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Background: Collaboration between Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and parents is considered best practice for children with developmental disorders. However, such collaborative approach is not yet implemented in therapy for children with developmental language disorders (DLD) in the Netherlands. Improving Dutch SLTs' collaboration with parents requires insight in factors that influence the way SLTs work with parents., Aims: To explore the specific beliefs of Dutch SLTs that influence how they collaborate with parents of children with DLD., Methods and Procedures: We conducted three online focus groups with 17 SLTs using a reflection tool and fictional examples of parents to prompt their thoughts, feelings and actions on specific scenarios. Data were organised using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)., Outcomes and Results: We identified 34 specific beliefs across nine TDF domains on how SLTs collaborate with parents of children with DLD. The results indicate that SLTs hold beliefs on how to support SLTs in collaborating with parents but also conflicting specific beliefs regarding collaborative work with parents. The latter relate to SLTs' perspectives on their professional role and identity, their approach towards parents, and their confidence and competence in working collaboratively with parents., Conclusions and Implications: SLTs hold specific beliefs that potentially hinder them from working collaboratively with parents. Appropriate interventions should be developed by combining implementation science and behaviour change science., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Collaboration between therapists and parents of children with developmental disabilities is a key element of family-centred care. In practice, collaboration appears to be challenging for both parents and therapists. This systematic review aims to make explicit how therapists can optimise their collaboration with parents of young children with developmental disabilities, according to the perspectives of parents and therapists., Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the following databases: Medline (PubMed), CINAHL (OVID) and PsychINFO (OVID). Those papers were selected, which focused on collaboration using a two-way interaction between therapists and parents, exploring the perspectives of therapists and/or parents of children between 2 and 6 years. Papers needed to be published in English or Dutch between 1998 and July 2021. Included papers were synthesised using a qualitative analysis approach by two researchers independently. Results sections were analysed line-by-line, and codes were formulated and discussed by all authors. Codes were aggregated, resulting in a synthesis of specific collaboration strategies in combined strategy clusters., Results: The search generated 3439 records. In total, 24 papers were selected. Data synthesis resulted in an overview of specific strategies organised into five clusters: (1) continuously invest time in your collaboration with parents, (2) be aware of your important role in the collaboration with parents, (3) tailor your approach, (4) get to know the family and (5) empower parents to become a collaborative partner., Conclusions: This systematic review resulted in an overview of concrete strategies for therapists to use in their collaboration with parents of children with developmental disabilities. The strategies formulated enable therapists to consciously decide how to optimise their collaboration with each individual parent. Making these strategies explicit facilitates change of practice from therapist-led and child-centred towards family-centred care., (© 2023 The Authors. Child: Care, Health and Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Indirect speech and language therapy, such as parent-implemented intervention, has been shown to be an effective approach for young children with speech and language disorders. However, relatively few studies have compared outcomes of parent-directed therapy with child-directed intervention, that is, individual therapy of a child delivered by a speech and language therapist (SLT). Although speech and language therapists (SLTs) regard parental engagement as imperative for successful intervention, currently they predominantly use child-directed intervention., Aim: To evaluate the effect of parent- versus child-directed speech-language therapy embedded in usual care intervention for young children with developmental language disorder (DLD)., Methods & Procedures: In a randomized trial, forty-six 3-year-old monolingual children with DLD were assigned to parent-directed intervention or child-directed intervention groups. In addition, all children received usual care in special-language daycare centres. Outcomes included children's language development and functional communication, parents' language output, parents' perceptions and their self-efficacy. These were assessed at three time intervals, that is, at baseline, immediately after 6 months of treatment, and 1 year after baseline. The parent-directed intervention consisted of twelve 50-min sessions every 2 weeks with parent and child, consisting of parental training with immediate feedback by (SLTs. Children in the child-directed intervention group received individual speech-language therapy in weekly 30-min sessions for 6 months., Outcomes & Results: Intervention in both groups was equally effective. All children improved significantly in receptive and expressive language measures as well as in functional communication at all intervals. All parents used significantly more language support strategies and were less concerned about their child's participation in communication. Parents in the parent-directed intervention group reported increased self-efficacy in stimulating their child's language development. In contrast, parents in the child-directed intervention group reported a decrease in self-efficacy. Though modest, these group differences were significant in both the short and long terms. Both parents and SLTs were positive about the parent-directed intervention., Conclusions & Implications: The effects of parent- and child-directed intervention for young children with DLD are similar. The parent-directed intervention adds to treatment options for parents as well as for SLTs and creates choices for shared decision-making., What This Paper Adds: What is already known on the subject Language therapy for young children with DLD comprises various delivery models. Two of these are child- and parent-directed therapy by SLTs. Compared with no treatment, both delivery models are effective, but it is unclear if one of these results in better language outcomes than the other. SLTs value child-directed intervention more highly than indirect approaches where treatment is delivered by others. This study aims to compare the relative effectiveness of parent-directed intervention with child-directed intervention, both parts of multi-component usual care intervention. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This randomized trial indicates that a parent-directed intervention model is as effective as child-directed intervention by SLTs for children's language development and functional communication. Parents' use of language support strategies was also similar in both intervention models, in the short and long terms. Like in child-directed therapy, parent-directed intervention reduces parents' concerns. Contrary to child-directed treatment, parent-directed intervention increases parents' self-efficacy, that is, supporting their child's language development. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Though SLTs predominantly choose a child-directed intervention model, the study results show that they can consider parent-directed approaches too. There are no significant differences in children's language outcomes as a function of parent- or child-directed intervention. Furthermore, parents and SLTs were positive about the parent-directed intervention program and the SLTs evaluated it as valuable and feasible., (© 2023 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the role of familiarity of a communication partner on Dutch parents' perception of their child's intelligibility, for children with typically-developing speech (TD) or speech sound disorder (SSD)., Method: Participants were 67 Dutch-speaking children (48-84 months), 48 with TD and 19 with SSD. Item scores on the parent-rated Intelligibility in Context Scale: Dutch (ICS-NL) were compared between groups and related to naive listeners' ratings of children's intelligibility (IR), and a measure of speech accuracy (i.e. percentage of consonants correct-adjusted, PCC-A)., Result: Statistical analysis yielded a significant Group by Familiarity interaction on the ICS-NL. Parents rated the intelligibility of their child with SSD as higher with more familiar communication partners than less familiar, more so than parents of children with TD. In the SSD group, IR was more strongly correlated with ICS-NL item scores for less familiar partners. PCC-A was only correlated with ICS-NL item 7 (strangers)., Conclusion: Parents perceive their children as more intelligible with people in close relationships, likely due to their higher familiarity with the child's speech. Children's relationships should be considered with respect to communicative participation. PCC-A may be a less reliable predictor of participation in family and community life.