Enhancement Therapy

A Brain-Driven Audiobook Intervention for Developmental Language Disorders

Prof. Dr. Katrin Neumann
Dr. Omid Abbasi
Dr. Denise Siemons-Lühring
Dr. Lars Meyer
Nina Goes
Dr. Martin Scharpenberg
Prof. Dr. Werner Brannath
Prof. Dr. Andreas Kist

Developmental language disorders (DLD) are among the most common and cost-intensive childhood disorders, with a prevalence of more than 9%. They threaten education, daily life, and later academic success, posing a challenge for the healthcare system and the economy. In Germany, one million speech therapy sessions per year are attributed to children with DLD, each session costing approximately €70. Conducting therapy outside the home environment often adds significant logistical and financial burdens on families.

To address these issues, we are developing an automated, family-centered intervention that allows therapy to be conducted at home, thereby strengthening the self-efficacy of parents and children. The development of the intervention is supported by several professional societies and the generous support of the Leopold Klinge Foundation, highlighting the significance of this innovation. The first clinical trial SES-Empower is supported by the German Innovation Fund. The council of the German Innovation Fund is located at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).