Semantic therapy to improve developmental word finding difficulties

15 pupils with SLI and word finding difficulties (aged 9;9 to 15;11) were randomly assigned to a therapy versus waiting control group. In Phase 1, the therapy group received two 15 minute therapy sessions per week for eight weeks with their usual therapist. Therapy focused on semantic categorisation and descriptions of words from one of three semantic categories (animals, food, clothes). All participants were tested before and after the therapy block on semantic fluency at listing items from all three semantic categories, the brief version of the Test of Adolescent Word Finding (TAWF, German, 1990) and the Test of Word Finding in Discourse (TWF-D, German, 1991). In Phase 2, the waiting control group received the same therapy. Testing after Phase 2 aimed to establish whether the waiting control group made the same progress as the original therapy group and whether the original group maintained any gains on standardised tests. Therapists were asked to rate the pupils’ motivation during therapy sessions in order to investigate a possible relationship between progress and motivation.

Results: The therapy group made significant progress in standard scores on the TAWF (d=1.39) which was maintained at follow-up. However, they made no progress on the semantic fluency or discourse tests. Pupils in the waiting control group did not make significant progress on the TAWF in Phase 1 when they received no word-finding therapy. However, in Phase 2 when they also received therapy, they also made significant progress (d=1.36). No relationship was found between motivation and overall progress on the TAWF.

Conclusions: Four hours of semantic therapy on discrete semantic categories led to large gains on a general standardised test of word finding, enabling the pupils to begin to close the gap between their performance and those of their typically developing peers. These gains were maintained after 5 months. A small amount of therapy can lead to significant gains even with pupils with severe language difficulties which have persisted to secondary age.

Ebbels, Nicoll, Clark, Eachus, Gallagher, Horniman, Jennings, McEvoy, Nimmo & Turner (in prep.). Effectiveness of semantic therapy for children with word finding difficulties and language impairments: a randomised control trial.