Computer-assisted language intervention: Production, content, and modality effects in children with Down syndrome

Computer-assisted language intervention served as a means for investigating modality effects and relationships between language measures in children with Down syndrome. Specifically, the study addressed three key questions: (1) The effectiveness of computer-assisted language intervention for children with Down syndrome, (2) the existence of modality effects, and (3) the relationships between language measures. Six young children with Down syndrome participated in a Latin square design which counterbalanced three presentation modes (visual, auditory, or visual and auditory combined). Each subject was exposed to each of the three presentation modes in two-week blocks, for a total of six weeks of intervention. Each two-week block consisted of six training sessions and three language sample tests. Training sessions involved exposure to a computer-assisted language program, related toys, and interaction with a language trainer. Language samples explored the generalization of language skills to toys and play situations which were similar to training.;No significant overall effects of Condition or Training Block were revealed in the analysis of the training sessions. However, results of the language samples indicated that computer-assisted language intervention is an effective method of providing language intervention to children with Down syndrome. The number of Intelligible Words per Communicative Attempt and the Average Number of Different Root Words per language sample increased over time. Parental reports substantiated these findings. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance were unable to determine clear, overall support for modality effects in children with Down syndrome. However, differences among results for different measures suggest that they reflect different domains of language. Measures related to production, for example, rate, syntactic skill, and intelligibility were not affected by presentation mode, and only intelligibility was sensitive to training effects. The content of language, as measured by lexical diversity, was sensitive to both presentation mode and training block. Individual differences in subject performance were apparent.;This study supports a preliminary, empirically-based theory about the relationship of language measures, the nature of language learning in children with Down syndrome, and the focus of language intervention. Clinical interpretations and suggestions for future research are given.