Listeners’ Perceptions of Language Use in Children

Abstract

Past research suggests that when children’s communication skills do not match others’ expectations, children are likely to be perceived negatively and may consequently experience less academic and social success. This project focused on listeners’ perceptions of three children, one with specific language impairment (SLI) and two typically developing peers. The listeners consisted of teachers, speech-language pathologists, undergraduate students, and sixth-grade students. All four listener groups consistently perceived the child with SLI more negatively than the typically developing youngsters, thereby illuminating the need for clinicians to (a) increase their awareness of personal biases, (b) educate parents and teachers regarding the nature of SLI, (c) collaborate with teachers and other professionals to promote the social integration of children with language impairment in the classroom, and (d) consider the social impact of particular speech-language characteristics when prioritizing intervention targets.