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Yesterday our special issue on Grammar Assessment and Intervention was published in #LSHSS @ASHAJournals. It was my first time editing a special issue (or editing at all really) and thanks to guidance from @hstorkel I learned a lot.
I liked and learned from each of the articles - I am horrible at threading 
properly but I want to share some of my favorite things about each paper in this issue https://pubs.asha.org/toc/lshss/51/2
properly but I want to share some of my favorite things about each paper in this issue https://pubs.asha.org/toc/lshss/51/2
@lfinestack and colleagues have a paper on using automated analyses in CLAN to ease language sample analysis (use of DSS and IPSyn). https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00032 In combination with automated transcription, this should help make language samples more accessible.
Another strength is that it illustrates use of language samples for progress monitoring and goal selection both with the populations we typically see and with other older populations. The appendices & supplemental materials are especially useful. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00032
Eisenberg, Bredin-Oja, and Crumrine (none of whom are on twitter?) talk about imitation - their microanalyses of what make imitation effective as a therapeutic technique is very thoughtful. The figures and tables contain a wealth of info https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00024
If we were all so thoughtful about what makes for a good teaching episode I think our therapeutic practice would improve. Not just for imitatation but for lots of areas. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00024
Balthazar, @SusanEbbels, and @rob_zwitserlood put together a tutorial on interventions for older kids. This article makes shape coding and metataal accessible for US audiences ( #ASHA members). https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00046
It makes the similarities and differences between 3 explicit teaching methods clear & shows the evidence. Someone who wants to work on complex syntax could us this as a guidebook for which technique to adopt at different points or for different kids https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00046
Bruinsma, Wijnin & @Lectorlogopedie have a paper on how a manualized version of focused stimulation (Language Interaction Therapy) changes authentic practice. It *did* seem to increase the amount of time spent on grammar therapies. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00069
But perhaps not quite enough of an increase to have a meaningful impact on individual outcomes. The mismatch between expected practice and actual use makes for fascinating #impsci reading https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00069
@CastillaEarls @AuzaAlejandra Perez Leroux, Fulcher Rood, and Barr present data on monolingual spanish speakers with and without #devlangdis use of grammatical markers https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00022
A key finding is that clinical markers for monolingual and #bilingual kids may not be the same. We need to be sure that we use norms developed for each population. Also has detailed elicitation information for those wanting to use similar tools. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00022
@HABLAlab also showcases #bilingual populations, but this time for intervention for English Language Learners with #DevLangDis. The tx is designed to be a curricular supplement and added on to existing ELL curricula https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00055
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00055 preliminary evidence for the tx is promising ~ gains are evident and this provides a nice foundation for scaling up to an RCT. ESpecially good to see functional (narrative) gains in addition to improvement on targeted structures.
@SamuelDCalder @SusanEbbels @SpeechMary & @Suze_Freogirl help provide programmatic evidence that explicit instruction works at younger ages. Their SCED uses @ShapeCoding and structured cueing to teach past tense to kids with #devlangdis https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00060
It stands out for careful attention to SCED controls and reporting guidelines. It also suggests that gains on expressive outcomes don't always translate to gains on receptive outcomes, suggesting that #wespeechies and #slpeeps need to monitor both domains. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00060
@CathyBingerAAC, Kent Walsh, Harrington, & @QuinnHollerbach ask us to think about how to assess grammar in #AAC. They call #slpeeps out for thinking that grammar is only for oral language and failing to treat it or assess it carefully. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00065
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00065 this paper provides a framework for assessing progress and goal setting when using a visual system. It builds creatively on work by Hadley and colleagues on Unique Syntactic Types and is a useful read for anyone thinking about early grammatical development
And finally @maurakcurran helps us to think about how complex syntax comprehension demands might change over the elementary years by reviewing the language used in a #scied curriculum, FOSS by @berkeleyscience https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00064
The bottom line is that complex syntax is present from first grade on and the need to comprehend different syntactic types both in teacher talk and in print ramps up fast. We can't save intervention for these sentences until middle school. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00064
This special issue was a pleasure to work on and I had the gift of great authors and reviewers who helped to move it along. (I'll never again agree to do a special issue the same year I put in a grant & a revision though!)
I hope folks will read each article and find useful information - I look forward to hearing how these papers get taken up into research and practice going forward!
