Parent-Level Predictors of Early Language Interaction Quality and Intervention Outcomes
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum DisorderLanguage Development Disorders
- Interventions
- Other: no intervention comparison groupBehavioral: Enhanced Milieu Teaching
- Registration Number
- NCT03525951
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Brief Summary
Children with poor early language skills are at risk for academic, social, vocational, and health difficulties across the lifespan. Parent training-as part of early language intervention-is a cost-effective option to address this public health issue, but these interventions demonstrate large individual differences in outcomes and barriers to scalability. The purpose of this research is to examine parent-level predictors of early language interaction quality and modifiability during training, which will help increase intervention effectiveness.
- Detailed Description
This is a minimal-risk, behavioral clinical trial for adult parents and their children (2;6-4;0). The purpose of this study is to determine if and how parent language skills and behavioral awareness influence early language interactions and parent training. Participants will include parent-child dyads in three groups: 1) children who are typically developing (TD; Study 1 and 2), 2) children at risk for persistent developmental language disorder (DLD; Study 1 and 2), and 3) children with autism spectrum disorder and at risk for persistent DLD (ASD+DLD; Study 2). The investigators will examine whether parental language skills predict early language interaction quality (Aim 1; Study 1), whether parental behavioral awareness predicts modifiability during training (Aim 2; Study 2), and whether these predictors vary across children-specifically TD children, children with DLD, or with ASD+DLD (Aim 3; Study 2). The primary outcome measure will be parents' use of language stimulation strategies. The secondary outcome measure will be the number of adult-child conversational turns. The investigators hypothesize that parent language skills (Study 1) and behavioral awareness (Study 2) will be positively associated with the outcomes. However, the strength of the association may vary across the groups. The Study 1 protocol will involve a screening session and observational data collection sessions (TD and DLD groups). Study 1 will be a fully remote model of data collection. The Study 2 protocol will involve five sessions-baseline data collection (all groups), three parent training sessions (DLD and ASD+DLD), and follow-up data collection (all groups) across approximately five weeks. Study 2 will be fully remote. The investigators will collect data from demographic questionnaires, language and learning assessments, measures of parental behavioral awareness, and measures of parent-child language interaction quality (Study 1 and 2). These measures will be administered before and after three parent training sessions (Study 2). These sessions will follow the Teach-Model-Coach-Review framework (TMCR; 1) to train the Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) strategies of responsive interaction, matched turns, language modeling, and expansions. After the training, parent-child dyads will complete the structured interaction and behavioral awareness tasks again (Study 2). The investigators will conduct inter- and intra-group analyses to explore the relationships between the independent (i.e., parent language abilities and behavioral awareness) and dependent (i.e., parent-child language interaction quality and parent modifiability during training) variables.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 300
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Typically Developing Children Study 1 (TD1) no intervention comparison group No-intervention group for observational data comparison. Typically Developing Children Study 2 (TD2) no intervention comparison group No-intervention comparison group measured over time. Children with Dev Language Disorder Study 1 (DLD1) no intervention comparison group No-intervention group for observational data comparison. Children with Dev Language Disorder Study 2 (DLD2) Enhanced Milieu Teaching Enhanced Milieu Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Study 2 (ASD+DLD 2) Enhanced Milieu Teaching Enhanced Milieu Teaching
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Parental Language Stimulation Strategies (Study 2; Remote) Baseline to Post-treatment (Five Weeks) The investigators will code the structured interaction task for parents' use of language stimulation strategies.The investigators will code use of trained strategies (i.e., responsive interaction, matched turns, language modeling, and expansions) and untrained generalization measures like constructive directives and scaffolds. This primary outcome will be a composite score of these language stimulation strategies (e.g., responsive interaction, matched turns, language modeling, expansions, constructive directives, and scaffolds). This composite will be measured at baseline and post-treatment during the structured interaction task, so the same amount of time will be given to each participant to interact. This is a continuous outcome variable, with values greater than or equal to zero. Higher values are generally representative of higher-quality language interactions.
Parental Language Stimulation Strategies (Study 1; Remote) Baseline (Single Timepoint) The investigators will code the structured interaction task for parents' use of language stimulation strategies.The investigators will code use of trained strategies (i.e., responsive interaction, matched turns, language modeling, and expansions) and untrained generalization measures like constructive directives and scaffolds. This primary outcome will be a composite score of these language stimulation strategies (e.g., responsive interaction, matched turns, language modeling, expansions, constructive directives, and scaffolds). This composite will be measured once during the structured interaction task, so the same amount of time will be given to each participant to interact. This is a continuous outcome variable, with values greater than or equal to zero. Higher values are generally representative of higher-quality language interactions.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Adult-Child Conversational Turns (Study 2; Remote) Baseline to Post-treatment (Five Weeks) The investigators will code the number of adult-child conversational turns during the structured language interactions. These turns will be measured at baseline and post-treatment during the structured interaction task, so the same amount of time will be given to each participant to interact. This is a continuous outcome variable, with values greater than or equal to zero. Higher values are generally representative or higher-quality language interactions.
Adult-Child Conversational Turns (Study 1; Remote) Baseline (Single Timepoint) The investigators will code the number of adult-child conversational turns during the structured language interactions. These turns will be measured once during the structured interaction task, so the same amount of time will be given to each participant to interact. This is a continuous outcome variable, with values greater than or equal to zero. Higher values are generally representative or higher-quality language interactions.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Wisconsin
🇺🇸Madison, Wisconsin, United States