Listening to the voice of children with developmental speech and language disorders using narrative inquiry: Methodological considerations

• Published in: Journal of communication disorders Vol. 72; pp. 16 - 25
• Main Authors: Lyons, Rena, Roulstone, Sue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2018
• Subjects: Auditory Perception; Child; Humans; Narration; Qualitative Research; Speech Disorders - psychology; Voice - physiology
• ISSN: 0021-9924; 1873-7994
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2018.02.006

•It is important to listen to the perspectives of children with speech and language disorders.•Research on the perspectives of children with speech and language disorders is in the early stages.•It is important that researchers share their experiences of using innovative methodologies.•Narrative inquiry can be used with children with speech and language disorders. There are policy and theoretical drivers for listening directly to children’s perspectives. These perspectives can provide insights to children’s experiences of their daily lives and ways in which they construct their multiple identities. Qualitative methodology is a useful research paradigm with regard to exploring children’s experiences. However, listening to the perspectives of children with speech and language disorders is a relatively new field of research. Therefore, it is important that researchers share their experiences of using methods and reflect on the strengths and limitations of these methods. The authors have used narrative inquiry with children with speech and language disorders to explore ways in which these children make sense of their experiences and construct their identities. In this paper, the authors reflect on methodological considerations when using narrative inquiry with children with speech and language disorders. They critically discuss three methodological considerations: narrative inquiry as a methodological choice, methods for data generation, limitations, and rigour.