Sentence shaping program for 5th–8th grade deaf and hard of hearing students
Sentence Shaping: Written Language Intervention for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Middle Schoolers
This study will try using shape coding visual supports to help 5th–8th grade children who are deaf or hard of hearing and use spoken English and ASL write sentences more accurately.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Ages | 9 Years to 15 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Vanderbilt University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Nashville, Tennessee) |
| Trial ID | NCT06860022 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The investigators will adapt shape coding—a system of visual symbols for grammatical roles—to support written sentence construction for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Participants are students in grades five through eight with bilateral hearing loss who use both spoken English and American Sign Language and who already write sentences but make word order or grammar errors. Children with dyslexia, uncorrected vision loss, or severe motor impairment are excluded. The team will deliver the shape coding intervention and measure how efficiently participants learn to produce correct written sentences.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are 5th–8th graders with bilateral hearing loss who use spoken English and ASL, can read the targeted grammatical structures, and already write sentences but show errors in word order or grammar.
Not a fit: Children with a diagnosis of dyslexia, uncorrected vision impairment, or severe motor impairments that prevent completing tasks are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help deaf and hard of hearing students produce grammatically correct written sentences more quickly, supporting improved literacy and academic outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Shape coding has been effective for teaching sentence structure in spoken English and has recently been applied successfully to sentence structure in ASL, but its use for written sentence construction in this population is a newer step.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Children in grades five through eight * deaf or hard of hearing * use spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL) * bilateral hearing loss * the ability to read and understand the grammatical structures of interest * already be writing sentences, but demonstrate errors in word order and/or grammar. Exclusion Criteria: * diagnosis of dyslexia * uncorrected vision impairment (i.e., identified vision loss without use of corrective lenses that interferes with eligibility evaluation tasks) * evidence of severe motor impairment (i.e., insufficient motor skills to complete eligibility evaluation tasks independently).
Where this trial is running
Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, Tennessee, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Adriana M Valtierra, M.S.
- Email: adriana.m.valtierra@vanderbilt.edu
- Phone: 219-614-5980
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.