Striving for Triadic Collaboration in Pediatric Speech Sound Disorder Intervention: Grounded Theory Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology
• Speech Sound Disorders (SSD)
• Collaborative Intervention Strategies

Background:

• Collaboration between speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and parents is crucial for pediatric speech sound disorder (SSD) intervention.
• Existing research highlights relational and home-practice aspects of collaboration.
• Limited understanding exists on how collaborative processes are enacted, organized, and maintained across clinical sessions and home practice to promote speech sound generalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the enactment and organization of collaboration between SLPs and parents in pediatric SSD intervention.
• To investigate the role of children's participation in collaborative processes.
• To develop an empirically grounded conceptual model of how collaboration is organized to support speech sound generalization.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing a Strauss and Corbin-oriented grounded theory approach.
• Semistructured interviews conducted with 12 SLPs and 10 parents of children (aged 4-7) with SSD in South Korea.
• Iterative data collection and analysis using open, axial, and selective coding with constant comparison; a paradigm model was developed.

Main Results:

• The central phenomenon identified was 'striving for triadic collaboration,' involving coordinated roles, expectations, and practice among SLPs, parents, and children.
• Three key action/interaction strategies emerged: SLP-led monitoring, parent-led home intervention, and gradual motivation strategies.
• Collaborative processes were influenced by background factors and practice-level constraints, with a category integration diagram illustrating organizational relationships.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric SSD intervention collaboration is contextually embedded, requiring coordinated roles and practices across clinical and home settings to support child participation.
• The developed model illustrates how collaborative processes bridge the gap between structured target sound practice and natural speech use.
• Coordinated collaboration is essential for facilitating speech sound generalization by supporting consistent practice across diverse environments.