Parent Coaching
Most children successfully learn communication skills from their parents. However, sometimes a child’s communication skills fall significantly behind those of other children the same age, called a speech-language disorder. Common causes of speech-language disorders are autism, hearing loss, or genetic differences. But, many times, we may not know what has caused a child’s skills to fall behind.
Speech-language therapy can help improve a child’s skills and scientists conduct research studies to identify the best ways to improve these skills. However, not all kinds of speech-language therapy are created equal!
Recent research suggests that kids with speech-language impairment make the most progress when the focus of therapy is parent coaching (also known as parent training or parent-mediated intervention). Rather than the child learning new skills from the speech-language pathologist (SLP), the parent learns therapy techniques from the SLP, and the child learns from their parent. The best thing about this type of intervention is that therapy doesn’t stop when the therapy session is over — that’s just the beginning!
During parent coaching, the SLP teaches the parent about a new technique through didactic instruction (e.g., providing definitions, reading materials, or other handouts), the SLP models the technique with the child, the parent practices the technique with their child, and the SLP provides feedback about the parent’s use of the strategy. The SLP and the parent create a home carryover plan, so that the parent continues to use the new technique with their child after therapy has ended. Parents are encouraged to ask questions and share concerns with the therapist during the session, with time during the session spent consulting the parent and discussing the child’s progress. Our goal is to ensure that parents feel confident supporting their child’s growth.
