Parent-based Language Intervention for 2-Year-Olds with Language Delay
Author Information
Author(s): Buschmann A, Jooss B, Rupp A, Feldhusen F, Pietz J, Philippi H
Primary Institution: Children’s Hospital, University of Heidelberg
Hypothesis
2-year-old children with specific expressive language delay whose mothers participate in the intervention will show improved expressive language abilities 6 and 12 months after pretest compared to children in a waiting group.
Conclusion
The short, highly structured Heidelberg Parent-based Language Intervention significantly reduces the rate of language impairment in children with specific expressive language delay by the age of 3.
Supporting Evidence
- 75% of children in the intervention group showed normal expressive language abilities at age 3.
- Only 8% of the intervention group met the criteria for specific language impairment compared to 26% in the waiting group.
- The intervention was less expensive and time-consuming than traditional therapy.
Takeaway
This study shows that helping parents teach their 2-year-old children with language delays can make a big difference in how well those kids talk by age 3.
Methodology
A randomized controlled trial with 61 children, comparing an intervention group receiving a parent-based language program to a waiting group.
Limitations
The results cannot be generalized to children with additional receptive language deficits or cognitive impairments.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 24-27 months with specific expressive language delay, primarily from German-speaking families.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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