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Research

The Moor House Research and Training Institute is at the forefront of global research and training in the field of speech and language disorders

This ensures the work we do with our students is driven by the most current evidence, whilst we aim to share the benefits of this work and knowledge to benefit others.

Our research studies are led by Dr Susan Ebbels, Director of the Research and Training Institute and Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist.

Research-informed practice continues to put this school at the cutting edge of speech and language-led interventions.

Ofsted care report, 2020

Published articles by Moor House professionals

Key:
Linked authors are members of the Moor House Research & Training Institute team.
Moor House employees are listed in bold.

Highlighted articles (for full list see view all below) 

Davies, C., Ebbels, S., Nicoll, H., Syrett, K., White, S., & Zuniga-Montanez, C. (2023). Supporting adjective learning by children with Developmental Language Disorder: Enhancing metalinguistic approaches. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 58(2), 629-650. Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12792

Frizelle, P., McKean, C., Eadie, P., Ebbels, S., Firicke, S., Justice, L. M., Kunnari, S., Leitao, S., Morgan, A. T., Munro, N., Murphy, C.-A., Storkel, H. L., Van Horne, A. O (2023). Editorial Perspective: Maximising the benefits of intervention research for children and young people with developmental language disorder (DLD) – a call for international consensus on standards of reporting in intervention studies for children with and at risk for DLD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(3), 474-479. Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13694

Kulkarni, A. A., K. E. Chadd, S. B. Lambert, G. Earl, L. M. Longhurst, C. McKean, C. Hulme, K. K. McGregor, A. Cunniff, E. Pagnamenta, V. Joffe, S. H. Ebbels, S. Bangera, J. Wallinger and C. F. Norbury (2022). "Editorial Perspective: Speaking up for developmental language disorder – the top 10 priorities for research." Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 63(8): 957-960. Link

Ebbels, S. H., Bannister, L., Holland, B., & Campbell, L. (2022) Effectiveness of intervention focused on vocational course vocabulary in post-16 students with (developmental) language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 57(6), 1334-1353. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12758 Link

Calder, S. D., Claessen, M., Leitão, S., & Ebbels, S. (2021). Evaluating two different dose frequencies and cumulative intervention intensities to improve past tense production for early school-aged children with developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(6), 1278-1295. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.12667 Link

Leniston, H & Ebbels, S (2021): Investigation into the effectiveness of electropalatography in treating persisting speech sound disorders in adolescents with co-occurring developmental language disorder, Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, DOI:10.1080/02699206.2021.1957022 Link Accepted version

Calder, S. D., Claessen, M., Ebbels, S., & Leitão, S. (2021). The Efficacy of an Explicit Intervention Approach to Improve Past Tense Marking for Early School-Age Children With Developmental Language Disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(1), 91-104. doi:10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00132 Link Accepted version

Balthazar, C. H., Ebbels, S., & Zwitserlood, R. (2020). Explicit Grammatical Intervention for Developmental Language Disorder: Three Approaches. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 51(2), 226-246. doi:10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00046 Link

Benjamin, L., Newton, C., & Ebbels, S. (2020). Investigating the effectiveness of idiom intervention for 9–16-year-olds with developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(2), 266-286. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12519 Link

Campbell, L., Nicoll, H., & Ebbels, S. H. (2019). The effectiveness of semantic intervention for word-finding difficulties in college-aged students (16–19 years) with persistent Language Disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 4, 2396941519870784. Link.

Ebbels S.H., McCartney, E., Slonims, V., Dockrell, J. E., & Norbury, C. F. (2019). Evidence-based pathways to intervention for children with language disorders. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(1), 3-19. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12387. Link. Accepted version.

Wright, L., Pring, T. & Ebbels, S. (2018) Effectiveness of vocabulary intervention for older children with (developmental) language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53, 480–494. DOI:10.1111/1460-6984.12361. Link. Accepted version.

Ebbels, S. H., Wright, L., Brockbank, S., Godfrey, C., Harris, C., Leniston, H., Neary, K., Nicoll, H., Nicoll, L., Scott, J. and Marić, N. (2017), Effectiveness of 1:1 speech and language therapy for older children with (developmental) language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52: 528–539. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12297. LinkAccepted version

Ebbels, S (2014) Introducing the SLI debate.International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. 49, 377-380. Link

Ebbels, S. H. (2014). Effectiveness of intervention for grammar in school-aged children with primary language impairments: a review of the evidence.Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 30: 7-40. Link. Most downloaded paper 2016-2018

Ebbels, S. H., Maric, N., Murphy, A., & Turner, G. (2014) Improving comprehension in adolescents with severe receptive language impairments: a randomised control trial of intervention for coordinating conjunctions. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 49: 30-48. Link.

