The efficiency of an explicit approach to improve complex syntax in French-speaking children with developmental language disorder: A pilot study

Article Article scientifique Article The efficiency of an explicit approach to improve complex syntax in French-speaking children with developmental language disorder: A pilot study eng 2024-12-23 author Delage Hélène 0000-0003-0754-5110 Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l’Education, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland 705153 Section de psychologie (PSICO) author Stanford Emily Nicole Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l’Education, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland 774905 Section de psychologie (PSICO) author Garnier-Genevoy Pauline Institut de Rééducation et d’Education pour la Communication, l’Ouïe et la Vue, Tours, France 752886 author Oriol Emilie Private Practice, Veauche, France 946598 author Morin Eléonore Institut de Rééducation et d’Education pour la Communication, l’Ouïe et la Vue, Tours, France 02656590241308793 10.1177/02656590241308793 0265-6590 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02656590241308793 Purpose Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have persistent language difficulties in complex syntax. To date, few studies have examined the effectiveness of syntactic training focusing on complex grammar, with no existing studies having been done in French. In English, the SHAPE CODING (SC) system, which combines shapes and colors to identify the nature and function of words and sentence types, has been shown to be effective with children and adolescents with DLD. Our study assesses the effectiveness of a French adaptation of the SC methodology on the mastery of three syntactically complex structures: object relatives, accusative clitics and passives. Method We developed a training protocol, inspired by the SC principles, comprised of 13 sessions of 30 minutes, and compared the ability of 18 children with DLD aged 7 to 11 to produce the target structures before and after syntactic training. Three lists of 12 trained sentences were directly trained whereas three untrained (matched) lists were used as a measure of generalization. An untrained structure was used as a control measure. Results Comparison of scores, as measured by dedicated baselines, shows that training results in improved performance for all target structures, whereas no progression is observed on control items (verbal inflexions), which are not trained. More specifically, results show an improvement on sentences directly trained during the protocol, but also on new sentences that contain the same target structures, reflecting the generalization of the production of these structures. Conclusion Findings confirm the effectiveness of an explicit approach in grammar interventions and they provide new perspectives on language therapy dedicated to children with DLD. The implications of the results are also discussed at the individual level. Dewey 150 108 Section de psychologie 71 false 1301 Troubles du langage : évaluation et remédiation Child language teaching and therapy e9f1829e-767b-4001-b2ed-f4a376ffa9c4 Article (Published version) Public delage-et-al-2024-the-efficiency-of.pdf 1341005 application/pdf 6dea095c038343ac34f18c1ae3e4c6e6a53e9ece0082a8e2a5b0692e94344c41 openAccess Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation / Section de psychologie

Title	Published in	Access level	OA Policy	Year	Views	Downloads

The efficiency of an explicit approach to improve complex syntax in French-speaking children with developmental language disorder: A pilot study	Child language teaching and therapy			2024	79	748

Archive ouverte UNIGE

Garnier-Genevoy, Pauline