics of the therapy sessions are recorded. The SLPs will also maintain a log for each child that specifies dosage, technique, context, and any published intervention programs used.
Structured Abstract
Setting
Public elementary schools across Ohio.
Sample
The study will include 90 public school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 450 kindergarten and first grade students with primary language disorders, excluding those who exhibit language differences (i.e., English language learners) or language difficulties stemming from other primary origins (e.g., autism, hearing loss). A total of 5 students on the caseload of each SLP will be recruited.
N/A
Research design and methods
This study uses a real-time prospective longitudinal research design. Participating students will complete a battery of language and reading measures in the fall and spring of the academic year with a nine-month interval between assessments. Between these assessments, students are observed in six therapy sessions and characteristics of the therapy sessions are recorded. The SLPs will also maintain a log for each child that specifies dosage, context, and any published intervention programs used. The primary question is to identify those characteristics of school-based language intervention that are uniquely associated with language growth for early elementary students with language impairment. Three specific questions guide the research: (1) To what extent is the dosage (e.g., length of therapy session) of language intervention associated with language growth for early elementary pupils with language impairment? (2) To what extent are the techniques (e.g., support, manipulatives) of language intervention associated with language growth for early elementary pupils with language impairment? (3) To what extent are the contexts of language intervention (e.g., physical location, number of session participants) associated with language growth for early elementary pupils with language impairment?
Control condition
N/A
Key measures
Screening measures will include a hearing assessment, a brief cognitive assessment, and language assessments. The battery of language and reading ability measures will include conversational samples and three subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Measures of classroom quality and home experiences will also be collected for each child as potential. Characteristics of the language interventions will be measured with a coding scheme developed for the purpose of this study, the Language Intervention Observation Scale (LIOS).
Data analytic strategy
Hierarchical linear modeling will provide estimates of different intervention characteristics and children's spring language outcomes, considering both main effects when controlling for all other intervention characteristics as well as moderated effects (e.g., how one intervention characteristic influences another). The data structure used will be a two-level model that treats children as being nested within SLP, and potential school level predictors (e.g., percentage of children receiving free/reduced lunch, average kindergarten reading scores on state tests) as fixed effects. Because natural co-variation between dosage, techniques, and contexts are likely to occur, these three predictors will be considered simultaneously in the models.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: This research will identify associations between dosage, techniques, and context of language interventions and student language outcomes. The results of this research will provide guidance for future development (Goal Two) and efficacy projects (Goal Three) that develop and test specific approaches to language intervention in schools.
Journal article, monograph, or newsletter
Biancone, T.L., Farquharson, K., Justice, L.M., Schmitt, M.B., and Logan, J.A. (2014). Quality of Language Intervention Provided to Primary-Grade Students With Language Impairment. Journal of Communication Disorders, 49: 13-24. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2014.03.001
Farquharson, K., Tambyraja, S. R., Justice, L. M., and Redle, E. E. (2014). IEP Goals for School-Age Children with Speech Sound Disorders. Journal of Communication Disorders, 52: 184-195. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2014.09.005
Farquharson, K., Tambyraja, S. R., Logan, J., Justice, L. M., and Schmitt, M. B. (2015). Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling to Examine How Individual SLPs Differentially Contribute to Children's Language and Literacy Gains in Public Schools. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24(3): 504-516. doi:10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0055
Justice, L. M., Logan, J., Schmitt, M. B., and Jiang, H. (2016). Designing Effective Speech-Language Interventions for Children in the Public Schools Leverage the Spacing Effect. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1): 85-91. doi:10.1177/2372732215624705
Justice, L.M., Schmitt, M.B., Murphy, K.A., Pratt, A., and Biancone, T. (2014). The "Robustness" of Vocabulary Intervention in the Public Schools: Targets and Techniques Employed in Speech-Language Therapy. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 49(3): 288-303. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12072
Schmitt, M. B., Justice, L. M., and Logan, J. A. (2017). Intensity of Language Treatment: Contribution to Children's Language Outcomes. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52(2): 155-167. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12254
Schmitt, M. B., Justice, L. M., Logan, J. A., Schatschneider, C., and Bartlett, C. W. (2014). Do the Symptoms of Language Disorder Align with Treatment Goals? An Exploratory Study of Primary-Grade Students' IEPs. Journal of Communication Disorders, 52: 99-110. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2014.06.002
Schmitt, M.B., Justice, L.M., and O'Connell, A. (2014). Vocabulary Gain Among Children With Language Disorders: Contributions of Children's Behavior Regulation and Emotionally-Supportive Environments. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23(3): 373-384. doi:10.1044/2014_AJSLP-12-0148
Tambyraja, S. R., Farquharson, K., Logan, J. A., and Justice, L. M. (2015). Decoding Skills in Children with Language Impairment: Contributions of Phonological Processing and Classroom Experiences. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24(2): 177-188. doi:10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0054
Tambyraja, S. R., Schmitt, M. B., Farquharson, K., and Justice, L. M. (2015). Stability of Language and Literacy Profiles of Children with Language Impairment in the Public Schools. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 58(4): 1167-1181. doi:10.1044/2015_JSLHR-L-14-0197
Tambyraja, S. R., Schmitt, M. B., Farquharson, K., and Justice, L. M. (2017). Home Literacy Environment Profiles of Children with Language Impairment: Associations with Caregiver- and Child-Specific Factors. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52(2): 238-249. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12269
Tambyraja, S.R., Schmitt, M.B., Justice, L.M., Logan, J.A., and Schwarz, S. (2014). Integration of Literacy into Speech-Language Therapy: A Descriptive Analysis of Treatment Practices. Journal of Communication Disorders, 47: 34-46. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2014.01.004
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