Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40587257›Full record

Trial reportLanguage, speech, and hearing services in schools2025

Generative Language Intervention for Young Children With Down Syndrome Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Jennifer Kent-Walsh, Nancy Harrington, Debbie Hahs-Vaughn, Cathy Binger

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Introduction to the Forum: Changemakers Igniting Innovation.Language, speech, and hearing services in schools · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jennifer Kent-WalshSchool of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida, Orlando.ORCID 0000-0002-3966-298X
Nancy HarringtonSchool of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida, Orlando.ORCID 0000-0002-3514-0607
Debbie Hahs-VaughnDepartment of Learning Sciences and Educational Research, University of Central Florida, Orlando.ORCID 0000-0002-1217-5161
Cathy BingerDepartment of Speech & Hearing Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.ORCID 0000-0003-4286-0052

Funding

Word by Word: Building Sentences with Preschoolers who use AACR01DC016321 · NIDCD · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO · PI BINGER, CATHY, KENT-WALSH, JENNIFER · 2017 to 2021
$2.8M
Measuring Aided Language DevelopmentR01DC021160 · NIDCD · UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA · PI Cathy Binger, JENNIFER KENT-WALSH · 2024 to 2026
$1.9M
NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC016321NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC021160
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeChildren with Down syndrome often have poor speech intelligibility, which can mask expressive language competence; this, in turn, can lead to serious misconceptions about overall competence and intellectual abilities. Although aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be used to bridge these gaps, children with Down syndrome are not always provided with consistent access to focused AAC language intervention supports. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementing the AAC Generative Language Intervention (AAC-GLI) approach on the aided expressive grammar productions of young children with Down syndrome.

methodA randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the results. The study included a control group and an intervention group, with the families of both groups participating in half-day AAC implementation workshops and all children receiving AAC devices to use throughout the course of the study. The intervention group also received 4 months of twice-weekly play-based AAC-GLI intervention sessions. Progress was measured using a mean length of utterance (MLU) specially designed for aided communicators (weighted MLU in symbols [W-MLUSym]).

resultsStrong effects indicated superior performance on W-MLUSym for the intervention group, despite reduced enrollment and increased attrition yielded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

conclusionsAAC-GLI can be used to teach young children with Down syndrome to improve their aided expressive grammar skills. Providing AAC language intervention for young children with Down syndrome can be a critical step to support ongoing expressive language development and use as well as overall functional communication.

Indexed as

Communication Devices for People with DisabilitiesDown SyndromeLanguage Development DisordersLanguage TherapyChild LanguageChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMale

Identifiers

PMID40587257
PMCPMC12303605

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.