"It's about sharing a moment": Parents' views and experiences of home reading with their autistic children with moderate-to-severe intellectual disabilities

Views of Parents on Supporting Language and Literacy for Their Children With Complex Communication Needs

PURPOSE

Understanding students' home literacy environments can help speech-language pathologists, teachers, and other educators partner with families to promote language and literacy learning. This study focused on gaining insight into the views of parents of elementary-age students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who had complex communication needs related to supporting children's language and literacy learning in the home.

METHOD

This qualitative study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many schools were utilizing remote or hybrid learning arrangements. Participants were 37 parents of students with complex communication needs in kindergarten to fourth grade. Most children had either autism or Down syndrome, and they ranged from primarily communicating prelinguistically (e.g., gestures and nonword vocalizations) to using some two to three word phrases in different modes (e.g., speech, sign, and aided augmentative and alternative communication [AAC]). Each parent was interviewed three times over the 2020-2021 school year, and data were analyzed using an inductive qualitative approach.

RESULTS

Findings showed patterns of commonalities and differences in parents' experiences, including related to their (a) goals and values about communication, language, and literacy; (b) perceptions and experiences with roles supporting language and literacy; and (c) satisfaction with supports and progress in these areas.

CONCLUSION

This study provides important insight into the views of parents related to home literacy that can be used to improve the design and delivery of interventions for school-age students with complex communication needs and their families.

Home Literacy Environment and Interventions for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

The aim of this scoping review was to map the research literature published in English and in peer-reviewed journals related to the home literacy environment of children and youth aged 3-21 years with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have significant support needs, including children with complex communication needs.

METHOD

A systematic search was conducted in four databases, along with forward and backward searching. The search yielded 60 studies, which included intervention and nonintervention studies. Data were charted related to participant characteristics, study focus, intervention components, study design and methodological rigor, and study results.

RESULTS

Findings provided insight into multiple dimensions of the home literacy environment for children with IDD, including the nature of parent views, practices, and interaction styles during shared reading. Findings also revealed gaps in the literature, specifically related to (a) limited representation of subgroups of children and youth with IDD, (b) limited representation of diverse families and caregivers, and (c) concerns about methodological quality.

CONCLUSION

This review identifies important directions for future research and suggests ways to improve the design and delivery of home literacy interventions for children and youth with IDD and their families, including through family-centered and culturally responsive models.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22704817.