When evaluating a new treatment for children with specific language impairment, what should be the control group?

Using children who do not receive treatment as the control group is appropriate because it allows for a clear comparison between those who undergo the new treatment and those who do not. This method helps to establish whether any observed improvements in the treatment group can be attributed specifically to the new intervention rather than to maturation, environmental factors, or other variables. Establishing a comparison group that is not receiving any form of treatment provides a baseline to assess the effectiveness of the new treatment.

Other options may introduce confounding variables. For instance, using children who receive a different treatment may cause ambiguity in determining the effectiveness of the new treatment, as any observed changes could result from the different intervention. Similarly, having the same treatment in the control group does not create a meaningful comparison since there would be no difference in the level of intervention received by the two groups. Evaluating children a year later does not establish a control group but could lead to timing issues and logistical challenges in forming a proper study design. Therefore, non-treatment controls are essential for accurately assessing new interventions in clinical research settings.