Treatment of Lexical Deficits in Young Children with SLI

描述（由申请人提供）：在美国，大约8%的儿童被诊断患有特定语言障碍（SLI）。除了在词法和句法方面存在问题外，相当多的儿童在词汇方面也存在困难。词汇缺乏对幼儿的影响尤其严重，因为词汇习得与以后的语言和读写能力发展密切相关。目前，我们缺乏诊断个别儿童特定单词学习问题的方法，也没有多少治疗效果数据来指导干预。本研究的主要目的是开发识别SLI幼儿个体词汇学习缺陷的方法，并评估针对这些缺陷的处方治疗。研究计划是基于这样的前提，即词汇学习可能会受到一个或多个词汇水平，包括概念，词汇语义，或语音处理缺陷。一系列的四个横截面和一个纵向研究将测试的假设，语音和/或语义编码或检索线索，旨在提高存储或检索的词汇语义或语音水平表征的话，提高了单词学习与SLI学龄前儿童。具体目的：（1）记录语音或语义编码线索对快速映射的影响;（2）单词学习率。(3)记录语音和语义编码线索对单词产生的影响。(4)记录语音或语义提取线索对单词产生的影响。(5)纵向记录从研究1-4中得出的学龄前儿童在上幼儿园前一学年接受小组指导的处方治疗的疗效。重要性：这项研究计划将增加我们对特定语言障碍的潜在缺陷的理论理解，并将开发新的治疗方法，通过改善语言发育，积极影响儿童的生活质量并显着增加他们在学校成功的可能性来帮助儿童充分发挥潜力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Approximately 8% of children in the United States are diagnosed with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). In addition to problems acquiring morphology and syntax, a significant number of children also demonstrate difficulty acquiring vocabulary. Vocabulary deficits are particularly devastating in young children because lexical acquisition is strongly associated with later language and literacy development. Currently we lack methods for diagnosing specific word learning problems in individual children and have little treatment efficacy data to guide intervention. The primary goals of this research are to develop methods for identifying the individual word-learning deficits of young children with SLI and to evaluate prescriptive treatments targeting those deficits. The research plan is based on the premise that word learning may be compromised by processing deficits in one or more lexical levels including the conceptual, lexical-semantic, or phonological. A series of four cross-sectional and one longitudinal study will test the hypothesis that phonological and/or semantic encoding or retrieval cues designed to improve the storage or retrieval of lexical-semantic or phonological level representations of words improves word learning in preschoolers with SLI. Specific Aims: (1) Document the effect that phonological or semantic encoding cues have on fast mapping and (2) word learning rate. (3) Document the effect that sequencing phonological then semantic encoding cues have on word production. (4) Document the effect that phonological or semantic retrieval cues have on word production. (5) Document, longitudinally, the efficacy of prescriptive treatments derived from studies 1-4 for preschoolers receiving small-group instruction during the academic year preceding kindergarten. Significance: This research program that will increase our theoretical understanding of the underlying deficits of specific language impairment and will develop new treatments to help children reach their full potential by improving language growth, positively impacting children's qualify of life and significantly increasing their likelihood of school success.