Factors affecting language development in West African children: a pilot study using a qualitative methodology

Data on referral patterns to pre-school facilities for speech- and language -delayed children suggest that West African children are over represented r elative to other ethnic/language groups. This study was set up as a pilot t o explore some of the issues which distinguish this group of children and t heir families. A qualitative methodology was adopted to access the views of a small group of parents (nine) and professionals with direct experience o f these services (three). Between them the parents had a total of 11 childr en who had received speech and language therapy services. Extensive in-dept h interviews were transcribed and coded. The families are predominantly wel l educated with high expectations for their children. Their beliefs about c hild development in general and language development often differed from th ose of the professionals interviewed. For example, parents saw little direc t link between very early language stimulation and subsequent school perfor mance. West African parents also perceived that they had different (higher) expectations of behaviour than other families. It was generally accepted b y all parties that the West African community experiences a high degree of stress resulting from a combination of interacting factors, namely pressure s relating to employment, to immigration status, to matters financial and t o expectations from family back in their own country. It is unclear exactly how these impact on the development of the child but there is an awareness that there may be a negative effect of such stress and that children's spe ech and language development may be one aspect of development that is affec ted. As a result of this pilot study a number of mechanisms relating to the relationship between environment factors and language development are prop osed and suggestions are made regarding service provision for this communit y.