Development of a tool kit to facilitate shared conversations between speech pathologists and families about engagement in an early intervention service.
Tracks
6
Collaboration
Continuous quality improvement
Cultural responsiveness
Early intervention
Evidence based practice
Paediatric/Infant
Parent/carer training
Quality improvement
Research
Service delivery
| Friday, June 13, 2025 |
| 1:55 PM - 2:05 PM |
Overview
Dr Katelyn Melvin, Lorelle Evans and Stephanie Freedman
Details
⏫ Research insights
⏲️ 1.55pm - 2.15pm
⌛ 20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
⏲️ 1.55pm - 2.15pm
⌛ 20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
Presenter
Dr Katelyn Melvin
The University Of Queensland
Development of a tool kit to facilitate shared conversations between speech pathologists and families about engagement in an early intervention service.
1:55 PM - 2:15 PMPresentation summary
Objective
While family engagement in early intervention is essential for meaningful clinical change for both children and families, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) often find engagement challenging, especially with families who have different attitudes and expectations regarding intervention. This project partnered with clinicians and families in a government-funded early intervention service to co-design a toolkit to support engagement.
Methods
Focus groups with SLPs (n=20) provided insight into key aspects of engagement and identified how tools could support this process. An online survey captured SLPs’ views on focus group findings to facilitate co-designing the tools. Focus groups with SLPs and families helped refine the proposed tools.
Results
Thematic analysis of focus group data resulted in two overarching themes. The first, “Engaging families at the start of their journey with the speech pathology service”, was made up of three individual themes: 1) Families’ entry to the service, 2) Getting to know each other, 3) Preparing to work together. The second overarching theme, “Reflecting on engagement with families throughout their journey with the service”, was made up of two themes: 1) Negotiating how to work together, and 2) Clinician reflection and responsibility.
Three tool kit components were developed: 1) A simple and flexible template to support conversations about ‘getting to know a family’, 2) A ‘living document’ designed to record/review goals and support conversations about working together to achieve goals, and 3) A structure to support the team’s self-reflection in peer supervision about working together with different families. This presentation will focus on the first two tools.
Conclusions
Considering that engagement is co-constructed by SLPs and families together, this project highlights the value of co-designing tools to support engagement in early intervention. It provides an innovative example of how a clinical service has conceptualized tools that offer structured support throughout a family’s early intervention journey.
While family engagement in early intervention is essential for meaningful clinical change for both children and families, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) often find engagement challenging, especially with families who have different attitudes and expectations regarding intervention. This project partnered with clinicians and families in a government-funded early intervention service to co-design a toolkit to support engagement.
Methods
Focus groups with SLPs (n=20) provided insight into key aspects of engagement and identified how tools could support this process. An online survey captured SLPs’ views on focus group findings to facilitate co-designing the tools. Focus groups with SLPs and families helped refine the proposed tools.
Results
Thematic analysis of focus group data resulted in two overarching themes. The first, “Engaging families at the start of their journey with the speech pathology service”, was made up of three individual themes: 1) Families’ entry to the service, 2) Getting to know each other, 3) Preparing to work together. The second overarching theme, “Reflecting on engagement with families throughout their journey with the service”, was made up of two themes: 1) Negotiating how to work together, and 2) Clinician reflection and responsibility.
Three tool kit components were developed: 1) A simple and flexible template to support conversations about ‘getting to know a family’, 2) A ‘living document’ designed to record/review goals and support conversations about working together to achieve goals, and 3) A structure to support the team’s self-reflection in peer supervision about working together with different families. This presentation will focus on the first two tools.
Conclusions
Considering that engagement is co-constructed by SLPs and families together, this project highlights the value of co-designing tools to support engagement in early intervention. It provides an innovative example of how a clinical service has conceptualized tools that offer structured support throughout a family’s early intervention journey.
