Melissa Wake|Penny Levickis|Sherryn Tobin|Naomi Zens|James Law|Lisa Gold|Obioha C. Ukoumunne|Sharon Goldfeld|Ha Le|Jemma Skeat|Sheena Reilly
Improving outcomes of preschool language delay in the community: protocol for the Language for Learning randomised controlled trial
Royal Children's Hospital|Royal Children's Hospital|Royal Children's Hospital|Royal Children's Hospital|Newcastle University|Deakin University|Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry|University of Exeter|Royal Children's Hospital|Deakin University|Murdoch Children's Research Institute|University of Melbourne
early language delay highprevalence condition concern parents professionals may result lifelong deficits language function also social emotionalbehavioural academic economic wellbeing delays lead considerable costs individual family society widely language learning trial tests populationbased intervention 4 year olds measured language delay determine 1 improves language associated outcomes ages 5 6 years 2 costeffectiveness families health care systema largescale randomised trial yearlong intervention targeting preschoolers language delay nested within welldocumented prospective populationbased cohort 1464 children melbourne australia children received 12515 hour formal language assessment 4th birthday 200 children expressive andor receptive language scores 125 standard deviations mean randomised intervention usual care control arms 20session intervention program comprises 18 onehour homebased therapeutic sessions three 6week blocks outcome assessment final feedbackforward planning session therapy utilises step upstep therapeutic approach depending childs language profile severity progress standardised manualised activities covering four language development domains vocabulary grammar narrative skills comprehension monitoring phonological awarenesspreliteracy skills blinded followup assessments ages 5 6 years measure primary outcome receptive expressive language secondary outcomes vocabulary narrative phonological skillsa key strength robust study implementation therapeutic framework provides standardised yet tailored approach child focus specific language domains known associated later language literacy trial responds identified evidence gaps outcomes direct relevance families community includes welldeveloped economic analysis potential improve longterm consequences early language delay within public health frameworkcurrent controlled trials isrctn03981121