Child and Caregiver Perspectives on Conversation Club Therapy: A Case Study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Social and conversation skills are crucial for children's development.
• Neurodiverse and neurotypical children may require targeted support in these areas.
• Community-based interventions offer accessible solutions for skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the Conversation Club intervention.
• To assess the impact of Conversation Club on social and conversation skills.
• To examine the social validity and acceptance of the intervention from child and caregiver perspectives.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods case study design was employed.
• Data were collected from a child-caregiver dyad.
• Pre-post intervention assessments included interviews and standardized social skills measures.

Main Results:

• Both children and caregivers reported satisfaction and perceived benefits from Conversation Club.
• Children demonstrated reliable changes in self- and caregiver-reported social and conversation skills.
• Behavioral outcomes showed mixed results, with children rating their skills as average while caregivers perceived elevated impairments.

Conclusions:

• The inclusion of child participant perspectives is a strength in evaluating intervention social validity.
• Conversation Club appears to be an acceptable and beneficial intervention for enhancing social and conversation skills.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm efficacy.