Laurence B. Leonard – ‘The Changing View of Input in the Treatment of Children with Deficits in Morphosyntax’

over behandeling van kinderen die problemen met morfosyntaxis hebben: welke mechanismen kunnen werken?

Many prominent treatment approaches for preschool-age children with morphosyntactic deficits place emphasis on creating an “ideal” input by increasing the number of times the target form is presented, that is, by increasing token frequency. In this presentation, three more recent intervention approaches that go beyond token frequency will be discussed. These approaches are the “Input Informativeness” approach, the “Competing Sources of Input” approach, and the “High Variability” approach. Based on recent intervention studies, all three of these approaches have been successful in helping children make significant gains in morphosyntax. The three approaches go beyond token frequency by emphasizing relative frequency and type frequency in the presentation of target forms to children. Examples of each of these approaches will be presented along with supportive evidence. With very few modifications, the key ingredients of these three approaches can be integrated into a treatment regimen without violating any of their theoretical assumptions.

(Laurence B. Leonard, Rachel E. Stark Distinguished Professor, Purdue University)