Measuring Aided Language Development (MALD)

University of Central Florida

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Speech Sound Disorder; Apraxia of Speech; Down Syndrome; Cerebral Palsy; Speech and Language Disorder; Speech Disorders in Children

Treatments: Behavioral: AAC Generative Language Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06512168

AWD00006137

1R01DC021160-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The focus of the current study is to systematically investigate the psychometric properties of a range of aided language measures, which are based on the Graphic Symbol Utterance and Sentence Development Framework (Binger & Kent-Walsh).

Full description

Our central hypotheses are: (1) psychometrically sound measures can be established to capture growth within and across different dimensions of language acquisition, and (2) some elicitation contexts will be better than others at capturing aided language growth. Specific Aim 1 identifies valid measures to characterize aided language progress. Aim 1A uses existing data to document the psychometric properties of a range of aided language measures for preschoolers at the early stages of aided communication acquisition who have received 4 months of aided language intervention. Aim 1B analyzes language progression for high-performing aided communicators who will receive 24 months of intervention; this allows for investigation across all phases of early aided language acquisition. Specific Aim 2 identifies elicitation contexts that demonstrate the most productive aided language use. Achievement of the aims will result in measures that demonstrate strong reliability, differentiate growth for different populations, describe different dimensions of language growth, and are clinically feasible.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 42 to 60 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical Identification of Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy + Significant Speech Impairment
• Must Speak English as a Primary Language
• Must Be Able to Express At Least 25 Words (using any communication mode)
• Must Be Able to Accurately Select Picture Symbols on iPad Communication App with at Least 50% Accuracy
• Vision and Hearing within Functional Limits or Corrected to be within Functional Limits for Study Activities

Exclusion criteria

• Clinical Diagnosis of Autism or Social Communication Disorder
• Primary Language Spoken is A Language Other than English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 1 patient group

Treatment Group

Experimental group

Description:

AAC Generative Language Intervention

Treatment:

Behavioral: AAC Generative Language Intervention