Ebbels, S.H.,  Nicoll, H, Clark, B., Eachus, B., Gallagher, A., Horniman, K., Jennings, M., McEvoy, K., Nimmo, E., Turner., G. (2012). Effectiveness of semantic therapy for children with word finding difficulties in pupils with a persistent language impairment: a randomised control trial. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 47: 35-51. Winner of the 2012 IJLCD Article Prize LinkAccepted version

Ebbels, S.H. (2007). Teaching grammar to school-aged children with Specific Language Impairment using Shape Coding. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 23, 67-93. Most downloaded paper 2007-2015 LinkAccepted version with update notesVodcast.

Ebbels, S.H., van der Lely, H.K.J., and Dockrell, J.E. (2007). Intervention for verb argument structure in children with persistent SLI: a randomized control trial. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research,50, 1330-1349. Link. Accepted version.

Ebbels, S. & van der Lely, H. (2001). Meta-syntactic therapy using visual coding for children with severe persistent SLI. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 36(supplement), 345-350. Accepted version

View all published articles

Davies, C., Ebbels, S., Nicoll, H., Syrett, K., White, S., & Zuniga-Montanez, C. (in press). Supporting adjective learning by children with Developmental Language Disorder: Enhancing metalinguistic approaches. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12792

Frizelle, P., McKean, C., Eadie, P., Ebbels, S., Firicke, S., Justice, L. M., Kunnari, S., Leitao, S., Morgan, A. T., Munro, N., Murphy, C.-A., Storkel, H. L., Van Horne, A. O (2023). Editorial Perspective: Maximising the benefits of intervention research for children and young people with developmental language disorder (DLD) – a call for international consensus on standards of reporting in intervention studies for children with and at risk for DLD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(3), 474-479. Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13694

Davies, C., Ebbels, S., Nicoll, H., Syrett, K., White, S., Zuniga-Montanez, C. (in press). Supporting Adjective Learning by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Enhancing Metalinguistic Approaches. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. Preprint available at https://osf.io/3rcaf

Kulkarni, A. A., K. E. Chadd, S. B. Lambert, G. Earl, L. M. Longhurst, C. McKean, C. Hulme, K. K. McGregor, A. Cunniff, E. Pagnamenta, V. Joffe, S. H. Ebbels, S. Bangera, J. Wallinger and C. F. Norbury (2022). "Editorial Perspective: Speaking up for developmental language disorder – the top 10 priorities for research." Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 63(8): 957-960. Link

Ebbels, S. H., Bannister, L., Holland, B., & Campbell, L. (in press) Effectiveness of intervention focused on vocational course vocabulary in post-16 students with (developmental) language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12758 Link

Calder, S. D., Claessen, M., Leitão, S., & Ebbels, S. (2021). Evaluating two different dose frequencies and cumulative intervention intensities to improve past tense production for early school-aged children with developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(6), 1278-1295. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.12667 Link

Leniston, H & Ebbels, S (2021): Investigation into the effectiveness of electropalatography in treating persisting speech sound disorders in adolescents with co-occurring developmental language disorder, Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, DOI:10.1080/02699206.2021.1957022 Link Accepted version

Calder, S. D., Claessen, M., Leitão, S., & Ebbels, S. (2021). A profile of expressive inflectional morphology in early school-age children with developmental language disorder. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 1-18. doi:10.1080/02699206.2021.1931454 Link

Calder, S. D., Claessen, M., Ebbels, S., & Leitão, S. (2021). The Efficacy of an Explicit Intervention Approach to Improve Past Tense Marking for Early School-Age Children With Developmental Language Disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(1), 91-104. doi:10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00132 Link

Balthazar, C. H., Ebbels, S., & Zwitserlood, R. (2020). Explicit Grammatical Intervention for Developmental Language Disorder: Three Approaches. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 51(2), 226-246. doi:10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00046 Link

