A different view of talking: How children with speech impairment picture their speech.

The views of children with speech impairment are often unheard during speech pathology assessments and intervention due to concerns about the children's age and level of intelligibility. This paper presents the views of 13 preschool children with speech impairment who participated in the Sound Effects Study. Children drew pictures of themselves 'talking to somebody' as part of a comprehensive communication assessment, and were interviewed about their talking. Drawings and interview transcripts were analysed to investigate the way in which children view their speech. Findings indicate that drawings and interviews are valuable modes for accessing the views of children, which is an important aspect of truly child-centred clinical practice.