ERIC Number: EJ879427
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0265-6590
EISSN: N/A
"It's Just So Lovely to Hear Him Talking": Exploring the Early-Intervention Expectations and Experiences of Parents
Lyons, Rena; O'Malley, Mary Pat; O'Connor, Patricia; Monaghan, Una
Child Language Teaching and Therapy, v26 n1 p61-76 2010
Little research to date explores parental experiences of early intervention. This study uses action research over a six-month period to explore the expectations and experiences of parents whose children attended an early-intervention group for speech/language impairments. This intervention programme was facilitated by a speech and language therapist and a psychologist and took place in the West of Ireland. Two focus groups were conducted with the parents of these children: one pre-intervention and one post-intervention. The focus groups were facilitated by two of the authors who were unfamiliar to the participants. Following each focus group, a summary of themes that emerged from the discussion was discussed with the clinical staff. Two changes were subsequently implemented: the timing of the group and clarification of parents' roles. Thematic network analysis was conducted in accordance with the processes outlined by Attride-Stirling (2001). Three global themes of progress, uncertainty and dissatisfaction emerged from the analysis pre- and post-intervention. In addition the global theme of certainty emerged pre-therapy and the global theme of satisfaction emerged post-therapy. The findings of this study highlight the importance of both service users and clinical staff co-constructing a shared frame of reference so that they can engage more fully in the therapy process. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Early Intervention, Action Research, Focus Groups, Language Impairments, Foreign Countries, Therapy, Expectation, Parent Attitudes, Speech Impairments, Speech Language Pathology, Parent Role, Communication Skills, Young Children, Program Effectiveness, Special Needs Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ireland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A