ABSTRACT
The training items assessed understanding of word order, in sentences such as “the book is above the cup”, or “the girl is being kicked by the boy”. There were two treatment conditions, but the difference between them is not important for the point the authors want to make, which is that there was substantial improvement on a language comprehension test administered at baseline and again after the intervention in both groups. People with acquired aphasia may continue to show recovery for months or years after the brain injury, regardless of any intervention. Some toddlers who are “late talkers” take off after a late start and catch up with their peers. And children in general get better at doing things as they get older. It is often assumed that practice effects don't apply to psychometric tests, especially those with high test-retest reliability.
