Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Communication Disorders and Sciences
Advisor
Simpson, Kenneth O.
Abstract
Within the present landscape of interventions for children with specific language impairment (SLI), there are many different hypotheses regarding appropriate treatment techniques. Interventions that are designed to improve language deficits associated with SLI are generally described as rule or meaning-based. While neither form of therapy is considered to be more efficacious than the other, many feel that rule-based therapy may not allow for generalization of language to outside settings, and meaning-based therapy may help language rules to emerge over time. Through thorough review of evidence for each form of intervention, one can see the benefits and drawbacks of each and how they may be tailored to clinical practice.