Treatment of Lexical Deficits in Young Children with SLI

在美国，大约8%的儿童被诊断出患有特定语言障碍。 （SLI）.除了学习词法和句法方面的问题外，相当多的儿童还 表现出难以获得词汇。词汇量不足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， 有效性数据，以指导干预。本研究的主要目标是开发识别 SLI幼儿的个体词汇学习缺陷，并评估处方治疗 针对这些赤字。 这项研究计划是基于这样一个前提，即单词学习可能会受到处理的影响 在一个或多个词汇水平，包括概念，词汇语义，或语音缺陷。一系列 四项横向研究和一项纵向研究将检验语音和/或语义的假设 编码或检索线索，旨在改善词汇语义或语音的存储或检索 水平表征的话，提高了学龄前儿童与SLI的单词学习。 具体目的：（1）记录语音或语义编码线索对快速的影响 映射和（2）单词学习率。(3)记录语音排序然后语义排序的效果 编码线索对词汇产生的影响(4)记录语音或语义提取 线索对词汇产生的影响(5)纵向记录处方治疗的有效性， 从研究1- 4中得出，学龄前儿童在上一学年接受小组教学， 幼儿园 意义：这项研究计划，将增加我们的理论认识的基础 并将开发新的治疗方法，以帮助儿童充分发挥他们的语言能力。 通过提高语言发展潜力，积极影响儿童的生活质量， 提高他们在学校取得成功的可能性。

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 1-4for 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.