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The present study aimed to investigate 1) whether country categories and type of DLD predict the type of therapy (direct, indirect, and mixed) the child receives, and 2) whether there is an association between country categories, type of therapy, and type of DLD (receptive, expressive, and mixed). European countries were categorised based on Sapir's typology into Continental, AngloSaxon, Nordic and Mediterranean groups. A fifth group i.e. Central European (including Baltic countries) was added. The data to address these questions comes from an online survey, translated and adapted into 30 languages, and is based on reports by 4685 professionals delivering services for children with DLD. This survey was developed by the COST Action IS1406 members and distributed online among practitioners in the year 2017 across European countries. Results indicated that country categories and type of DLD predicted type of therapy. It was suggested that cultural and contextual factors might play a key role in driving clinical practice above and beyond language profiles, patient characteristics and evidence-based practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Multiple cognitive skills support the acquisition of proficient reading skills. Higher order processing abilities allowing the engagement and integration of multiple ideas collectively referred to as executive functions may be particularly important in reading comprehension. In the present study, 39 Danish school age children completed executive function tasks tapping cognitive flexibility and working memory, as well as measures of reading comprehension, nonword reading, receptive language and nonverbal intelligence. Results revealed that unique variance in children's sentence reading comprehension was explained by their abilities in the cognitive flexibility tasks even after differences in age, decoding, naming speed, receptive language, working memory and nonverbal intelligence were taken into account. The results are discussed in relation to the generalisability of the relationship between cognitive flexibility and reading comprehension across different languages and future research investigating the potential of these findings for reading intervention. more...

The argument that Working Memory (WM) is especially important for reading comprehension has been supported in previous research. The aim of this study was to test a non-computerized WM training method to improve children's reading comprehension in a longitudinal design. 38 Danish children in 3rd and 4th grade (M = 112.9 months, SD = 7.90 months) were divided into a training group (N = 18) and a control group (N = 20). Assessments of sentence reading comprehension and WM were administered at pre- and post-test, half-year and one-year follow-up. Verbal WM and reading comprehension were not improved following training. Visuo-spatial WM improved at post-training, but the effect did not last into the one-year follow up. The role of WM in reading comprehension and the pedagogical implications for teaching are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...