Refrences
Brett, J., Staniszewska, S., Mockford, C., Herron-Marx, S., Hughes, J., Tysall, C., & Suleman, R. (2014). A systematic review of the impact of patient and public involvement on service users, researchers, and communities. Patient, 7(4), 387-95.
Klatte, I. S., Harding, S., & Roulstone, S. (2019). Speech and language therapists' views on parents' engagement in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). International journal of language & communication disorders, 54(4), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12459
Klatte, I. S., Roulstone, S. (2016). The practical side of working with parent-child interaction therapy with preschool children with language impairments. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 32(3), 345-359.
Melvin, K. (2020). Exploring the complexity of engagement with families in early speech-language pathology intervention. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Queensland] https://doi.org/10.14264/b7f179f
Melvin, K., Meyer, C., & Scarinci, N. (2019). What does ‘engagement’ mean in early speech pathology intervention? A qualitative systematised review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(18), 2665-2678.
Melvin, K., Meyer, C., & Scarinci, N. (2020). What does a family who is engaged look like? Perspectives of Australian speech-language pathologists. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Early Online, 1-11.
Melvin, K., Meyer, C., & Scarinci, N. (2021). Exploring the complexity of how families are engaged in early speech-language pathology intervention using video-reflexive ethnography. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 56(2), 360-373
Sanders, E., & Stappers, P. (2014). Probes, toolkits and prototypes: Three approaches to making in codesigning. CoDesign, 10(1), 5-14.
Sugden, E., Baker, E., Munro, N., Williams, A. L., & Trivette, C. M. (2018). An Australian survey of parent involvement in intervention for childhood speech sound disorders. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(7), 766-778.
Klatte, I. S., Harding, S., & Roulstone, S. (2019). Speech and language therapists' views on parents' engagement in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). International journal of language & communication disorders, 54(4), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12459
Klatte, I. S., Roulstone, S. (2016). The practical side of working with parent-child interaction therapy with preschool children with language impairments. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 32(3), 345-359.
Melvin, K. (2020). Exploring the complexity of engagement with families in early speech-language pathology intervention. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Queensland] https://doi.org/10.14264/b7f179f
Melvin, K., Meyer, C., & Scarinci, N. (2019). What does ‘engagement’ mean in early speech pathology intervention? A qualitative systematised review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(18), 2665-2678.
Melvin, K., Meyer, C., & Scarinci, N. (2020). What does a family who is engaged look like? Perspectives of Australian speech-language pathologists. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Early Online, 1-11.
Melvin, K., Meyer, C., & Scarinci, N. (2021). Exploring the complexity of how families are engaged in early speech-language pathology intervention using video-reflexive ethnography. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 56(2), 360-373
Sanders, E., & Stappers, P. (2014). Probes, toolkits and prototypes: Three approaches to making in codesigning. CoDesign, 10(1), 5-14.
Sugden, E., Baker, E., Munro, N., Williams, A. L., & Trivette, C. M. (2018). An Australian survey of parent involvement in intervention for childhood speech sound disorders. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(7), 766-778.
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Dr Katelyn Melvin is a speech-language pathologist and researcher who is passionate about working together with families and communities to see long-term changes in outcomes for children. Her mixed-methods research focusses on engagement with families in early intervention, effective information provision by professionals, and working collaboratively with consumers to understand and improve health service environments. Katelyn works clinically with a not-for-profit organisation delivering the Early Childhood Approach for children aged 0-6 years under the Australian Government's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and is involved in research and teaching at The University of Queensland.
Mrs Lorelle Evans
NSW Health - Northern Sydney
Development of a tool kit to facilitate shared conversations between speech pathologists and families about engagement in an early intervention service.
1:55 PM - 2:15 PM**********
Stephanie Freedman
Development of a tool kit to facilitate shared conversations between speech pathologists and families about engagement in an early intervention service.
1:55 PM - 2:15 PM**********
The information contained in this program is current at of the time of publishing but is subject to changes made without notice.
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