Contextual Word Learning in Children With Developmental Language Disorder

NCT05988190 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BinghamtonU
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Many children have developmental language disorder, which makes it difficulty to learn language, including vocabulary, and results in ongoing academic and social difficulties. Despite the fact that most words are learned in context without direct teaching, we know very little about how children with developmental language disorder learn words in context. This project will combine, for the first time, two strategies which improve contextual word learning in children with typical development, and test their effect in both typically developing children, and those with developmental language disorder. The results will provide timely information that will contribute to evidence based practice for contextual word learning in children with developmental language disorder.

Conditions

Developmental Language Disorder

Keywords

Developmental Language Disorder; Vocabulary; Semantic Diversity; Word Learning; Metalinguistics

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Measure of Semantic Knowledge (MSK)

  Definitions, scored on a 5 point scale, per Duff, 2019 5 Context test questions (yes/no)

  Aim 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b: Administered one week after exposure to novel words Aim 1c, 2c: Administered with untreated words prior to intervention and one week post intervention

Study Arms (1)

Contextual Word Learning Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention will consist of a metalinguistic intervention with novel words (n=9), based on Cain (2007), administered across three sessions, and spaced one week apart. Semantic diversity will vary across items.

Behavioral: Contextual Word Learning Intervention

Interventions

Contextual Word Learning Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Metalinguistic intervention consisting of meaning generation, explanation and feedback, with semantic diversity varying (no, medium, high).

Contextual Word Learning Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 7 Years - 11 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Aim 1: Standard Score \> 90 on Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Core Test Language Battery administered in 2nd grade
• Aim 2: Standard Score \<= 85 on Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Core Test Language Battery administered in 2nd grade

You may not qualify if:

• hearing impairment
• uncorrected visual impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Binghamton University: lead
• University of South Carolina: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Health Sciences Building

Johnson City, New York, 13790, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Language Development Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Dawna M Duff

  Binghamton University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Dawna M Duff, PhD

CONTACT

6077774676; dduff@binghamton.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2023
• First Posted: August 14, 2023
• Study Start: April 17, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2026
• Study Completion: April 15, 2026
• Last Updated: August 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data will be made available upon completion of data collection and coding, or six months after the funding period is complete, whichever comes first. Data will not be removed from public access.
• Access Criteria: Open Science Framework is a public access site.

Locations

US (1)