Calder, S. D., Claessen, M., Ebbels, S., & Leitão, S. (2020). Explicit Grammar Intervention in Young School-Aged Children With Developmental Language Disorder: An Efficacy Study Using Single-Case Experimental Design. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 51(2), 298-316. doi:10.1044/2019_LSHSS-19-00060 Link Accepted version

Benjamin, L., Newton, C., & Ebbels, S. (2020). Investigating the effectiveness of idiom intervention for 9–16-year-olds with developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(2), 266-286. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12519 Link

Campbell, L., Nicoll, H., & Ebbels, S. H. (2019). The effectiveness of semantic intervention for word-finding difficulties in college-aged students (16–19 years) with persistent Language Disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 4, 2396941519870784. Link.

Ebbels S.H., McCartney, E., Slonims, V., Dockrell, J. E., & Norbury, C. F. (2019). Evidence-based pathways to intervention for children with language disorders. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(1), 3-19. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12387. LinkAccepted version

Norbury, C. F., McCartney, E., Slonims, V., Dockrell, J. E., & Ebbels, S. H. (2019). Public health approaches still have room for individualized services: response to commentaries on ‘Evidence-based pathways to intervention for children with language disorders’. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(1), 28-29. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12436. Link.

Tobin, L. M., & Ebbels, S. H. (2019). Effectiveness of intervention with visual templates targeting tense and plural agreement in copula and auxiliary structures in school-aged children with complex needs: a pilot study. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 33(1-2), 175-190. doi:10.1080/02699206.2018.1501608 Link. Accepted version.

Scharff Rethfeldt, W. & Ebbels, S. (2019). Terminologie der Sprachentwicklungsstörung (SES) - Auf dem Weg zu einem internationalen Konsens. Forum Logopädie, 33 (4), 24-31. doi: 10.2443/skv-s-2019-53020190404. Link

Wright, L., Pring, T. & Ebbels, S. (2018) Effectiveness of vocabulary intervention for older children with (developmental) language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53, 480–494. DOI:10.1111/1460-6984.12361. LinkAccepted version.

Ebbels, S. H., & Spencer, S. (2018). Interventions for grammar for adolescents with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). In S. Spencer (Ed.), Supporting Adolescents with Language Disorders. Guildford, Surrey, UK: J & R Press. Link 

Ebbels, S. H., Wright, L., Brockbank, S., Godfrey, C., Harris, C., Leniston, H., Neary, K., Nicoll, H., Nicoll, L., Scott, J. and Marić, N. (2017), Effectiveness of 1:1 speech and language therapy for older children with (developmental) language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52: 528–539. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12297. LinkAccepted version

Ebbels, S. H(2017) Intervention research: appraising study designs, interpreting findings and creating research in clinical practice. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 19, 218-231. doi:10.1080/17549507.2016.1276215 Linkaccepted version

Gallgaher, A.L & Ebbels, S.H. (2017) Language, literacy and numeracy outcomes of adolescents with (Developmental) Language Disorder following a collaborative model of SLT delivery in specialist education. Moor House School & College, Surrey, UK. Link

Bishop, D. V. M., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., Greenhalgh, T., & Catalise-consortium*. (2017). Phase 2 of CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development: Terminology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58: 1068–1080. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12721. Link

*Catalise consortium includes S.H. Ebbels

Bishop, D. V., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., Greenhalgh, T & Catalise consortium*. (2016). CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study. Identifying language impairments in children (2167-9843). Link

*Catalise consortium includes S.H. Ebbels

Ebbels, S (2014) Introducing the SLI debate.International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. 49, 377-380. Link

Ebbels, S. H. (2014). Effectiveness of intervention for grammar in school-aged children with primary language impairments: a review of the evidence.Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 30: 7-40. Link. Most downloaded paper 2016-2018

Ebbels, S. H., Maric, N., Murphy, A., & Turner, G. (2014) Improving comprehension in adolescents with severe receptive language impairments: a randomised control trial of intervention for coordinating conjunctions. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 49: 30-48. Link.

