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. 2017 Jul 12;60(7):1980-1998.
doi: 10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0246.

Effects of a Conversation-Based Intervention on the Linguistic Skills of Children With Motor Speech Disorders Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Gloria Soto  1 , Michael T Clarke  2
Affiliations

Effects of a Conversation-Based Intervention on the Linguistic Skills of Children With Motor Speech Disorders Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Gloria Soto et al. J Speech Lang Hear Res. .

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a conversation-based intervention on the expressive vocabulary and grammatical skills of children with severe motor speech disorders and expressive language delay who use augmentative and alternative communication.

Method: Eight children aged from 8 to 13 years participated in the study. After a baseline period, a conversation-based intervention was provided for each participant, in which they were supported to learn and use linguistic structures essential for the formation of clauses and the grammaticalization of their utterances, such as pronouns, verbs, and bound morphemes, in the context of personally meaningful and scaffolded conversations with trained clinicians. The conversations were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT; Miller & Chapman, 1991).

Results: Results indicate that participants showed improvements in their use of spontaneous clauses, and a greater use of pronouns, verbs, and bound morphemes. These improvements were sustained and generalized to conversations with familiar partners.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate the positive effects of the conversation-based intervention for improving the expressive vocabulary and grammatical skills of children with severe motor speech disorders and expressive language delay who use augmentative and alternative communication. Clinical and theoretical implications of conversation-based interventions are discussed and future research needs are identified.

Supplemental materials: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5150113.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Set A: Rate of verb use per 60 min.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Set A: Rate of pronoun use per 60 min.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Set A: Rate of bound morpheme use per 60 min.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Set A: Rate of spontaneous clause use per 60 min.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Set B: Rate of verb use per 60 min.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Set B: Rate of pronoun use per 60 min.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Set B: Rate of bound morpheme use per 60 min.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Set B: Rate of independent clause use per 60 min.
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