Backward and simultaneous masking measured in children with Language-Learning Impairments who received intervention with Fast ForWord or Laureate Learning Systems software

The developers of a computer-assisted language intervention program called Fast ForWord (FFW) have claimed that their software changes temporal proces sing abilities as a result of specialized modifications to the acoustic and temporal properties of the speech signal within the program. This pilot st udy compared changes in auditory temporal processing in children who receiv ed FFW training and in children who received training with computer-assiste d language intervention programs that were not designed to improve auditory perceptual skills. Four boys with Language-Learning Impairments (LLI) and 3 boys with typical language participated. Two of the boys with LLI receive d the FFW program, and the other 2 received a bundle of computer-assisted i nstruction (CAI) programs published by Laureate Language Systems (LLS). The FFW and LLS programs were presented on the same schedule. To assess temporal processing, signal thresholds in backward and simultaneo us masking conditions were evaluated just before, during, and immediately a fter language training. The boys with typically developing language receive d no training. Children with typical language produced signal thresholds in the backward masking condition that were markedly lower than those in the simultaneous masking condition. This disparity is indicative of normal temp oral processing. Conversely, 3 of 4 children with LLI failed to demonstrate a simultaneous-backward difference during baseline. The lack of a differen ce implies that temporal processing was not normal in these children. The f ourth child with LLI had signal thresholds that paralleled those of the chi ldren with normal language development. This child also had the mildest for m of LLI. Of the 3 children whose temporal processing was abnormal, 2 boys showed dec reased signal thresholds in the backward masking condition. However, the im provement was sudden, occurring relatively early in the training sequence, and observed with both treatment programs. The third child with abnormal te mporal processing failed to show a change in backward masking at any time d uring treatment. Over the course of the experiment, signal thresholds for a ll listeners decreased by similar amounts in both backward and simultaneous masking. Taken together, these results do not support the presence of a pr ogram-specific improvement in temporal processing. In addition to the tempo ral processing deficits revealed by backward masking, group differences in response patterns implicate auditory memory involvement or differences in m aintaining attention.