Melissa Wake|Penny Levickis|Sherryn Tobin|Lisa Gold|Obioha C. Ukoumunne|Sharon Goldfeld|Naomi Zens|Ha Le|James Law|Sheena Reilly
Two-Year Outcomes of a Population-Based Intervention for Preschool Language Delay: An RCT
Royal Children's Hospital|University of Melbourne|Royal Children's Hospital|Murdoch Children's Research Institute|Royal Children's Hospital|Murdoch Children's Research Institute|Deakin University|National Institute for Health Research|University of Exeter|University of Melbourne|Royal Children's Hospital|Royal Children's Hospital|Murdoch Children's Research Institute|Deakin University|Newcastle University|Murdoch Children's Research Institute|University of Melbourne
previously shown shortterm benefits phonology letter knowledge possibly expressive language systematically ascertaining language delay age 4 years followed language learning intervention report trials definitive 6year outcomesrandomized trial nested populationbased ascertainment children language scores 125 sd mean age 4 randomized intervention children receiving 18 1hour homebased therapy sessions primary outcome receptiveexpressive language secondary outcomes phonological receptive vocabulary literacy narrative skills parentreported pragmatic language behavior healthrelated quality life costs intervention health service use intentiontotreat analyses trial arms compared using linear regression modelsof 1464 children assessed age 4 266 eligible 200 randomized 90 82 intervention control children retained respectively age 6 mean language scores normalized little evidence treatment effect receptive adjusted mean difference 23 95 confidence interval ci 12 57 p 20 expressive 08 95 ci 16 32 p 49 language secondary outcomes phonological awareness skills effect size 036 95 ci 008065 p 01 showed benefit costs higher intervention families mean difference au4276 95 ci 3424 5128populationbased intervention targeting 4yearold language delay feasible lasting impacts language possibly reflecting resolution groups longterm literacy benefits remain possible must weighed cost