Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

DOI

10.1044/2024_LSHSS-23-00181

Publication Title

Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools

Volume

Article in Press

Pages

17 pp.

Abstract

Purpose: Understanding the experiences of families of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) during COVID-19 educational disruptions is essential for designing responsive supports during pandemic recovery efforts and beyond. This qualitative study describes the experiences of families of first-and second-grade children with DLD during the pandemic as compared to the experiences of families of typically developing (TD) peers.

Method: A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze caregivers’ written responses to open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of COVID-19 educational disruptions. Responses were analyzed separately by group: caregivers of children with DLD (n= 23) and caregivers of TD children (n= 22).

Results: Four categories of caregiver responses were generated for each group: impacts on children, remote learning challenges, impacts on caregivers, and protective factors. For both groups, concerns about the child’s well-being and literacy learning were most prevalent, and more prevalent than concerns about oral language. Most caregivers in each group described negative impacts of educational disruptions on their child. As compared to caregivers of TD children, caregivers of children with DLD reported higher rates of remote learning challenges and more negative impacts on literacy learning, speech and/or language, and education in general. DLD caregivers also shared fewer positive comments and comments related to protective factors.

Conclusions: Results indicate that families of children with DLD may have experienced more challenges during COVID-19 educational disruptions as compared to families of TD peers. Ensuring that responsive supports and research target these families is essential.

Rights

Rights: © 2024 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. All Rights Reserved. "Authors may post on their personal web sites, on department or university intranets, or in university repositories, the final, accepted manuscript along with the abstract from the final, published article when available, provided that the publication information (including the Web address of the journal site) is provided as applicable." https://academy.pubs.asha.org/asha-journals-author-resource-center/maximizing-impact/#mi_sharing

Data Availability

Article states: "The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request."

ORCID

0000-0003-1080-4961 (Pfeiffer)

Original Publication Citation

Radville, K., M., Pfeiffer, D., L., Sheranian, K., Wolter, J., Ricketts, J., & Hogan, T., P. (2024). Caregivers' perceptions of COVID-19 educational disruptions on children with developmental language disorder and typically developing peers. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_LSHSS-23-00181

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