Emergence of auxiliary is and are in AAE dialect-speaking preschoolers with specific language impairment following language treatment

African American English (AAE) dialect-speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI) have been shown to produce certain morphosyntactic dialect features at higher rates than typically developing AAE-dialect speaking children (Garrity & Oetting, 2010; Oetting, Cantrell, & Horohov, 1999; Oetting & McDonald, 2001). One of the dialect features that has received considerable attention is the zero marking of BE verbs, both copula and auxiliary. AAE dialect-speaking children with SLI tend to omit BE verb forms at higher rates than their typically developing age-matched peers. However, there is a lack of research on how dialect features emerge in these children after receiving language treatment. In adult and child literature, typical marking of BE verbs is often examined for general patterns as well as marking patterns relative to contextual linguistic influences that may impact the trends. The focus of this study was on marking patterns of auxiliary is and are. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine in what ways auxiliary is and are emerged after language treatment in AAE-speaking children with SLI. Patterns of auxiliary is and are marking were examined in 10 AAE-speaking preschool children with SLI. Pre- and post-treatment language samples were analyzed, and emerging patterns were examined for general marking of auxiliary is and are as well as marking relative to linguistic influences. The general marking patterns examined were overtly marked auxiliary is and are, zero marked auxiliary is and are, and is for are productions. The linguistic influences studied were person and number context (is versus are contexts), preceding context, succeeding context, and contractibility. An embedded multiple-case study design was used. Marking patterns were examined across the group as well as selected behaviors within individual cases. Results demonstrated patterns of marking that agreed with existing data on adult and typical child AAE in several ways: (1) increased variable marking of auxiliary is and are (from very low rates to highly variable), (2) increased is for are productions, (3) clear preference for overt marking of is contexts over are contexts and higher rates of overall post-treatment marking of both contexts, (4) high rates of marking with preceding it, that, or what contexts and comparatively higher marking than for both preceding specific noun or noun phrase and preceding personal pronoun contexts, and (5) higher marking rates of auxiliary is and are with succeeding V-ing than with succeeding gonna or gon. Patterns that did not align with expected AAE patterns were (1) higher auxiliary is and are marking with preceding personal pronoun than preceding specific noun or noun phrase, and (2) higher overt marking in contractible contexts than in uncontractible contexts. Five other trends that may indicate language and dialect growth were also identified. Individual variations from the observed patterns were discussed as well as possible reasons for outcomes that were not consistent with expected patterns.