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NCT Number: NCT05921214

The Effect of Semantic Support on Word Learning

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare word learning outcomes in late talking toddlers who are taught different types of words. The main question it aims to answer is if teaching words that come from categories that children already know (e.g., animals) will aid overall word learning. Children will take part in the Vocabulary Acquisition and Usage for Late Talkers (VAULT) word learning treatment and be taught words from more familiar or less familiar categories to see which group learns more words overall.

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Key information

Conditions

Language Development Disorders Communication Disorders Language Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

2 year–4 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

Children will be assigned to either the familiar or less-familiar word group. All children will receive 8 weeks of Vocabulary Acquisition and Usage for Late Talkers (VAULT) word learning treatment (2x/wk for 30 minutes each session). The investigators will measure how well children learn the words they are taught as well as the words that are in the environment, but not explicitly taught (control words). This will help us know if their learning is due to treatment or maturation. The investigators will compare children to themselves (taught words v. control words) to ensure that the overall treatment is working. Then, the investigators will compare children in the familiar word group to children in the less-familiar word group to see which group learns more overall.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Native English Speaking
  • Pass pure tone hearing screening or medical report of normal hearing
  • 2-3 Years of age
  • MCDI expressive scale <10th percentile

Exclusion criteria

  • Parental report of other diagnoses
  • Enrolled in concurrent treatment elsewhere
  • Nonverbal IQ <75 as measured by the Bayley scales
  • Parents unable to consistently bring child to treatment sessions

Treatment and study plan

VAULT Phase 5

Behavioral

This is an input-based vocabulary learning treatment based on principles of statistical learning.

Primary outcomes

  1. Treatment Effect Size

    Time frame: Change from baseline through treatment, which will average an 8-week time frame.

    The investigators will count the number of spontaneous and probed productions of target and control words and calculate a treatment effect size (d).

  2. Number/Rate of Words Learned

    Time frame: Change from Initial Evaluation through Follow-up, which will average a 6-month time frame.

    The investigators will measure the number of words learned and rate of words learned as reported by the parent on the MCDI starting prior to treatment, and measured during, immediately following, and 4-6 weeks after treatment.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Post Treatment Retention

    Time frame: Change from end of treatment to follow up, which will average 4-6 weeks.

    The investigators will use probe data and parental report to determine how many words the child retained from treatment.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Mary Alt, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

520-626-6180

Nora Evans-Reitz, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

520-626-6885

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Arizona

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Registry information

Official study title

Identification of Treatment Parameters That Maximize Language Treatment Efficacy For Children

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 27, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 13, 2026

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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