Speech-language pathology proposals appropriate for submission to this topic area focus on innovation, knowledge, and clinical practice in communication and language development from prenatal to preschool-aged children (i.e., up to 72 months of age, in or outside of school) with typical hearing, including consultation with and education for families, caregivers, daycare and preschool teachers, and other professionals. Proposals may reflect the range of research and professional services including, but not limited to: language delay (late language emergence, late talking); early language development; preschool language disorders; early multilingual development; translanguaging and early child development; the nature of early communication and language disorders; prevention of language delay/disorders; screening, evaluation, and assessment; service delivery models including family-centered practice and early childhood community collaborations; intervention methods; parent and caregiver coaching; efficacy and effectiveness research; and scientific advances that have implications for early communication and language development. Interprofessional education, practice, and/or research that addresses the implementation of interprofessional competencies within curricular or practice models or the evaluation of collaborative care outcomes specific to language in infants through preschoolers should be included in this topic area.

Research

• Translational, applied, or implementation research related to language in young children (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) with typical hearing
• Evidence-based practice and outcomes research for language delays or disorders in young children (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) with typical hearing
• Quantitative inquiries including, but not limited to, clinical guidelines, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, well-designed case-control/quasi-experimental studies, single subject designs
• Outcomes evaluation/research
• Qualitative inquiries including, but not limited to, ethnographies and narrative descriptions
• Mixed methods research
• Cultural enrichments, enhancements, and adaptations of evidence-based language assessment or intervention for young children with typical hearing

Professional Education

• Personnel preparation and interprofessional issues specific to language in young children with typical hearing
• Interprofessional or community collaborations to develop language in early childhood
• Developing language systems in young children with typical hearing
• Identifying and appropriately responding to the culture and language needs of infants, toddlers, and their families
• Social and cognitive bases of communication and language acquisition in young children with typical hearing
• Comparisons of communication and language abilities of young children with typical hearing
• Prevalence of developmental language disorders (DLD)
  • Screening, evaluation, and/or treatment for developmental language disorders in young children with typical hearing
  • Etiologies of children's language disorders (including genetics) and the association with related conditions
• Service delivery
  • Matters regarding service delivery models for young children with typical hearing
  • Matters related to family systems, receipt of services, and natural environments for young children with typicals hearing
  • Psychological impact of early childhood language disorders on normal hearing children and their families
  • Administrative and regulatory issues related to language in young children with normal hearing
  • Ethical considerations for service delivery to young children with DLD/delays who have typical hearing
  • Technology as it applies to assessment, intervention, and research on language in young children with typical hearing

Related Topics

Proposals that address this area but primarily focus on:

• Policy and professional issues should be submitted to the Systemic Action: Transforming Systems and Policies for Justice topic area.
• Counseling or trauma informed care should be considered for submission to the Counseling, Trauma Informed, and Contextualized Care topic area.
• Telepractice in service delivery to these populations should be considered for submission to the Telepractice topic area.
• Language development of children who are deaf and hard of hearing should be considered for submission to the Listening, Language, and Speech in Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing topic area.