An effectiveness study of a parent-child interaction therapy with children with Down syndrome
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Date
2020-04
Authors
Cronin, Sarah Marie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
Background: Parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) often demonstrate
directive parenting styles which can impede on their child’s communication
development. For that reason, parent-child interaction therapies have shown to be an
effective form of early intervention for children with DS as it facilitates parent
coaching while also addressing the specific communication needs of children with
DS. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of the PELD (Promotion of Early
Language Development) intervention offered by a speech and language therapy
(SLT) service for individuals with DS. The study aimed to explore the impact this
programme had on the language development and communicative interactions of
children with DS, while also exploring the change in the interaction and
communication strategies employed by their parents.
Methodology: A single-subject multiple-baseline design was employed to evaluate
the effectiveness of the PELD intervention. Seven child participants and their
mothers took part in the study. All participants were aged between 10-17 months at
the time of entry. Three terms of the intervention were offered over a 10 month
period and families had the option of completing all or some of the terms. Data was
collected over three to five time points depending on when the child commenced the
intervention. Standardised assessments, parental report and observational measures
were used to capture change for both the parent and child.
Results: Improvements in receptive vocabulary, use of key word signs, gesture use
and a child’s ability to respond to joint attention were noted in the majority of child
participants. Children who attended all three terms of the intervention seemed to
benefit the most from the PELD programme as they demonstrated a wide range of
gestures, understood the most words and used the most Lámh signs post-intervention
as reported by their parents. With regards to parent outcomes, all parents were
successful in adapting their parenting style and a notable increase in each parents’
ability to follow their child’s lead, join in and play and incorporate a time delay into
parent-child interactions was observed. Parents also used language that was
developmentally appropriate for their children and increased their use of labelling
and repetition of key words post-intervention.
Conclusions: The PELD programme is the first parent-child interaction therapy to
be tailored specifically to children with DS who are of a very young age. There was
some indication that the PELD intervention can support the development of early
language skills and the communicative intentions of young children with DS while
also upskilling their parents in specific communication and interaction strategies that
promote the language development of their child.
Description
Keywords
Down syndrome , Parent-child interaction therapy , Parent-mediated intervention , Communication , Early intervention
Citation
Cronin, S. M. 2020. An effectiveness study of a parent-child interaction therapy with children with Down syndrome. MRes Thesis, University College Cork.