Specialist provision for language disorder: Staff and service user views of a preschool language unit

Abstract

Language units are specialist educational settings that provide integrated speech and language therapy and curriculum delivery for children with severe language disorders within mainstream schools. This study presents an account of a preschool language unit (PLU) from the perspectives of children with language disorders currently in attendance, their parents, and teaching staff. Six child-led, multi-modal interviews, six parent questionnaires, and interviews with three members of staff were analysed using Framework Analysis (Ritchie et al., 2003). Results showed that staff and parents perceive that attending the PLU positively impacts the children, but raised concerns that accessing PLUs can be difficult due to number restrictions. Children valued play and friendships within the PLU, while parents valued the PLU’s role in supporting communication and socialization. This study offers a unique account of how a PLU supports children with language disorders from the perspectives of children, parents and staff.

The Problem Of Development Of Foreign Language Competence In Children With Intellectual Disabilities

“…Children with intellectual disabilities often have linguistic problems, that is, a weakened ability to master a language, which leads to functional impairments in social interaction and education (Bishop, 2017). Considering speech-related, linguistic disorders, specialists note that disorders can occur without a known cause or simultaneously with a wider profile of disorders (for example, with autism spectrum disorders, hearing impairment, genetic prerequisites, intellectual impairment) (Harvey & Spencer, 2019).…”