Nathaniel Swain|Patricia Eadie|Pamela Snow
Speech and language therapy for adolescents in youth justice: A series of empirical single?case studies
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority|University of Melbourne|La Trobe University
abstract background adolescents contact youth justice vulnerable marginalized group high risk developmental language disorder dld communication difficulties though preliminary studies demonstrated benefits speech language therapy slt services youth justice limited research empirically tested efficacy intervention settings aims evaluate extent intensive onetoone language intervention improved communication skills incarcerated adolescents belowaverage gt 1 sd mean language andor literacy skills methods amp procedures series four empirical single case studies conducted using multiple baseline intervention design individualized intervention programmes administered progress outcome measures probes evaluated throughout baseline intervention maintenance phases using tau u nonparametric distributionfree statistic additional measures used secondary outcomes intervention including standardized language subtests subjective rating tools participants teachers collected pre postintervention brief structured participant interview independently administered youth justice staff outcomes amp results mediumtolarge effect sizes majority statistically significant detected primary outcome measure across four cases indicating improvements targeted communication skills positive results also evident comparisons pre postmeasures standardized language subtests subjective self teacher ratings communication participants impressions interventions participants could followed gains language skills generally maintained 1 month postintervention conclusions amp implications study provides evidence efficacy onetoone slt intervention adolescents youth justice order address language literacy difficulties findings inform future slt service provision adolescents settings clear policy practice implications future research investigate wider benefits individuals engagement youth justice intervention recidivism well assessing maintenance gains longer period paper adds already known subject high rates dld youth justice well known difficulties spanning multiple areas language literacy slts increasingly working community custodial youth justice settings preliminary studies demonstrated effectiveness work paper adds existing knowledge study extends evidence base efficacy slt language literacy difficulties youth justice using series four empirical single case studies also argued slt actively considered planning multidisciplinary interventions young people custody potential actual clinical implications work results research support current moves include slt services youth justice systems illustrate clinicians currently working sector way structuring measuring impact intervention services