Evaluating the Effect of Combined Parent Training Plus Speech Therapy on Children With Speech Development Disorder.

Plain-language summary

Language is an extremely complex cognitive function that, in situations of typical development, i.e. in the absence of deficits or environmental risk, is generally acquired with apparent ease and naturalness (Kuhl, 2010). The first 1,000 days of life are considered a key time window in which children's developmental trajectories and future outcomes are shaped. During this period, it is crucial to provide children with nurturing experiences such as responsive care and appropriate learning opportunities (Britto et al., 2017). Most children learn communication skills (e.g., pointing, gesturing) and language skills (e.g., saying words, following instructions) from high-quality interactions with parents and caregivers. However, some children may have language learning difficulties for a variety of reasons, including genetic, neurological and environmental. Not all children necessarily follow the stages outlined: some present delayed language development. The early identification and diagnosis of the language disorder is therefore very important as this deficit can have a negative impact on the child's subsequent development of skills, the way he/she relates and subsequent acquisition skills in primary school. This research aims to assess whether parents, guided and monitored by the speech therapist and psychologist through parental training, can try out specific and effective strategies that enable them to become a facilitating model for the child's communicative-linguistic learning, thereby also improving their quality of life.

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