Exploring the Social Validity of Telehealth-Based Language Interventions for Young Latine Children

Sarah Lynn Neiling (University of Arizona)

Mary Alt (University of Arizona)

Irma Marquez (Casa de los Niños)

Abstract: How would you support your child’s language development if you had little access to pediatricians or resources in your language? At least 2.7 million Latine children in the U.S. are at risk for language delays and face multiple systemic barriers to socially valid, quality support for their toddler’s language development. The goal of this study is to explore the access to and acceptability of common language teaching practices via telehealth (i.e. social validity) for Latine families with toddlers at risk for being late talkers. This is an ongoing mixed-methods project. Within the Community-Based Participatory Research framework, we will triangulate findings from our qualitative interviews and quantitative self-report rating scales from various stakeholders--caregivers, family members, and community health workers. We propose to analyze the interviews with a modified grounded theory approach, in which each utterance in is  coded by two separate researchers across three rounds (Table 1). These results will inform the who, what, when, where, and how of a preventative language delay intervention via telehealth for Latine caregivers, fulfilling a crucial need for culturally responsive language therapy services in telehealth during and likely beyond COVID-19.