Communication Intervention for Individuals With Down Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Developmental Neurorehabilitation
Neil, N., & Jones, E. A. (2018).
Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 21(1), 1-12.
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates communication interventions in individuals with Down syndrome.
Not stated
1967 to 2014
Experimental study designs (e.g., controlled trials, single-case designs)
37
On average, interventions increased communications by 76%. Within three studies with adequate information, effect sizes ranged from trivial to moderate (ES= 0.05 to 0.75). Findings demonstrated the following interventions to have percentage non-overlapping data (PND) effect sizes over 70%:<br />
<ul>
<li>prompting and reinforcement (PND ranged from 37.5% to 100% when calculable);</li>
<li>naturalistic language paradigm (PND= 100% in one study); and</li>
<li>milieu teaching (PND= ranged from 77% to 91% when calculable)).</li>
</ul>
The PNDs suggested that these interventions, all involving behavior analytic techniques, were effective in improving communication in individuals with Down syndrome. Speech recasting (PND= 54), mirroring and responding (PND= 24 in one study), reinforcement alone (PND= 0% to 91% when calculable), and prompting alone (PND= 65% to 100%) were found to be generally less effective. Due to small sample sizes with a preponderance of single case studies, limited methodological rigor, and a limited number of studies for each intervention type, further research is indicated.
