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Talking Matters Bendigo: Engaging Parents Early to Prevent Long-Term Speech, Language and Communication Needs in Preschool-Aged Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2016

Bernice Mathisen ,
Susan Bennett ,
Christine Lockett ,
Katherine Beazley ,
Juanita Howlett ,
Melinda Charlesworth ,
Helen Lees  and
Jaynee Read
Bernice Mathisen*
Affiliation:
Department of Community & Allied Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, College of Science, Health & Engineering (SHE), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Susan Bennett
Affiliation:
School of Education, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Christine Lockett
Affiliation:
School of Education, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Katherine Beazley
Affiliation:
School of Education, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Juanita Howlett
Affiliation:
School of Education, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Melinda Charlesworth
Affiliation:
Bendigo Health, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Helen Lees
Affiliation:
City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Jaynee Read
Affiliation:
Department of Education & Early Childhood Development, North Western Victoria Region, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Bernice Mathisen, Associate Professor and Discipline Lead in Speech Pathology, Department of Community & Allied Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, College of Science, Health & Engineering (SHE), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. E-mail: Bernice.Mathisen@latrobe.edu.au
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Abstract

This article reports on qualitative research conducted to evaluate parents’ perspectives of their experiences of Talking Matters Bendigo (TMB), a screening programme initiated between health and educational professionals in regional Victoria to improve access to speech pathologists for parents of preschool-aged children with speech, language and communication concerns. Drop-in clinics are conducted in three Bendigo schools monthly. The programme is a collaborative partnership between the Victorian Department of Education and Training, Maternal and Child Health and ‘Off to an Early Start’ (City of Greater Bendigo), Bendigo Health and the disciplines of Speech Pathology and Education at La Trobe University, Bendigo. La Trobe Education (Honours) student researchers interviewed a group of 10 parents attending TMB using face to face interviews and collected data using an online survey after parents attended a session. Thematic analysis of the data was completed and inter-reliability checks were completed by two external La Trobe PhD students to increase reliability and validity. Results indicated parents were satisfied with the information provided by the speech pathologists and they reported that they intended to utilise this new knowledge at home with their children. This study provides preliminary evidence that novel service delivery options such as TMB can be successful in engaging parents early in health literacy so that speech, language and communication problems in preschool-aged children can be identified, managed and even prevented.

Keywords

preventionparentsspeech and language problemspreschool-aged children
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 41 , Special Issue 4: A FOCUS ON REGIONAL AND RURAL CONTEXTS , December 2016 , pp. 258 - 264
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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