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Updated: Jun 10, 2025

Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
Published on: June 6, 2020
Communication, Socialization, and Literacy for Adults With Developmental Disabilities: An Interview Study of Parents'
Sojung Kim1, Hee-Tae Jung2, Sunjung Kim Thao3
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, West Chester University, PA.
Purpose:
The study highlights the significance of continuous support and services in communication, socialization, and literacy skills for adults with developmental disabilities (DDs). The aim of the study was to gather in-depth information on the individualized needs, lived experiences, and expectations of adults with DD by interviewing their parents.
Method:
A total of 14 parents of adults with DD participated in one-on-one semistructured interviews. During the interviews, parents were asked to describe (a) their children's current communication, socialization, reading and writing skills; (b) the types of communication, socialization, and literacy support their children were receiving; and (c) the types of support that their children needed. Interviews were video- and audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis.
Results:
Thematic analysis revealed three main themes and eight subthemes: (1) insufficient support and services for adults with DD (i.e., lack of competent professionals and lack of literacy support), (2) approaches that the parents attempted for their children with DD (i.e., parents' responsibilities, technologies, and pseudoscience), and (3) recommendations for ongoing support and services (i.e., novel technologies, social media, and motivation).
Conclusions:
The study highlights crucial gaps between the participating parents' desire for individualized, consistent, and innovative support and services for their adult children with DD and scarcity of resources in communication, socialization, and literacy. The dearth of evidence-based support and resources leads to easy access to pseudoscience. Future research is warranted to develop innovative, customized, and highly motivating programs in communication, socialization, and literacy for adults with DD.
Supplemental Material:
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27214407.
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