Neuroimaging Reveals Treatment-related Changes in DLD
Children with developmental language disorders (DLD, aka specific language impairment), a prevalent pediatric disorder, experience hallmark grammar deficits with life-long impacts on educational and occupational outcomes. While effective and early interventions can mitigate the impact of DLD, not enough is known about the neural basis of DLD in young children, yet is needed to inform the design of more individualized interventions. This project uses neuroimaging, along with behavioral methods, with the goal of better understanding the memory-language mechanisms that underlie grammar learning and impairment, while also considering their association to treatment-related changes in preschoolers with DLD.
Inclusion Criteria:
- ages 48-71 months
- average nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ)
- enrolled in participating center
- typically developing (receptive and expressive language, social, articulation, other)
- DLD for expressive grammar
- typical oral motor function
- typical social/pragmatics skills
- average hearing thresholds
- monolingual and native Standard English speakers
- does not have any uncorrected vision challenges
Exclusion Criteria:
- receiving co-occurring speech-language or other intervention for communication
- not MRI safe
- special education placement of child based on ability or behavior
BEHAVIORAL: My Sentence Builder
Developmental Language Disorder