Parent implementation of a treatment for late talkers based on cross-situational statistical learning principles: Treatment fidelity and acceptability

Authors

Suzanne J. Meldrum, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Jennifer Fisk, Edith Cowan University
Jennifer Stopher, Edith Cowan University
Emily F. Hunt, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

69914

Comments

Meldrum, S. J., Fisk, J., Stopher, J., & Hunt, E. F. (2024). Parent implementation of a treatment for late talkers based on cross-situational statistical learning principles: Treatment fidelity and acceptability. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2024.2311931

Abstract

Purpose: Early intervention based on principles of cross-situational statistical learning (CSSL) for late-talking children has shown promise. This study explored whether parents could be trained to deliver this intervention protocol with fidelity and if they found the intervention to be acceptable. Method: Mothers of four English-speaking children aged 18–30 months who scored < 10th centile for expressive vocabulary were recruited to an 8-week group training program. Parents were taught principles of CSSL and asked to perform 16 home treatment sessions (30 minutes each) in total, providing auditory bombardment of target words in full sentences at high dose number and syntactic variability, using a range of physical exemplars. Home diaries and two videotaped sessions measured treatment fidelity. Pre- and post-treatment questionnaires measured acceptability. Result: One parent discontinued the study after the second group training session. Three parents completed 15/16 group training sessions and reported completing 87% of home sessions. Two parents demonstrated implementing the intervention as per the target dose number by the first fidelity session (Weeks 2/3), and the third parent was very close to meeting target dose number by the second fidelity session (Weeks 7/8). Conclusion: Parents can be trained to deliver an intervention based on cross-situational statistical learning principles.

DOI

10.1080/17549507.2024.2311931

Creative Commons License

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