ACQ Vol 12 no 1 2010

influenced at all times by contextual factors (Daniel & McLeod, 2006). Furthermore, the authors recognise the importance of multi-method approaches when researching with young children, in order for the research to reflect the different perspectives of those children. Conclusions The findings from this research exemplify the valuable information that children can provide and support the inclusion of children in research about them. The findings also support the use of a range of methods to understand children’s views, when verbal communication may be difficult. This study revealed that children perceive talking as a happy experience and may hold different views from their parents, teachers and speech pathologists regarding their speech impairment. Acknowledgment The Sound Effects Study was supported by Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (DP0773978). Drawings from the 143 children were displayed at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference in Adelaide in 2009 and will be published in a book titled Children Draw Talking. References Bowen, C., & Cupples, L. (1998). A tested phonological therapy in practice. Child Language Teaching and Therapy , 14 , 29–50. Daniel, G., & McLeod, S. (2006). Listening to the voice of children with a communication impairment. In G. Whiteford (Ed.) Voice, identity and reflexivity (pp. 187–200). Albury, NSW: Charles Sturt University. Dean, E., & Howell, J. (1986). Developing linguistic awareness: A theoretically based approach to phonological disorders. British Journal of Disorders of Communication , 21 , 223–238. Dodd, B., Hua, Z., Crosbie, S., Holm, A., & Ozanne, A. (2002). Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP). London: Psychological Corporation. Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2007). Trusting children’s accounts in research. Journal of Early Childhood Research , 5 (1), 47–63. Einarsdottir, J., Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2009). Making meaning: Children’s perspectives expressed through drawings. Early Child Development and Care , 179 (2), 217–232. Holliday, E. L. (2008). A drawing tells a thousand words: Listening to children talking through their drawings . Unpublished Honours dissertation, Charles Sturt University, NSW. Holliday, E. L., Harrison, L. J., & McLeod, S. (2009). Listening to children with communication impairment talking through their drawings. Journal of Early Childhood Research , 7 (3), 244–263. Markham, C., van Laar, D., Gibbard, D., & Dean, T. (2008). Children with speech, language and communication needs: Their perceptions of their quality of life. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders , 44 (5), 738–768. McCormack, J., McLeod, S., McAllister, L., & Harrison, L. (in press, 2009). My speech problem, your listening problem, and my frustration: The experience of living with childhood speech impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools . McLeod, S. (2004). Speech pathologists’ application of the ICF to children with speech impairment. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology , 6 (1), 75–81. McLeod, S., & Harrison, L. J. (2009). Epidemiology of speech and language impairment in a nationally representative sample of 4- to 5-year-old children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research , 52 (5), 1213–1229.

McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J., & McAllister, L. (2007–2009). Children with speech impairment: A population study of prevalence, severity, impact and service provision (DP0773978), Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. Minichiello, V., Aroni, R., & Hays, T. (2008). In-depth interviewing (3rd ed.). Sydney: Pearson Education Australia. Most, T. (2002). The use of repair strategies by children with and without hearing impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , 33 , 112–123. Pretty, S. (1995). Letter to the Editor. Australian Communication Quarterly , (Winter) , 3. Ttofari Eecen, K., Reilly, S., & Eadie, P. (2008, May). Speech sound development at 4 years of age: Preliminary findings from a community ascertained sample . New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists Association and Speech Pathology Australia National Conference, Auckland. UNICEF. (1989). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) . Retrieved 25 May 2009 from: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm Van Riper, C., & Erickson, R. L. (1996). Speech correction (9th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Vanryckeghem, M., & Brutten, G. J. (2007). KiddyCAT: Communication attitude test for preschool and kindergarten children who stutter . San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing. Watts Pappas, N., McLeod, S., McAllister, L., & McKinnon, D. H. (2008). Parental involvement in speech intervention: A national survey. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics , 22 (4/5), 335–344.

The Sound Effects Study research team (L-R): Prof. Sharynne McLeod, Jane McCormack, A/Prof. Lindy McAllister and A/Prof. Linda Harrison.

Jane McCormack is completing her PhD at Charles Sturt University, investigating the experience and impact of childhood speech impairment. She is also the project officer for the Sound Effects Study. Sharynne McLeod, PhD, is professor of speech and language acquisition at Charles Sturt University and is a primary researcher (with A/Profs Harrison and McAllister) conducting the Sound Effects Study. Linda J. Harrison, PhD, is the Associate Professor of Early Childhood at Charles Sturt University. Lindy McAllister, PhD, is the Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning) of the Medical School at the University of Queensland, and past president of Speech Pathology Australia. Erin L. Holliday is a school teacher who completed her Bachelor of Education (Primary) at Charles Sturt University in 2008 with Class 1 Honours. Her honours project incorporated the analysis of drawings collected for the Sound Effects Study.

Correspondence to: Jane McCormack PhD student and Project Officer Charles Sturt University PO Box 789, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia

tel: +612 6051 6835 fax: +612 6051 6772 email: jmccormack@csu.edu.au; smcleod@csu.edu.au

15

ACQ Volume 12, Number 1 2010

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au