Efficacy of a novel narrative intervention program for children with developmental language disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Introduction

The narratives of children with DLD are characterized by several deficits. Narrative proficiency is crucial for communication and education; therefore, children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) face risks of linguistic delays, social challenges, and educational difficulties. Research indicates that interventions focused on narratives enhance narrative and overall linguistic skills, as well as literacy skills and social interactions among peers. This study aimed to develop the Oral Narrative Language Intervention Program (ONLIP) and assess its effectiveness in enhancing the narrative and linguistic skills of children with DLD compared to conventional language intervention.

Methods

A pilot randomized controlled study was conducted on 44 children with developmental language disorder. The participants were randomly divided by block randomization into two groups: the cases group, which received training with the ONLIP, and the control group, which received conventional intervention for 3 months. The participants were evaluated pre- and post-intervention using the Arabic version of the Test of Narrative Language—Second Edition (TNL-2) and the Comprehensive Arabic Language Test (CALT).

Results

Following therapy, the DLD cases group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the composite performance of TNL-2 and all of the assessed narrative comprehension and production skills. Comparing the scores for the CALT between pre-and post-intervention, both groups demonstrated a statistically significant improvement.

Conclusions

ONLIP is an effective narrative intervention tool for improving the narrative comprehension and production skills of DLD children compared to conventional training. Both forms of intervention are effective for improving linguistic form and structure.