Computer-Assisted Vocabulary Intervention for Spanish-English Bilingual Children With Developmental Language Disorder

This study will examine whether computer-assisted vocabulary instruction in Spanish and English helps young bilingual children with developmental language disorder learn and use vocabulary. It will include 120 Spanish-English bilingual children in kindergarten or first grade. Eighty children with developmental language disorder will be assigned by chance to bilingual computer-assisted vocabulary instruction, English-only computer-assisted vocabulary instruction, or usual English-language school services. Forty children with typical language development will receive bilingual instruction without random assignment, providing a developmental comparison. The program teaches 36 vocabulary concepts through 24 small-group sessions, ordinarily over about six weeks. School-calendar disruptions may extend the schedule. Vocabulary will be assessed in both languages before intervention, immediately afterward, and approximately six weeks after the final session. The primary outcomes are naming and defining the taught concepts in each language. The implementation component anticipates 15 unique school speech-language pathologists or appropriately supervised speech-language pathology assistants across five project years, with a planning target of approximately 3 new clinicians per year. Annual recruitment may vary with eligible caseloads. This component examines delivery fidelity, feasibility, clinician confidence, usability and satisfaction. Teacher and parent feedback about children's vocabulary use, communication confidence and engagement will also be collected after intervention and at follow-up where feasible.

Inclusion Criteria: Child participants: * Age 5 years or older and enrolled in kindergarten or first grade at an authorized participating study site. * Spanish-English emergent bilingual with regular Spanish exposure at home, including Spanish-primary or balanced bilingual homes, documented by parent questionnaire. * Primary Test of Nonverbal Intelligence score of at least 70. * Passes pure-tone hearing screening at 25 dB HL at 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz. * Names fewer than 12 of the 36 intervention target concepts before allocation, using the item-level bilingual conceptual union across complete Spanish and English Naming administrations. Count a concept once when an accepted label is produced in either language; 0-11 known concepts meets this vocabulary criterion, while 12-36 does not. Incomplete or unresolved administrations remain pending. * Comprehensive age-appropriate bilingual assessment and converging clinical information support classification as developmental language disorder or typical language development. * Children in the DLD cohort have at least one relevant language/vocabulary individualized education program goal; other goals are permitted. * Written parent permission and the applicable child-assent process. Adult clinician participants: * At least 18 years old. * School-based English-monolingual or English-dominant speech-language pathologist, or appropriately supervised speech-language pathology assistant, authorized to provide the assigned school services. * Caseload includes eligible Spanish-English children with developmental language disorder and relevant language/vocabulary individualized education program goals. * Written adult consent before adult research screening or questionnaires. * Participation during one project year only. Exclusion Criteria: * Does not meet the inclusion criteria for the respective child or adult cohort. * Comprehensive assessment does not support classification in the intended child study group. * Adult clinician has participated in an earlier project year. Declining optional audio/video recording does not itself exclude participation.