LENA in Early Intervention - FCEI Post Conference Workshop

This full-day workshop broadens our early-intervention focus beyond children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We will discover the benefits of applying the LENA technology to early intervention with typically developing, at-risk children as well as with children experiencing language delays or disorders with diverse etiologies, including Autism Spectrum Disorder. During the first part of the workshop we will provide an overview of the LENA technology, and several researchers and interventionists will discuss how they are incorporating LENA analysis and feedback into their existing programs. The last two hours will be dedicated to exploring the wealth and variety of additional data that can be extracted from LENA for deeper analysis, with some time allotted to discuss individual data-mining questions. A complete agenda will be posted soon. You can learn more about the LENA technology at www.lenafoundation.org.

LENA stands for Language ENvironment Analysis. The LENA Digital Language Processor (DLP) captures every utterance between adults and children, as well as all other language environment audio. Then the software uses advanced algorithms and statistical models of adult speech and child vocalizations to analyze the language environment. LENA analyzes every millisecond of the audio file and produces core reports as well as segmented data for researchers to conduct additional analysis. The core reports provide counts for Adult Words, Conversational Turns, Child Vocalizations, as well as normative comparison information, automatic vocalization assessments, developmental age, and a breakdown of the components in the audio environment. LENA also identifies and segments the majority of non-speech sounds a child makes. Such sounds include vegetative sounds — those that have to do with respiration or digestion — as well as cries, screams, and whining sounds.