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Mexican Immigrant Mothers' Perceptions of Their Children's Communication Disabilities, Emergent Literacy Development, and Speech-Language Therapy Program

Norma A. Lopez-Reyna
Marie Tejero Hughes
University of Illinois at Chicago

Contact author: Sharon E. Kummerer, Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital, 1401 South California Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60608. E-mail: skumme1{at}uic.edu.

Purpose: This qualitative study explored mothers' perceptions of their children's communication disabilities, emergent literacy development, and speech-language therapy programs.

Method: Participants were 14 Mexican immigrant mothers and their children (age 17–47 months) who were receiving center-based services from an early childhood intervention program, located in a large urban city in the Midwestern United States. Mother interviews composed the primary source of data. A secondary source of data included children's therapy files and log notes. Following the analysis of interviews through the constant comparative method, grounded theory was generated.

Results: The majority of mothers perceived their children as exhibiting a communication delay. Causal attributions were diverse and generally medical in nature (i.e., ear infections, seizures) or due to familial factors (i.e., family history and heredity, lack of extended family). Overall, mothers seemed more focused on their children's speech intelligibility and/or expressive language in comparison to emergent literacy abilities.

Conclusions: To promote culturally responsive intervention, mothers recommended that professionals speak Spanish, provide information about the therapy process, and use existing techniques with Mexican immigrant families.

Key Words: Mexican immigrants, mothers' beliefs, language disorders, emergent literacy, early intervention, speech-language therapy