The Effect of Prior Learning on Treatment of Morpheme Errors

Description

This is a small-scale treatment study designed to determine which teaching methods result in the best learning. Treatment focuses on helping children with a developmental language disorder learn parts of grammar. Preschool children will receive assessments to determine whether they have a developmental language disorder and what parts of grammar they have not mastered. Children will receive one-on-one behavioral treatment over a six week period. Half of the children will be first taught a grammatical form they sometimes use and then one they rarely use. The other half will start with a grammatical form they rarely use. The study seeks to determine whether starting with something children sometimes use correctly (an easier part of speech) will speed later learning of something that is harder for them. The children's ability to use the grammatical forms taught to them will be assessed throughout the treatment period and approximately six weeks after treatment ends.

Conditions

Developmental Language Disorder

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

This is a small-scale treatment study designed to determine which teaching methods result in the best learning. Treatment focuses on helping children with a developmental language disorder learn parts of grammar. Preschool children will receive assessments to determine whether they have a developmental language disorder and what parts of grammar they have not mastered. Children will receive one-on-one behavioral treatment over a six week period. Half of the children will be first taught a grammatical form they sometimes use and then one they rarely use. The other half will start with a grammatical form they rarely use. The study seeks to determine whether starting with something children sometimes use correctly (an easier part of speech) will speed later learning of something that is harder for them. The children's ability to use the grammatical forms taught to them will be assessed throughout the treatment period and approximately six weeks after treatment ends.

The Effect of Prior Learning on Treatment of Morpheme Errors

The Effect of Prior Learning on Treatment of Morpheme Errors

Condition
Developmental Language Disorder
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Tucson

University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85721

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Native English speaking
  • * Passed a pure-tone hearing screening
  • * 4-6 years of age
  • * SPELT-P2 (language) test score of \< 87
  • * K-ABC-II Nonverbal Scale (cognition) test score of \>75
  • * Sufficient morpheme errors to serve as treatment and control targets
  • * Articulations skills sufficient to judge use of language targets
  • * Able to attend treatment daily
  • * Parent report of other handicapping conditions
  • * Clinical signs of other disorders
  • * Enrolled in outside treatment

Ages Eligible for Study

4 Years to 6 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Arizona,

Study Record Dates

2025-04-30