Dosage factors influencing change in referential and inferential language following receipt of Launch to School (L2S): an emergent literacy intervention for preschoolers with communication disorders

Tracks
6
Book sharing
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Early intervention
Evidence based practice
Expressive language
Language disorder (e.g. LD associated with...)
Oral language
Service delivery
Saturday, June 14, 2025
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM

Overview

Dr Kate Short


Details

⏫ Research insights
⏲️ 2.20pm - 2.40pm
⌛20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Intermediate (Some previous learning/working knowledge of topic e.g. treated a few cases)


Presenter

Agenda Item Image
Dr Kate Short
Liverpool Hospital And University Of Sydney

Dosage factors influencing change in referential and inferential language following receipt of Launch to School (L2S): an emergent literacy intervention for preschoolers with communication disorders

2:20 PM - 2:40 PM

Presentation summary

Intervention dosage is an active ingredient that requires investigation for precision interventions to be developed. Dose in interventions treating communication disorders is measured in within and across interventions sessions, with some early research showing within session dose factors are more influential to outcomes. This study explores the impact of four dose elements on the inferential and referential language gains from three assessment times (pre, post and follow-up) made by children with communication disorders receiving the Launch to School (L2S) intervention. A clinical caseload of 107 preschoolers: 87 with Language Disorders (LD) and 34 non-LD (mostly speech sound disorder) participated in L2S – an intervention designed for multicultural children with emergent literacy vulnerabilities. A multilevel model was used (age and multilingual status controlled). Diagnosis (LD and non-LD) and four dose variables were placed in the model, two within intervention settings: number of teaching moments (dose), the length of time of the session (dose frequency); and two across sessions: administration daily or weekly (dose distribution), and children’s attendance to sessions (dose intervention length). Referential and inferential language was assessed on the Quick Test of Language. A lower dose within the session (mean 8 teaching moments /minute) resulted in better outcomes immediately post intervention for LD children but not non-LD children. Children who attended less sessions (dose intervention length) but received the higher dose of teaching moments within the sessions they attended made significantly greater gains in follow-up. The group who received longer dose within the session (dose frequency) had significantly lower outcomes at pre and post but not at follow-up. Within session dose factors were more influential to referential and inferential language outcomes, and those influences differed by diagnosis. These findings have implications for how intervention is conducted within the sessions.

Refrences

Frizelle, P., & McKean, C. (2022). Using theory to drive intervention efficacy: the role of dose form in interventions for children with DLD. Children, 9(6), 859.Teo, Short, Cusiter, and Munro (2022) What clinicians actually say during scripted book reading treatment An examination of clinician fidelity and therapeutic talk in “Launch to School”. Speech Pathology Australia Conference, Melbourne.Warren, S., Fey, M., & Yoder, P. (2007). Differential treatment intensity research: A missing link 957 to creating optimally effective communication interventions. Mental Retardation And 40 958 Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13(1), 70-77.

**********

Kate is a senior Speech Pathologist at Liverpool Hospital in South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), Post Doctoral Researcher with the UNSW STAR for Kids CRE, Adjunct Fellow Western Sydney University and Adjunct Senior Lecturer The University of Sydney. Her clinical practice and research is focused on child development and prevention / interventions for children with communication disorders and those experiencing adversities. She has emerging research strengths in implementation science methodologies. Kate has collaborated with allied health partners, government and NGO’s to create and research bespoke interventions such as Launch to School and Dynamic Early Communication Intervention (DECI). Kate is widely recognised for translations of the evidence base and has been invited to train clinicians across Australia and the Asia Pacific region to this aim.

The information contained in this program is current at of the time of publishing but is subject to changes made without notice.

Disclaimer: © (2024) The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited. All rights reserved.
Important Notice, please read: The views expressed in this presentation and reproduced in these materials are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited ("the Association"). The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content, currency or accuracy of any of the materials comprised in this presentation. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of these materials and the information contained within them. The Association recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this presentation including in any of the materials referred to or otherwise incorporated into this presentation.

 

© Copyright 2024 Speech Pathology Australia


We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of 
lands, seas and waters throughout Australia,
and pay respect to Elders past, present and
future.

We recognise that the health and social and
emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples are grounded in
continued connection to Culture, Country,
Language and Community and acknowledge
that sovereignty was never ceded. 

    Torres Strait Islander flag

.

              

loading