SLPQualitativeInfants and young children2024

Seeking Validation and Creating Meaningful Interactions: Perceptions of a Parent-Mediated Infant Intervention.

Danika L Pfeiffer, Christine Reiner Hess, Rebecca J Landa

PMID 39006999

WHAT IT FOUND

Parents valued the coaching relationship, saying it helped them slow down and connect with their infants.

They described the programme as a way to validate their concerns and learn specific play strategies, but the study reports their experiences rather than whether the intervention improved child outcomes.

Key findings

01Parents identified the supportive coaching relationship as the most valuable part of the intervention, helping them feel confident and connected to their child.

02Parents joined the study to validate their concerns about their infant's development, which they felt had been dismissed by others.

03Parents reported learning to slow down and create meaningful interactions, rather than just following activities.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs

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What it does not show

The sample was very small (seven parents), so the themes may not represent all families. The study reports parent perceptions and social validity, not clinical outcomes for the infants. Focus groups were held at varying times after the intervention (1-12 months), which may have affected recall. The participants were predominantly mothers and from a specific geographic region.

Declared interests

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not interpret these positive parent reports as evidence that the intervention improved infant communication skills. The study assessed parent perceptions of the process, not child outcomes.

Read it on PubMed →