International interventions in Developmental Language Disorder and transferability to the Spanish context

Abstract

This article aims to identify which intervention programmes for Developmental Language Disorder have evidence of effectiveness and to synthesise the implementation factors that condition their transferability to the Spanish educational system.  To this end, a review with narrative synthesis of controlled trials, systematic reviews and programme evaluations (2015-2025) is conducted. Family-mediated interventions, school-based programmes, narrative approaches and multilevel frameworks were analysed, extracting information on focus, dosage, agent, fidelity and maintenance of effects.  The analyses show that parent-mediated and naturalistic interventions improve vocabulary and word combinations when they include coaching and distributed practice. School-based programmes and oracy-oriented initiatives yield gains in vocabulary, narrative and comprehension when they combine explicit instruction with conversational scaffolding. For vocabulary and morphosyntax, the best outcomes are associated with integrating phonological and semantic tasks, using recasts and auditory cues, and working within narrative contexts, although transfer to real-life situations is uneven and diminishes without follow-up. Individualised narrative interventions improve story macrostructure through visual supports and the gradual withdrawal of scaffolding. Most of the evidence comes from English-speaking countries, which limits its direct application to inflected languages such as Spanish.  With a view to implementation in Spain, the findings indicate that transferability to the Spanish context requires linguistic and cultural adaptation of materials, embedding interventions in multilevel frameworks with combined evaluation, strengthening teacher training and family mediation, and defining clear protocols for fidelity and dosage. Prioritising phonological-semantic combinations with narrative support, structured parent programmes and multilevel designs may optimise impact and scalability in Spanish schools.