The ELD Treatment Program
An Early Intervention for Children With Early Expressive Language Delay

Grover J. Whitehurst, PhD & Janet E. Fischel PhD

Program Summary
Specific expressive language delay (ELD) is an early childhood condition characterized by a substantial delay in the child's development of expressive language relative to their receptive language skills and non-verbal intelligence. Young children with ELD are only able to produce a few single words, at an age at which most children are able to produce hundreds of words and a variety of syntactic combinations. The Expressive Language Delay (ELD) Treatment Program is a home- and clinic-based intervention that trains parents of young children diagnosed with ELD, with skills to improve their child's expressive language abilities. The ELD Treatment Program consists of seven 30-minute training sessions, in which parents receive training on seven language therapy skills. Parents are asked to practice each of these skills at-home with their child during the two-week intervals between training sessions. Parent training sessions were conducted on a one-on-one basis at an outpatient pediatric clinic and took place every other week during a three and a half month period. The evaluation of the ELD Treatment Program demonstrated short-term success in helping to improve the expressive vocabulary skills of children diagnosed with ELD.
 
Target Population
Children at risk for developmental delay or disorder
  		 

Evaluation Summary
The Expressive Language Delay (ELD) Treatment Program, a home- and clinic-based intervention that teaches parents skills to improve their child's spoken language ability, has demonstrated short-term success in helping to improve the expressive vocabulary skills of children diagnosed with ELD. Success is defined as substantial increases in expressive language skills during and immediately subsequent to treatment when compared with the control group. In contrast to the children in the control group, children in the ELD Treatment Program demonstrated substantial increases in their expressive vocabulary skills, which moved to a normal range at the 34-month follow-up assessment. However, by 44 months of age, the differences between the control and intervention group disappeared; both groups moved to the normal range despite their participation in the intervention. The study did not show long-term significant differences between treatment and control group in regard to their phonological problems. Thus, the ELD treatment program was effective in improving vocabulary skills immediately after treatment.

Staffing Requirement/Training
Clinical staff must have experience in parent training and in the treatment of developmental and behavioral disorders in order to implement this program.
Infant and/or Child Developmental Outcomes
Cognition
Language
 
Program Core Components
Parent education and support
 
Curriculum Used
Parent education and support
Language stimulation
 
Delivery
Clinic-based
Home-based

Direct Participants
Parent
 

Child's Age at Program Start
25-36 months

Duration
Approximately 3.5 months

The Program Package includes:
  • Program Summary. This booklet provides a general overview of the program and how the program has demonstrated positive impacts on child developmental outcomes.
  • Facilitator's Manual. This manual provides information for facilitators on how to conduct the program sessions with parents.
  • Steps to Follow: Sessions 1 ??? 7 . This packet includes a set of seven checklists used to guide facilitators in implementing the key steps necessary for each program session.
  • Written Assignment for Parents. This packet includes a set of written assignment handouts that are given to parents to complete at home following each program session.
  • Evaluation Measures Resource List. This packet contains samples of two assessment measures used in the original evaluation of the ELD Treatment Program including: 1) Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test and 2) Templin-Darley Tests of Articulation, 2nd Edition.
  • Early Intervention Evidence-Based Practice Resource Guide. This USB drive features an interactive, easy-to-use tool that consists of practical tips and resources designed to assist professionals and organizations to select, adopt, and implement early intervention evidence-based practices to successfully promote child development and well-being.
  • Telephone technical support on implementation for 1 year
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Expressive Language Delay Program Package
    
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Expressive Language Delay Program Summary
    
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