Treating Complex Grammar Knowledge Deficits in School-Age Children With Developmental Language Disorder

Launched by OHIO UNIVERSITY · Mar 28, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying two different treatments to help improve the understanding and use of complex grammar in children aged 8 to 11 who have a condition called developmental language disorder (DLD). The first treatment focuses on helping children learn grammar naturally by listening to sentences repeated multiple times while describing pictures. The second treatment teaches children the specific grammar rules in a more structured way, where they get feedback on their responses. The goal is to see which method helps children use correct grammar better and faster.

To participate in this study, children need to have a language impairment and meet certain criteria, such as having a specific score on a language skills test and a nonverbal IQ that is within a certain range. Children will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups and will receive 20 sessions over 10 weeks. They will be assessed on their grammar skills before, right after, and five weeks after the treatment ends. The researchers hope that the first treatment will lead to better improvements in grammar skills. This trial is currently looking for participants and welcomes children of all genders who meet the eligibility criteria.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Language impairment: standard score of 34 or lower on the Test of Language and Learning Skills
• • Nonverbal IQ: nonverbal quotient of 77 or higher
• • Normal range hearing
• • Normal or corrected vision
• • Native English speaker
• • Sentence comprehension screening/sentence chunking screening 50% or lower
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Neurodevelopmental disorder
• • Emotional/behavioral disorder
• • Frank neurological disorder
• • Treatment for complex syntax from outside clinician