Learning to talk

'Learning to talk is very important', parents in NE Sheffield agree. This was the stunning conclusion of my PhD. Learning to talk is also very complicated and so you can appreciate why the appointment of a Communications Champion by the current British government has aroused my interest, despite heaps of snow in West Yorkshire.

Dr Jean Gross, the new CC, was reported across the British press yesterday. The Daily Mail went with 'Middle-class parents too busy to teach children how to talk, says "communication champion",' Whilst the Guardian had 'Parents too busy to help children learn to talk, study suggests'.

Like I said, learning to talk is very complicated. I realise that is never going to be a sound bite in anyone's newspaper. However, my own study of the life experiences of parents in NE Sheffield parenting children learning to talk makes nonsense of both headlines.

It's nearer the truth to say;
1 parents think that learning to talk is very important;
2 parents expect their children to learn to talk and when this doesn't happen most are surprised, sometimes frustrated and have limited resources for dealing with the situation;
3 parents of children learning to talk are usually juggling many more family life pressures and issues alongside this one;
4 most parents, including those from multicultral parts of NE Sheffield (this study was done in the parliamentary consitituency of Sheffield Brightside) have some parental knowledge about learning to talk. That is to say, they have attitudes, beliefs and experiences on which to build when it comes to parenting in this situation. Few, if any at all, will be completely without this, and few will apreciate the patronising approach of so called experts who act as if parents know nothing.

Meanwhile on her blog, Anita, has something to say about the role of the third sector in supporting and promoting parents of children with communication needs. Check it out: http://www.thecommunicationtrust.blogspot.com/