Inställning till tal och kommunikation hos typiskt utvecklade skolbarn: Utprovning av Självsvarsformulär Om Tal Och Kommunikation

Abstract

An instrument for assessing children's attitude towards speech, communication, and communicative participation suitable for children with cleft lip and palate has been missing in speech- and language pathology. In the present study a new instrument Självsvarsformulär Om Tal Och Kommunikation was tested on typically developed school children. The aim was to obtain norm values for children in grade 4 and 7 and to examine the reliability and validity of the instrument. 104 children participated. Data was collected in groups of 5-6 children. These results showed that boys in 4th grade had a more negative attitude toward speaking and communicating. They also had a lower level of participation than the girls, but no difference between genders was found in 7th grade. Comparison between the groups showed that children in grade 7 had a more negative attitude towards speech and communication as well as a lower participation level than children in grade 4. Norm values are now available for this instrument and can be compared with children with cleft lip and palate in future intervention.