A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Parent mediated Group Intervention Program for Developmental Language Disorders

Abstract

Purpose: This paper attempts to explore the significance of parent-mediated group intervention for children with developmental language disorder. The implementation of group intervention programs with the active involvement of parents creates opportunities for peer interaction in realistic settings and parents becoming more invested in the intervention process through direct observation and active participation.Methods: Eight parent child dyads participated in the group intervention. The participants were native Malayalam speakers in the age range of 3-4 years. 25 sessions were provided with intervention focused on language as well as emergent literacy skills. Vignettes are provided to demonstrate the program’s structure. Pre and post receptive expressive language scores and emergent literacy scores were assessed using Assessment of Language Disorders and Get Ready to Read.Results: The results indicated that parent mediated group intervention was effective for children with developmental language disorder. All children, with the exception of one, achieved age-appropriate language scores and improvement in emergent literacy skills. Despite the fact that all of the children’s emergent literac scores improved after intervention, none of the children’s scores exceeded the average, implying that much more focused and rigorous attention is required for training of emergent literacy skills.Conclusions: This paper calls attention to the practicality of parent mediated group intervention for children with developmental language disorders through which more children can be served in a cost and time efficient way. It emphasizes the importance of involving parents in sessions to improve speech and language skills as well as emergent literacy.