title: The influence of peer models on the play scripts of children with specific language impairment.
abstract: This investigation included two phases of inquiry that examined the effects of peer modeling upon the play scripts of children with specific language impairment (SLI). The first study employed a pretest-posttest control group design involving two groups of children with SLI (10 who participated in the experimental treatment and 10 controls) and a group of peer models (10 children with normal language development). The treatment involved dyadic play sessions in which children with SLI were paired with a normal language peer model. Significant differences were found between the play script reports of the experimental (SLI-E) and control groups (SLI-C) of children with specific language impairment. The second study, utilizing single-case methodology, involved 6 children with SLI who participated in the control group of Study 1, plus 2 peer models. Play dyads consisted of either two children with SLI or one child with SLI and a normal language peer. Results of this study provided support for the contention that play interactions with normal language peers facilitates increases in the play-script reports of children with SLI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ellis Weismer
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D007808:Language Therapy; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010988:Play and Playthings