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Should We Use Telegraphic or Grammatical Input With Children in the Early Stages of Language Development Who Have Language Impairments? A Meta-analysis of the Research and Expert Opinion

Marc Fey
University of Kansas Medical Center

Ann Kaiser
Vanderbilt University

Jon Miller
University of Wisconsin at Madison

Elaine Weitzman
The Hanen Centre

Purpose: In working with children with language impairments, some clinical scholars and clinicians advocate using input that is simplified to the point of being ungrammatical (telegraphic input), while others advocate simplified, but grammatical input. This article considers two types of external evidence on this topic.

Method: First, a meta-analysis of relevant research, including intervention studies and processing studies, is reported. Next, four experts present their opinions.

Results: Children in the majority of the intervention studies showed no difference in language comprehension based on type of input, although one study with very few children favored telegraphic input for language production. In the processing studies, which measured immediate comprehension, children from clinical populations responded inconsistently when listening to the two types of input. Children who had typical language, however, favored grammatical input in their responses. Regarding expert opinion, two suggest telegraphic input is sometimes warranted, one who previously indirectly promoted its occasional use no longer believes it should be used, and one provides reasons why telegraphic input should not be used, and may even be harmful.

Conclusions: Empirical findings and expert views are summarized as ways of informing parents of the weak evidence base regarding the best type of input.

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