Several studies have indicated that parents play an effective role in the management of early communication disorders like stuttering and language delay in children, especially when they are supported by clinicians. This comprehensive review attempted to study published literature regarding the important role played by parents in other childhood speech sound disorders (SSD). The research involved a meta-analysis of peer reviewed publications between 1979 and 2013. Sixty-one out of the 170 papers that met the study criteria reported parental involvement or intervention involving home tasks. The publications however had limited information about the diverse practices utilised. Due to the lack of clinical evidence, speech language therapists do not have evidence-based strategies for the inclusion of parents in phonology-based SSD. The authors suggest that researchers in future publications should describe more details about parental involvement and the home tasks utilised in intervention so that the knowledge can be translated and external evidence can be integrated into clinical practice.
Parental role in childhood speech disorder intervention
Reviewed by Gauri Mankekar
Involvement of parents in intervention for childhood speech sound disorders: a review of the evidence.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gauri Mankekar
Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
View Full Profile
