The Impact of Early Intervention Programs on Young Children with Speech and Language Delay: Comparison and Analysis
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2008
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
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Thesis (B.A.)
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Abstract
Speech and language delays and disorders occur when a child's speech and
language develop abnormally. Some causes of speech and language delay include mental
retardation, hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder, and sensory integration disorder.
Research shows that early intervention is critical in mitigating the effects of delayed
development. In order to promote initial speech and language acquisition and minimize
the social problems associated with such disorders, early intervention is thus strongly
recommended. Here I detail the program objectives and methodology of the Early
Intervention Clinic (EIC) at the Center for Speech, Language, and Occupational Therapy
(CSLOT) in Fremont, California. At CSLOT children from 18-36 months of age with
mild to severe speech and language developmental delays receive treatment in the EIC. I
compare the methods used at CSLOT in summer 2006 to those utilized by other programs
to determine the effects these different approaches to intervention have on children. This
comparison makes use of the following considerations: curricula, philosophy, program
structure, manners of measuring progress, ratio, age range of children, diagnosis, parent
participation, and period of treatment. The literature as well as my research shows that
although there are many different early intervention programs available, each with
distinct curricula and philosophies, the majority feature similar basic content areas with
comparable treatment outcomes. Thus early intervention is found to be effective,
regardless of the various methods employed in regards to those considered here. In this
study I show that multiple treatment methods are used by early intervention programs and
most of them have positive outcomes. However, more research is needed in order to
determine which methods are most effective for different types of children.