Narrative language intervention intensity and dosage: Telling the whole story

Abstract

This article expands on the work of S. F. Warren, M. E. Fey, and P. J. Yoder (2007) by applying their suggested intervention-intensity parameters to narrative language intervention with school-aged children. These pharmacologically based dosage concepts are examined from two perspectives: oral narrative skills as the target of language therapy and narratives as the context for language intervention. The fundamental definition of dose as the number of discrete teaching episodes per session is problematic when applied to discourse-based intervention. It is suggested that the application of this pharmacological model should include consideration of narrative characteristics that may impact dose form. Furthermore, interactive processes are described as potentially critical components of narrative language intervention, which may influence therapeutic intensity and outcomes. Intensity of intervention is an important concept that needs to be further defined, investigated, and reported, particularly regarding multiple narrative parameters. Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.