Meaning-Making and Co-Creation: Re-Defining Effective Communication with Black, Disabled AAE-Speaking Children.
Chelsea Privette
PMID 40659340WHAT IT FOUND
Two Black, disabled, AAE-speaking preschoolers used argument, humor, and indirect prompts to maintain connection during play.
Their communication was effective without conforming to standard clinical expectations of directness or error-free speech.
Key findings
01The children maintained successful communication through indirect strategies like argument and humor rather than direct responses to adult prompts.
02Peers and caregivers supported communication by co-constructing meaning and filling in gaps, rather than the children producing independent, error-free utterances.
03The study argues that traditional clinical focus on form and decontextualized assessment pathologizes these effective, relational communication practices.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study analyzes only two children, so the findings cannot be generalized to all Black, disabled, AAE-speaking children. The analysis focuses exclusively on spoken language, ignoring multimodal communication (gestures, facial expressions) which is central to many children's interactions. The researcher was an active participant in the play, which may have influenced the children's communication strategies. The paper is largely theoretical and interpretive, relying on a specific political framework (Black disability studies) rather than empirical data on clinical outcomes.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these two case studies as evidence that therapy should stop targeting specific language goals. The paper offers a theoretical perspective on how to view communication, not a tested intervention protocol. The strategies described here were observed in natural play, not taught in a clinical setting.