Strategies for Teaching Verbs

This study is designed to evaluate whether children with Down syndrome and children with typical development exhibit different levels of accuracy demonstrating novel verbs taught under three conditions: semantic cues (perform action), syntactic cues (sentence frame), and combined (syntactic and semantic cues). The participants complete an eligibility evaluation and then one verb learning session (approximately 60 minutes in length). During that verb learning session they are taught sets of words under each condition (i.e., within-subjects design) and then asked to identify and label those target words immediately after instruction.

All participants complete the three intervention conditions within a single session. Order of conditions is counterbalanced across participants.

Participants' completion of study tasks requires knowledge of intervention condition. Participants are blinded to study hypotheses.

The examiner labels each target word and performs the corresponding action six times in each condition. She elicits the target word from the participant two times per word per condition and provides feedback on accuracy each time. In the semantic cues condition, the examiner prompts the child to perform the target action twice. In the syntactic cues condition, instead of only saying the target word with the present progressive verb marker, the examiner uses two forms of complete sentences while performing the action (i.e., "I am X-ing," and "See. I X."). In the combined condition, the examiner prompts the child to perform the target action and consistently uses complete sentences.

Semantic cues (perform action), syntactic cues (sentence frame), or combined semantic and syntactic cues

Verb Learning Session Teaching phase. The examiner labels each target word and performs the action 6 times in each condition. She elicits the target word from the participant 2 times per word per condition and provides feedback on accuracy. Testing phase. Receptive probes are administered after every 2 words are taught. Expressive probes are at the end of the condition. For receptive probes, the examiner asks the participant to identify novel verbs and for expressive probes, the examiner asks the child to label the novel action. Testing after 2 items is designed to decrease memory load. Participants have a brief break between conditions. Data are collected on: a) child responses on standardized assessments, (b) responses to verb learning probes, (c) parent responses to intake form, and (d) relevant medical history from electronic medical record. None of the above procedures present more than minimal risk to participants or research staff. Vanderbilt IRB approved all procedures.

Participants are asked to receptively identify novel verbs by selecting the video of the named verb from a field of two.

Inclusion Criteria: Must use oral communication as their primary means of communication Must be monolingual English speakers Behaviorally able to attend for 20 minutes Children with typical development must demonstrate no more than one standard deviation below the mean on the speech and language measures Exclusion Criteria: Nonverbal cognitive score less than three standard deviations below the mean (standard score of 54 below) Identified hearing loss or failed hearing screening Uncorrected vision impairment Motor impairment that prevents completion of study activities Concomitant disorders (e.g., Autism spectrum disorder)