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Abstract:
Previous research has indicated that a novel
neuroscience-based training program for receptive language, speech
discrimination and auditory rate processing deficits in children
with Language-Learning Impairment (LLI) was highly effective: the
results of the training program that used acoustically-modified
speech generalized to natural speech and were significantly greater
than a similar training program conducted in natural speech
(treatment control) (Merzenich et al., 1996; Tallal et al., 1996).
The purpose of this study was to assess the longer-term
effectiveness of this training program. The receptive language,
speech discrimination and auditory temporal integration thresholds
of children who had participated in the second training study
reported by Merzenich et al. (1996) and Tallal et al. (1996) were
re-assessed 6 weeks and again 6 months after training was
concluded. Results indicated that the differential gains measured
immediately following training in the children who received the
neuroscience-based training were maintained at both 6 weeks and 6
months follow-up (F (1,15) = 5.96, p = .03) and provide further
support for the efficacy of this training program.
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