Making Research Accessible to the Developmental Language Disorder Community: A Mixed Methods Study Using the Nominal...

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Health Communication

Background:

• Accessing scientific research is challenging for individuals with developmental language disorder (DLD) and their support networks due to complex language and cost barriers.
• Effective dissemination of DLD research is crucial for community involvement and knowledge building.
• No prior studies have investigated the DLD community's preferences for accessing and understanding research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the DLD community's perspectives on how researchers can enhance the accessibility of their findings.
• To identify preferred formats and strategies for disseminating DLD research to the affected community and their support systems.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, including a nominal group technique with parents of children with DLD and a speech-language therapist (n=9).
• Participants ranked preferred methods for research dissemination, followed by in-depth qualitative content analysis of discussions on research accessibility.

Main Results:

• Preferred formats for accessible research dissemination included plain language summaries, flyers, infographics, and short videos.
• Key recommendations for researchers encompass text-based, static visual, and dynamic multimedia approaches.
• Adjusting language complexity and involving the DLD community in dissemination were highlighted as crucial strategies.

Conclusions:

• This study offers valuable insights into the DLD community's needs for research accessibility, enabling more effective dissemination.
• Implementing these community-informed strategies can empower the DLD community and foster greater engagement with research.
• Improved accessibility of DLD research findings can lead to better understanding and translation of knowledge within the community.