Kulkarni, A., Pring, T. & Ebbels, S.H. (2014). Evaluating the effectiveness of therapy based around Shape Coding to develop the use of regular past tense morphemes in two children with language impairments. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 30: 245-254. LinkAccepted version

Conti-Ramsden, G., Bishop, D., Clark, B., Frazier Norbury, C., & Snowling, M. (2014). Specific Language Impairment (SLI): The internet campaign to raise awareness of SLI. Psychology of Language and Communication, 18: 143 -148 Link

Ebbels, S.H., Nicoll, H., Clark, B., Eachus, B., Gallagher, A., Horniman, K., Jennings, M., McEvoy, K., Nimmo, E., Turner., G. (2012). Effectiveness of semantic therapy for children with word finding difficulties in pupils with a persistent language impairment: a randomised control trial. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 47: 35-51. Winner of the 2012 IJLCD Article Prize LinkAccepted version 

Ebbels, S.H., Dockrell, J.D. & van der Lely, H.K.J (2012) Production of change-of-state, change-of-location and alternating verbs: a comparison of children with specific language impairment and typically developing children. Language and Cognitive Processes, 27 (9), 1312-1333. LinkAccepted version

Ebbels, S.H., Dockrell, J.D. & van der Lely, H.K.J (2012). Non-word repetition in adolescents with SLI.International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47, 257-273. LinkAccepted version

Bishop, D.V.M., Clark, B., Conti-Ramsden, G., Frazier Norbury, C., & Snowling, M. (2012). RALLI: An internet campaign for raising awareness of language learning impairments. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 28: 259 -262 Link

Ebbels, S.H. (2008). Improving grammatical skill in children with specific language impairment. In Norbury, C.F.., Tomblin, J.B. & Bishop, D.V.M (Eds.), Understanding developmental language disorders: from theory to practice (pp. 149-174). Hove: Psychology Press.

Ebbels, S.H. (2007). Teaching grammar to school-aged children with Specific Language Impairment using Shape Coding. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 23, 67-93. Most downloaded paper 2007-2015 LinkAccepted version with update notesVodcast.

Ebbels, S.H., van der Lely, H.K.J., and Dockrell, J.E. (2007). Intervention for verb argument structure in children with persistent SLI: a randomized control trial. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research,50, 1330-1349. LinkAccepted version.

Joffe, V. L., Cain, K. and Maric, N. (2007), Comprehension problems in children with specific language impairment: does mental imagery training help? International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 42: 648–664. Summary. Link

Marshall, C, Ebbels, S, Harris, J, van der Lely, H. (2002) Investigating the impact of prosodic complexity on the speech of children with Specific Language Impairment. UCL Working Papers in Linguistics, 14,43-66

Ebbels, S. & van der Lely, H. (2001). Meta-syntactic therapy using visual coding for children with severe persistent SLI. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 36(supplement), 345-350. Submitted article

Ebbels, S. (2000) Psycholinguistic profiling of a hearing-impaired child. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 16, 3-22.

Conference Presentations (not published elsewhere)

View presentations

Burridge, D. (2018) The Wheel of Independence™ Framework. Link

Ebbels, S.H., Bell, L., Brockbank, S., Harris, C.,Heine, C., Leniston, H., Marić, N., Morrison, M., Nicoll, H., Nicoll, L., Perovic, A., Roberts, V., Scott J. (2015) Intervention on comprehension of complex language for adolescents with developmental language impairments. Oral Presentation at Child Language Symposium, 20-21 July 2015, Warwick, England. Link

Campbell, L., & Ebbels, S.H (2014) Effectiveness of Speech and Language Therapy within a Post-16 Provision. Poster presented at conference of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 18-19 Sept 2014, Leeds, England. Link

O’Sullivan, S., Nicoll, H & Ebbels, S.H (2012) Can we improve comprehension of vocabulary in secondary-aged students with language impairments? Evaluating the effectiveness of speech and language therapy in a Key Stage 3 Science lesson. Poster presented at conference of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 11-12 Sept 2012, Manchester, England. Link

Nicoll, H & Ebbels, S.H (2011) Semantic therapy to improve developmental word finding difficulties: Does the method of delivery impact effectiveness? Oral presentation at “Lost for Words: Lost for Life?” conference on SLCN in older children and young people. 15-17 June 2011, City University London, England. Link

Middleton, H., Campbell, C., Scott, J., Vallance, J. & Carter, D. (2011) Enabling students with SLI to access the English Curriculum in Key Stage Four. Poster presented at “Lost for Words: Lost for Life?” conference on SLCN in older children and young people. 15-17 June 2011, City University London, England. Link