Often, when we're working with kids with DLD, we assume that we need to be working on simple sentences or very basic vocabulary, but should we be aiming for more? Can we support children with DLD to learn to use grammar and vocabulary in ways that are functional for their life, such as their everyday communication or their school curriculum?

The paper is:
Teaching little kids big sentences: A randomized controlled trial showing that children with DLD respond to complex syntax intervention embedded within the context of preschool/kindergarten science instruction

Amanda J. Owen Van Horne, Maura Curran, Susan Wagner Cook, Renée Cole, Karla K. McGregor

First published:
02 May 2023

Useful resources:

• We Have to Talk About Something: Why NOT Talk About the Curriculum? A Guide to Embedding Language Interventions in Curricular Content
  
  
• Two papers on tricking yourself into using complement clauses:

Preparing Student Clinicians to Provide Recast Therapy on Complement Clauses: A Training Program
Can vocabulary lessons increase the amount of complex syntax produced by head start teachers? A pilot study

• Recast Therapy for Treating Syntax in Bilingual Children With Developmental Language Disorder: A Feasibility and Early Efficacy Study Examining the Role of Language of Intervention on Outcomes
  Anny Castilla-Earls and Amanda Owen Van Hornes
  
  
• Two earlier papers on embedding instruction in science learning:

• A free grammar guide by Amanda Owen Van Horne and Susan Ebbels:
  https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/the-grammar-guide-you-never-knew-you-always-wanted
  
  
• Shape coding: https://shapecoding.com/

In May's news:
- VoiceBox joke telling competition in Scotland www.rcslt.org/scotland/voicebox-2024/
- Cuts to children's speech and language therapy in Aberdeen.
- Working together with decision makers in Scotland to influence on future budgets.
- CEO visit to Northern Ireland and update on situation there; cancer, prisons, budget challenges; SEN provision in the Assembly.
- Wales: new student places; meetings with new ministers; ALN funding and First Minister Question.
- Kessler report www.rcslt.org/news/new-report-on…-and-young-people/, media interest in children's waits; SEND delays; NHS budget shortfall of 5 billion; Neonatal CEN evidence to Lords on pre-term birth.

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This interview was conducted by Victoria Harris, Head of Learning at The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and features Derek Munn, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the RCSLT.

What value is there in allied health professional research? To consider this question Sophie Chalmers, Hazel Roddam and fellow researchers conducted a systematic review, which explored the value of research engagement specifically by AHPs, and also considered mechanisms which might connect research engagement with healthcare performance. In this podcast Sophie and Hazel discuss their research and its implications.

We cover:

• What is this new research and why it is important?
• What does it mean for allied health professionals?
• What does it mean for their organisations?
• How do AHPs develop their research skills?
• The launch of the multi professional research capabilities framework.

Interviewees:

• Sophie Chalmers, Speech and Language Therapist & NIHR ARC-GM pre-doctoral fellow
• Dr Hazel Roddam, FRCSLT, HEE's Lead for the AHP Research & Innovation Strategy for England 2022

Resources:

1. Link to paper being discussed
The value of allied health professional research engagement on healthcare performance: a systematic review
S. Chalmers, J. Hill, L. Connell, S. Ackerley, A. Kulkarni & H. Roddam, BMC Health Services Research, volume 23, Article number: 766 (2023) https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-023-09555-9

2. Link to bitesize resources from this paper:
Infographic: https://twitter.com/SChalmersSLT/status/1687172202553102336/photo/1

AHPs2mintalks video:
https://x.com/SChalmersSLT/status/1684863198434844673?s=20

3. NIHR research capacity building funding streams
Information resource for all AHPs
https://cahpr.csp.org.uk/news/2024-03-12-new-nihr-research-training-development-career-awards

4. NHS England Multi professional research capabilities framework launched February 2024
https://advanced-practice.hee.nhs.uk/research-framework-launched/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo


5. Related paper
‘It depends’: what 86 systematic reviews tell us about what strategies to use to support the use of research in clinical practice
Annette Boaz, Juan Baeza, Alec Fraser & Erik Persson
Implementation Science volume 19, Article number: 15 (2024) https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13012-024-01337-z

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