SOFTWARE INTERVENTION FOR ADVANCED SYNTAX DEVELOPMENT

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Language delays are pervasive among school-age children. Remarkably, two thirds of children identified as specific language impaired upon entry into school have neither been identified previously nor have received any form of language intervention during their preschool years. Given this large number of school-age children with previously unidentified language impairments, there is a clear need to develop intervention programs designed specifically to meet the needs of this population, i.e., intervention designed to promote development of the more advanced syntactic constructions that are generally missing from the grammar of these children. We propose to develop language intervention software designed to promote syntactic development in school-age children (5-12 years old). The curriculum will be derived from contemporary linguistics as described by the Principles and Parameters Model of Universal Grammar, which suggests important ways in which the treatment of children with language disrobers may be improved and more successful outcomes achieved. The software will include an artificial intelligence component capable of generating individualized lessons based on emerging competencies. Our Phase I objective is to develop prototype software for introducing the syntax of interrogative operators. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION Speech-Language pathologists, teachers, and parents recognize the importance of intervention when a child's language status is impaired and such intervention is mandated by Federal law. We anticipate that a computer-based intervention system to facilitate advanced language development in school-age children will be a commercial success and will fulfill an unmet need for individualized services.