Literacy and Language Interventions Via Telepractice for School-Age Children

Summary

Telepractice refers to the application of telecommunication technology (e.g., Skype, Webex, Zoom) to the delivery of speech-language and audiology services. The development of telepractice, an emerging alternative to traditional service delivery, has been driven by the need for equitable access and cost-effective services to all client, regardless of geographical locations, physical conditions, or social and economic status (Theodoros, 2011).

The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of telepractice-delivered intervention targeting literacy (i.e., reading and writing) and literate language skills (e.g., narrative skills) to promote better academic outcomes in school-age children. The investigators conduct a single-subject, multiple probe design across four participants to examine the functional relation between a telepractice intervention and two educational outcomes - reading self-corrections and narrative ability. Participants with language and literacy needs receive three weekly intervention sessions via ZOOM (a videoconferencing software). A single-subject, multiple-probe design across participants enables the examination of treatment effectiveness: If three replications of treatment effect are established across participants (i.e., visual analysis indicates evident behavioral change on progress-monitoring assessment), the proposed intervention yields a high likelihood of producing benefits to children who share similar learning needs.

In addition to intervention effectiveness of telepractice, the investigators examine feasibility along two dimensions: Fidelity and scoring reliability. Fidelity here includes two components - fidelity of intervention (i.e., whether the intervention activities are implemented as intended) and procedural fidelity of probe assessment administration (whether the progress-monitoring probes are administered as intended). Scoring reliability (e.g., interobserver agreement) examines if the interventionist's scoring is consistent with a reliability coder's scoring. Evidence derived from analyses of fidelity, reliability, and intervention effectiveness will be examined collectively to determine the feasibility of delivering literacy and language intervention via telepractice.

Conditions

• Literacy-language Intervention

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Children in Grade 1 to 5 with literacy and language needs

The investigators deliver a telepractice-based intervention targeting: (a) Word reading and phonics instruction, (b) applying a comprehension monitoring strategy to improve text reading accuracy, and (c) complex sentences use in written text. Participants receive 3 online 50-minute tutoring session weekly across 15 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Vanderbilt University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Melanie Schuele, PhD · Vanderbilt University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

11 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-04-29

Primary Completion

2019-12-31

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations