Abstract
Summary
This paper reports the setting up, and first year's trial of two intervention programmes for preschool children who present with delayed language development. Both programmes are based on the same theoretical model, with the focus on the intellectual aspects of language, (a) In the Language Clinic programme parents and child are seen every six weeks by a speech therapist for ongoing advice on how to help the child's language development in daily living at home, (b) In the Language Classes the children attend for half days every day, under the direction of a qualified teacher. The programmes and assessment procedures are described, and tentative findings after a year's trial are reported. The large majority of the children in both programmes made accelerated progress in receptive and expressive aspects of language development.