"Better Conversations With Developmental Language Disorder": Feasibility and Findings From an Initial Evaluation of a Novel Intervention.
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| Title: | "Better Conversations With Developmental Language Disorder": Feasibility and Findings From an Initial Evaluation of a Novel Intervention. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Hughes, Lucy1,2 hughesl@moorhouseschool.co.uk, Newton, Caroline3, Corrin, Juliette3, Best, Wendy3 |
| Source: | American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Sep2025, Vol. 34 Issue 5, p2586-2617. 32p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Conversation, *Parent-child relationships, *Language disorders, *Communication education, *Mother-child relationship, *Language acquisition, *Inter-observer reliability, Mann Whitney U Test, Child development deviations, Health outcome assessment |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) affects around 7.5% of children and can impact education and social well-being. Thus far, interventions for school-aged children with DLD have been targeted at single-word or sentence level. This article evaluates "Better Conversations With Developmental Language Disorder" (BCDLD), a coproduced, conversation-focused intervention grounded in communication partner training and parent--child interaction therapy, both evidence-based approaches used globally across populations with communication difficulty. Method: Six children with DLD (6;06-8;02 [years; months]) participated in BCDLD with their mothers. Each completed three baseline assessments and six conversation-focused therapy sessions. Video feedback was used to highlight facilitative and barrier strategies within their talk and to agree targets for change. Posttherapy and follow-up measures evaluated progress in response to intervention. The study employed conversation-based outcome measures, which were novel for this client group. Feasibility of the approach was explored with regard to recruitment, retention, and acceptability. The practicality of using conversation-based outcome measures was evaluated. Results: There was significant change in targeted conversation behaviors, the primary outcome measure, for five dyads after intervention. Secondary indicative outcomes demonstrate a significant increase in children's average utterance length for the group. Numerical change in child-to-adult ratio of speech was achieved, in line with intervention targets, and for five children, there was a numerical change in functional communication on the Children's Communication Checklist--2. Feasibility results demonstrate good retention and acceptability, including time taken to transcribe and analyze conversation-based measures. Discussion: The results suggest that school-aged children with DLD can benefit from direct intervention to improve their everyday conversation, and the approach can produce change on targeted communication behaviors and conversation measures. Feasibility findings provide support for the further development of BCDLD. Further coproduced research is necessary to refine the intervention, explore active ingredients, and consider issues of candidacy and implementation within clinical services. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.29464619 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 187737867 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: "Better Conversations With Developmental Language Disorder": Feasibility and Findings From an Initial Evaluation of a Novel Intervention. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hughes%2C+Lucy%22">Hughes, Lucy</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo><i> hughesl@moorhouseschool.co.uk</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Newton%2C+Caroline%22">Newton, Caroline</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Corrin%2C+Juliette%22">Corrin, Juliette</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Best%2C+Wendy%22">Best, Wendy</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+of+Speech-Language+Pathology%22">American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 34 Issue 5, p2586-2617. 32p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conversation%22">Conversation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent-child+relationships%22">Parent-child relationships</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+disorders%22">Language disorders</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+education%22">Communication education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mother-child+relationship%22">Mother-child relationship</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+acquisition%22">Language acquisition</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inter-observer+reliability%22">Inter-observer reliability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mann+Whitney+U+Test%22">Mann Whitney U Test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+development+deviations%22">Child development deviations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+outcome+assessment%22">Health outcome assessment</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) affects around 7.5% of children and can impact education and social well-being. Thus far, interventions for school-aged children with DLD have been targeted at single-word or sentence level. This article evaluates "Better Conversations With Developmental Language Disorder" (BCDLD), a coproduced, conversation-focused intervention grounded in communication partner training and parent--child interaction therapy, both evidence-based approaches used globally across populations with communication difficulty. Method: Six children with DLD (6;06-8;02 [years; months]) participated in BCDLD with their mothers. Each completed three baseline assessments and six conversation-focused therapy sessions. Video feedback was used to highlight facilitative and barrier strategies within their talk and to agree targets for change. Posttherapy and follow-up measures evaluated progress in response to intervention. The study employed conversation-based outcome measures, which were novel for this client group. Feasibility of the approach was explored with regard to recruitment, retention, and acceptability. The practicality of using conversation-based outcome measures was evaluated. Results: There was significant change in targeted conversation behaviors, the primary outcome measure, for five dyads after intervention. Secondary indicative outcomes demonstrate a significant increase in children's average utterance length for the group. Numerical change in child-to-adult ratio of speech was achieved, in line with intervention targets, and for five children, there was a numerical change in functional communication on the Children's Communication Checklist--2. Feasibility results demonstrate good retention and acceptability, including time taken to transcribe and analyze conversation-based measures. Discussion: The results suggest that school-aged children with DLD can benefit from direct intervention to improve their everyday conversation, and the approach can produce change on targeted communication behaviors and conversation measures. Feasibility findings provide support for the further development of BCDLD. Further coproduced research is necessary to refine the intervention, explore active ingredients, and consider issues of candidacy and implementation within clinical services. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.29464619 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=187737867 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1044/2025_AJSLP-24-00448 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 32 StartPage: 2586 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Conversation Type: general – SubjectFull: Parent-child relationships Type: general – SubjectFull: Language disorders Type: general – SubjectFull: Communication education Type: general – SubjectFull: Mother-child relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Language acquisition Type: general – SubjectFull: Inter-observer reliability Type: general – SubjectFull: Mann Whitney U Test Type: general – SubjectFull: Child development deviations Type: general – SubjectFull: Health outcome assessment Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: "Better Conversations With Developmental Language Disorder": Feasibility and Findings From an Initial Evaluation of a Novel Intervention. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hughes, Lucy – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Newton, Caroline – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Corrin, Juliette – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Best, Wendy IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Text: Sep2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 10580360 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 34 – Type: issue Value: 5 Titles: – TitleFull: American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
