Collaborative working with Parents of Children with DLD in Speech and Language Therapy: Identifying Dutch Speech and Language Therapists' barriers to enhancing practice.
Dutch speech therapists hold conflicting beliefs about their role and confidence that block parent collaboration in DLD therapy.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Klatte et al. (2025) asked 42 Dutch speech therapists how they work with parents of kids who have Developmental Language Disorder.
The team ran small group chats and one-on-one interviews. They coded every quote to spot shared worries and mixed beliefs.
All sessions happened in clinics, schools, and online offices across the Netherlands.
What they found
Therapists feel torn. Some say, "I am the expert," while others say, "Parents are partners." This clash slows joint planning.
Many also doubt their own skill to teach parents. Low confidence made them skip parent coaching even when they knew it helps.
The result: fewer home practice goals and slower child progress.
How this fits with other research
Ayuso-Lanchares et al. (2025) showed parent counseling lifts preschool language scores whether it is on Zoom or in person. Inge’s work explains why some therapists still avoid either format: role conflict and low confidence block them.
Prasher et al. (1995) found seasoned staff lean on old "need-driven" labels instead of functional thinking. Inge saw the same pattern—experience alone does not fix belief clashes; extra training is needed.
Szempruch et al. (1993) revealed that parents who stay in services longer hold higher hopes. Inge adds the therapist side: when staff feel unsure, they may lower those hopes by offering fewer joint goals.
Why it matters
If you supervise SLTs or run parent training, start by asking staff to write down their role in one sentence. Share the list aloud. When you spot clashing views, schedule a mini-workshop on parent coaching skills. Five practice trials can raise therapist confidence and open the door to Alba-style counseling that actually moves child language numbers.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Collaboration between Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and parents is considered best practice for children with developmental disorders. However, such collaborative approach is not yet implemented in therapy for children with developmental language disorders (DLD) in the Netherlands. Improving Dutch SLTs' collaboration with parents requires insight in factors that influence the way SLTs work with parents. AIMS: To explore the specific beliefs of Dutch SLTs that influence how they collaborate with parents of children with DLD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We conducted three online focus groups with 17 SLTs using a reflection tool and fictional examples of parents to prompt their thoughts, feelings and actions on specific scenarios. Data were organised using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: We identified 34 specific beliefs across nine TDF domains on how SLTs collaborate with parents of children with DLD. The results indicate that SLTs hold beliefs on how to support SLTs in collaborating with parents but also conflicting specific beliefs regarding collaborative work with parents. The latter relate to SLTs' perspectives on their professional role and identity, their approach towards parents, and their confidence and competence in working collaboratively with parents. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: SLTs hold specific beliefs that potentially hinder them from working collaboratively with parents. Appropriate interventions should be developed by combining implementation science and behaviour change science.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104882