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Short-Term Effects of a Caregiver-Mediated Intervention for Preschoolers at Risk for Developmental Language Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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Title: Short-Term Effects of a Caregiver-Mediated Intervention for Preschoolers at Risk for Developmental Language Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Authors: Hadley, Pamela A.1 phadley@illinois.edu, Roberts, Megan Y.2, Harrington, Emily K.1, Jones, Maranda2, Preza, Tracy1, Zanzinger, Katherine E.2, Kaat, Aaron J.3, Grauzer, Jeff2, Kaiser, Ann4
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. Jul2026, Vol. 69 Issue 7, p3290-3313. 24p.
Subject Terms: *Data analysis, *Early intervention (Education), *Language disorders, *Vocabulary, *Speech therapy, *Language acquisition, Treatment of language disorders, Child development deviations -- Risk factors, Research funding, Grammar, Evaluation of human services programs, Statistical sampling, Randomized controlled trials, Treatment duration, Structural equation modeling, Family-centered care, Statistics, Data analysis software, Regression analysis, Disease risk factors
Abstract: Purpose: Early interventions for children at risk for developmental language disorder (DLD) have not systematically targeted the transition from vocabulary to syntax. This randomized controlled trial examined short-term effects of the Enhanced Milieu Teaching–Sentence Focused (EMT-SF) intervention, an 18-month multiphase intervention, on vocabulary after 6 months (child age = 36 months) and grammar after 12 months (child age = 42 months). Method: Participants included 108 children at risk for DLD between 30 and 31 months of age and their caregivers. Participants spoke only English in the home and were primarily from White, non-Hispanic, college-educated families. Children were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Interventionists coached caregivers on EMT-SF strategies via telehealth. Following 6 months of intervention, a latent variable composed of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Fifth Edition (PPVT-5) and Expressive Vocabulary Test–Third Edition scores characterized vocabulary outcomes. Following 12 months of intervention, a latent variable composed of scores on the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test–Preschool 2 and the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment characterized grammar outcomes. Results: At 36 months, mean vocabulary scores for both groups fell within the average range. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed no significant short-term treatment effect on the vocabulary latent variable (p = .458); however, post hoc analyses indicated a significant effect on PPVT-5 scores (p = .042). At 42 months, mean grammar scores for both groups fell below the average range. SEM revealed a significant short-term treatment effect on the grammar latent variable (p = . 047). Conclusions: The EMT-SF treatment group demonstrated significantly higher single-word receptive vocabulary scores at 36 months and grammar scores at 42 months than the control group. Grammatical difficulties persisted for most children in both groups at 42 months, further documenting that grammar is a particularly vulnerable language domain for children at risk for DLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research 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
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  Data: Short-Term Effects of a Caregiver-Mediated Intervention for Preschoolers at Risk for Developmental Language Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hadley%2C+Pamela+A%2E%22">Hadley, Pamela A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> phadley@illinois.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roberts%2C+Megan+Y%2E%22">Roberts, Megan Y.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Harrington%2C+Emily+K%2E%22">Harrington, Emily K.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jones%2C+Maranda%22">Jones, Maranda</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Preza%2C+Tracy%22">Preza, Tracy</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zanzinger%2C+Katherine+E%2E%22">Zanzinger, Katherine E.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaat%2C+Aaron+J%2E%22">Kaat, Aaron J.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Grauzer%2C+Jeff%22">Grauzer, Jeff</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaiser%2C+Ann%22">Kaiser, Ann</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 69 Issue 7, p3290-3313. 24p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis%22">Data analysis</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+intervention+%28Education%29%22">Early intervention (Education)</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+disorders%22">Language disorders</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary%22">Vocabulary</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+therapy%22">Speech therapy</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+acquisition%22">Language acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treatment+of+language+disorders%22">Treatment of language disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+development+deviations+--+Risk+factors%22">Child development deviations -- Risk factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grammar%22">Grammar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evaluation+of+human+services+programs%22">Evaluation of human services programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+sampling%22">Statistical sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Randomized+controlled+trials%22">Randomized controlled trials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treatment+duration%22">Treatment duration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+equation+modeling%22">Structural equation modeling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family-centered+care%22">Family-centered care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Regression+analysis%22">Regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disease+risk+factors%22">Disease risk factors</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Early interventions for children at risk for developmental language disorder (DLD) have not systematically targeted the transition from vocabulary to syntax. This randomized controlled trial examined short-term effects of the Enhanced Milieu Teaching–Sentence Focused (EMT-SF) intervention, an 18-month multiphase intervention, on vocabulary after 6 months (child age = 36 months) and grammar after 12 months (child age = 42 months). Method: Participants included 108 children at risk for DLD between 30 and 31 months of age and their caregivers. Participants spoke only English in the home and were primarily from White, non-Hispanic, college-educated families. Children were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Interventionists coached caregivers on EMT-SF strategies via telehealth. Following 6 months of intervention, a latent variable composed of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Fifth Edition (PPVT-5) and Expressive Vocabulary Test–Third Edition scores characterized vocabulary outcomes. Following 12 months of intervention, a latent variable composed of scores on the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test–Preschool 2 and the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment characterized grammar outcomes. Results: At 36 months, mean vocabulary scores for both groups fell within the average range. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed no significant short-term treatment effect on the vocabulary latent variable (p = .458); however, post hoc analyses indicated a significant effect on PPVT-5 scores (p = .042). At 42 months, mean grammar scores for both groups fell below the average range. SEM revealed a significant short-term treatment effect on the grammar latent variable (p = . 047). Conclusions: The EMT-SF treatment group demonstrated significantly higher single-word receptive vocabulary scores at 36 months and grammar scores at 42 months than the control group. Grammatical difficulties persisted for most children in both groups at 42 months, further documenting that grammar is a particularly vulnerable language domain for children at risk for DLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research 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.)
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        Value: 10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00387
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Data analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early intervention (Education)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language disorders
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      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary
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      – SubjectFull: Speech therapy
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      – SubjectFull: Language acquisition
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      – SubjectFull: Treatment of language disorders
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      – SubjectFull: Child development deviations -- Risk factors
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      – SubjectFull: Research funding
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      – SubjectFull: Grammar
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      – SubjectFull: Evaluation of human services programs
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      – SubjectFull: Statistical sampling
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              Text: Jul2026
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