Speech and Language Therapy Interventions for Children With Primary Speech and Language Delay or Disorder
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Law, J., Garrett, Z., et al. (2003).
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3, CD004110.
This review investigates the effects of speech-language interventions on phonology, vocabulary , and/or syntax in children or adolescents with primary speech and language delay/disorders.
The Cochrane Collaboration; Nuffield Foundation (United Kingdom)
<p>The data in this meta-analysis were also published in two other journal articles:</p>
<ul>
<li>Law, J. (2004). The Implications of Different Approaches to Evaluating Intervention: Evidence from the Study of Language Delay/Disorder. <i>Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 56</i>(4): 199-219. doi:10.1159/000078343</li>
<li>Law, J., Garrett, Z., et al. (2004). The Efficacy of Treatment for Children with Developmental Speech and Language Delay/Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. <i>Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47</i>(4): 924-43. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2004/069)</li>
</ul>
Through 2002
Randomized controlled trials
25
Findings demonstrate positive outcomes following speech and language therapy in children with primary phonological and expressive vocabulary difficulties.
No significant difference in outcomes was noted between group and individual interventions based upon a limited number of studies that mainly focused on phonological interventions. Limited inclusion of expressive or receptive language interventions was noted.
Limited findings were noted for language outcomes for children with primary receptive language disorders, however, the evidence is suggestive that the effect of speech and language therapy interventions is reduced when compared to other client groups.
Findings demonstrated no statistically significant difference in the outcomes of therapies provided by trained parents versus those provided by clinicians.
"Subgroup analysis indicated that interventions lasting longer than eight weeks may be more effective than those lasting less than eight weeks. This result needs to be interpreted tentatively due to the limited range of studies in the analyses and differences between the individual studies. This should be viewed as a possible indicator of better clinical outcome, with further research required" (p. 15).
<div>"The evidence suggests that there is a differential effect of intervention and that therapy for expressive syntax difficulties may be effective when children do not also have [primary] severe receptive language difficulties. The nature of these mixed findings means that further research would be beneficial to the field" (p. 15).</div>
Findings demonstrate positive impacts of including normal language peers in intervention as language models for children with primary language impairment.
