How Speech and Language Therapists and Parents Work Together in the Therapeutic Process for Children With Speech Sound Disorder: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders

Pritchard, K., Stojanovik, V., et al. (2024).

International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 60, e13132.

<div>This scoping review explores the collaboration between SLPs and care partners in the delivery of parent-implemented home practice to children with speech sound disorders.</div>

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<div>Parents reported the following perspectives regarding working with SLPs to deliver parent-implemented home practice to their children with speech sound disorders:</div> <div> <ul> <li><strong>Individualization: </strong>Parents emphasized the importance of individualizing treatment plans to the specific child, their family, and their context. They reported that direct communication with parents was essential to successful treatment individualization.</li> <li><strong>Setting expectations: </strong>Some parents viewed the SLPs as being in an expert role. At times, this resulted in parents avoiding or de-emphasizing their own roles within direct therapy sessions. Some parents additionally reported that the SLPs did not always clearly communicate their role in home practice.</li> <li><strong>Daily life: </strong>Parents emphasized the importance of incorporating practices that fit into the family&rsquo;s daily routine. Barriers to home practice included the presence of other children, holidays, and work commitments.</li> <li><strong>Parental knowledge: </strong>Parents stressed that it was important for them to understand why they are doing something (i.e., the theoretical rationale) and how they need to do it in order to be successful. They endorsed a desire for SLP education in clear language.</li> <li><strong>Parental involvement: </strong>Parents reported that their involvement in SLP treatment was not always easy due to a variety of barriers, including a lack of time and their lack of confidence in providing treatment support.</li> <li><strong>Therapeutic support: </strong>Parents reported that they want to be involved and value time spent with their child. Support from other family members and a positive SLP-children relationship were reported as facilitators to success. Conversely, parents report that suboptimal SLP-children or SLP-parent relationships resulted in negative experiences or even withdrawal from treatment.&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Supporting parents to deliver home practice: </strong>Parents benefited from education using a variety of formats and approaches. Monitoring the parent&rsquo;s delivery of intervention via observation or video may support treatment fidelity.</li> </ul> <div>Of note, these findings are based on a fairly homogeneous sample (i.e., predominately English-speaking mothers).</div> </div>