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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03441685

Strategies for Teaching Verbs

This study is designed to evaluate whether children with Down syndrome and children with typical development exhibit different levels of accuracy demonstrating novel verbs taught under three conditions: semantic cues (perform action), syntactic cues (sentence frame), and combined (syntactic and semantic cues). The participants complete an eligibility evaluation and then one verb learning session (approximately 60 minutes in length). During that verb learning session they are taught sets of words under each condition (i.e., within-subjects design) and then asked to identify and label those target words immediately after instruction.

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Key information

Conditions

Language Development Disorders Abnormalities, Multiple Child Language Chromosome Disorders Communication Disorders Congenital Abnormalities Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Down Syndrome Genetic Diseases, Inborn Intellectual Disability Language Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

3 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center

Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Must use oral communication as their primary means of communication
  • Must be monolingual English speakers
  • Behaviorally able to attend for 20 minutes
  • Children with typical development must demonstrate no more than one standard deviation below the mean on the speech and language measures

Exclusion criteria

  • Nonverbal cognitive score less than three standard deviations below the mean (standard score of 54 below)
  • Identified hearing loss or failed hearing screening
  • Uncorrected vision impairment
  • Motor impairment that prevents completion of study activities
  • Concomitant disorders (e.g., Autism spectrum disorder)

Treatment and study plan

Semantic cues (perform action), syntactic cues (sentence frame), or combined semantic and syntactic cues

Behavioral

Verb Learning Session Teaching phase. The examiner labels each target word and performs the action 6 times in each condition. She elicits the target word from the participant 2 times per word per condition and provides feedback on accuracy.

Testing phase. Receptive probes are administered after every 2 words are taught. Expressive probes are at the end of the condition. For receptive probes, the examiner asks the participant to identify novel verbs and for expressive probes, the examiner asks the child to label the novel action. Testing after 2 items is designed to decrease memory load. Participants have a brief break between conditions.

Data are collected on: a) child responses on standardized assessments, (b) responses to verb learning probes, (c) parent responses to intake form, and (d) relevant medical history from electronic medical record.

None of the above procedures present more than minimal risk to participants or research staff. Vanderbilt IRB approved all procedures.

Primary outcomes

  1. Accuracy Identifying Taught Words - Syntactic Condition

    Time frame: From date of initial evaluation to focused intervention session, up to 1 month

    Participants are asked to receptively identify novel verbs taught in syntactic condition by selecting the video of the named verb from a field of two. Participants were asked to identify each of the 4 taught words per condition 3 times for a total of 12 trials per condition. This "receptive probe" has a minimum score of 0 and maximum of 12. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  2. Accuracy Identifying Taught Words - Semantic Condition

    Time frame: From date of initial evaluation to focused intervention session, up to 1 month

    Participants are asked to receptively identify novel verbs taught in semantic condition by selecting the video of the named verb from a field of two. Participants were asked to identify each of the 4 taught words per condition 3 times for a total of 12 trials per condition. This "receptive probe" has a minimum score of 0 and maximum of 12. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  3. Accuracy Identifying Taught Words - Combined Condition

    Time frame: From date of initial evaluation to focused intervention session, up to 1 month

    Participants are asked to receptively identify novel verbs taught in combined condition by selecting the video of the named verb from a field of two. Participants were asked to identify each of the 4 taught words per condition 3 times for a total of 12 trials per condition. This "receptive probe" has a minimum score of 0 and maximum of 12. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Accuracy Labeling Taught Words - Syntactic Condition

    Time frame: From date of initial evaluation to focused intervention session, up to 1 month

    After the teaching episodes for the syntactic condition participants are asked to label novel verbs expressively. Participants were asked to label each of the 4 taught words per condition one time for a total of 4 trials per condition. This "expressive probe" has a minimum score of 0 and maximum of 4. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  2. Accuracy Labeling Taught Words - Semantic Condition

    Time frame: From date of initial evaluation to focused intervention session, up to 1 month

    After the teaching episodes for the semantic condition participants are asked to label novel verbs expressively. Participants were asked to label each of the 4 taught words per condition one time for a total of 4 trials per condition. This "expressive probe" has a minimum score of 0 and maximum of 4. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  3. Accuracy Labeling Taught Words - Combined Condition

    Time frame: From date of initial evaluation to focused intervention session, up to 1 month

    After the teaching episodes for the combined condition participants are asked to label novel verbs expressively. Participants were asked to label each of the 4 taught words per condition one time for a total of 4 trials per condition. This "expressive probe" has a minimum score of 0 and maximum of 4. Higher scores indicate a better outcome

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Feb 22, 2018
Registry last updated
Jun 7, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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