A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory
Recent research has suggested that working-memory training interventions may benefit children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The current study investigated a short and engaging adaptive working-memory intervention that targeted executive skills and aimed to improve both language compreh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/5/642 |
| _version_ | 1797501182112956416 |
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| author | Lucy A. Henry Emma Christopher Shula Chiat David J. Messer |
| author_facet | Lucy A. Henry Emma Christopher Shula Chiat David J. Messer |
| author_sort | Lucy A. Henry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent research has suggested that working-memory training interventions may benefit children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The current study investigated a short and engaging adaptive working-memory intervention that targeted executive skills and aimed to improve both language comprehension and working-memory abilities in children with DLD. Forty-seven 6- to 10-year-old children with DLD were randomly allocated to an executive working-memory training intervention (<i>n</i> = 24) or an active control group (<i>n</i> = 23). A pre-test/intervention/post-test/9-month-follow-up design was used. Outcome measures included assessments of language (to evaluate far transfer of the training) and working memory (to evaluate near transfer of the training). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for pre-intervention performance and age found the group to be a significant predictor of sentence comprehension and of performance on six untrained working-memory measures at post-intervention and 9-month follow-up. Children in the intervention group showed significantly higher language comprehension and working-memory scores at both time points than children in the active control group. The intervention programme showed the potential to improve working memory and language comprehension in children with DLD and demonstrated several advantages: it involved short sessions over a short period, caused little disruption in the school day, and was enjoyed by children. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:14:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8925f6bbe77d4d38a764fd8a87bea61b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:14:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-8925f6bbe77d4d38a764fd8a87bea61b2023-11-23T10:18:20ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252022-05-0112564210.3390/brainsci12050642A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working MemoryLucy A. Henry0Emma Christopher1Shula Chiat2David J. Messer3Division of Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UKDivision of Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UKDivision of Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UKFaculty of Wellbeing, Education & Language Studies, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UKRecent research has suggested that working-memory training interventions may benefit children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The current study investigated a short and engaging adaptive working-memory intervention that targeted executive skills and aimed to improve both language comprehension and working-memory abilities in children with DLD. Forty-seven 6- to 10-year-old children with DLD were randomly allocated to an executive working-memory training intervention (<i>n</i> = 24) or an active control group (<i>n</i> = 23). A pre-test/intervention/post-test/9-month-follow-up design was used. Outcome measures included assessments of language (to evaluate far transfer of the training) and working memory (to evaluate near transfer of the training). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for pre-intervention performance and age found the group to be a significant predictor of sentence comprehension and of performance on six untrained working-memory measures at post-intervention and 9-month follow-up. Children in the intervention group showed significantly higher language comprehension and working-memory scores at both time points than children in the active control group. The intervention programme showed the potential to improve working memory and language comprehension in children with DLD and demonstrated several advantages: it involved short sessions over a short period, caused little disruption in the school day, and was enjoyed by children.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/5/642working-memory traininginterventiondevelopmental language disorderchildren |
| spellingShingle | Lucy A. Henry Emma Christopher Shula Chiat David J. Messer A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory Brain Sciences working-memory training intervention developmental language disorder children |
| title | A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory |
| title_full | A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory |
| title_fullStr | A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory |
| title_short | A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory |
| title_sort | short and engaging adaptive working memory intervention for children with developmental language disorder effects on language and working memory |
| topic | working-memory training intervention developmental language disorder children |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/5/642 |
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