Parents and families of children with communication disorders

The role of parents in the development of the communicative competence of their children has been of growing interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of speech and language therapy. Researchers have attempted to define and test specific hypotheses regarding the nature and degree of the influence of parental interaction styles upon the developing child's pragmatic skills. The literature includes studies regarding normal children and those with speech and language impairments. Practitioners have endeavoured to move towards a firmer framework of partnership with parents which will ultimately be of benefit to children with speech and language impairments and their families.