What is it about?
This study explored the experiences of 14 New Zealand mothers of children with language and literacy difficulties in having their child's needs identified. Many felt schools lacked knowledge about these challenges, so they had to learn and advocate for their children. Most sought a diagnosis, finding it helpful for support but sometimes encountering stigma. Some preferred terms highlighting differences rather than disorders, aligning with Māori and neurodiversity perspectives. The identification process felt like a "fight," with barriers such as private assessment costs and limited services. Mothers valued assessors who provided clear guidance on what to do, and who worked with schools. They called for better teacher training and free diagnostic services.
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Why is it important?
Many children with language and literacy needs are under-identified and under-supported, meaning their achievement in school is likely less than their potential. Much work on children's language and literacy difficulties is written from professionals' perspectives, however caregivers have an important role to play in advocating for their child holistically. Each country is a unique cultural context and information from each context is needed to inform local service provision.
Perspectives
I found this topic really interesting to learn about and it prompted a lot of deep thinking. It considers different perspectives on how language and literacy difficulties are identified and labelled. Neurodiversity views and some indigenous perspectives emphasise the positives of a particular condition. However, it was interesting to see these parents were mainly concerned with finding support for their child's language and literacy difficulties. Also, most of these mothers found value in "disorder" labels for their child, such as 'developmental language disorder' and 'dyslexia', with easier access to support as a result. However, some regretted the stigma attached and kept the labels secret from certain people to avoid negative impact on their child. Perhaps the tension between the positive and negatives of labelling language and literacy difficulties in children is an important one to hold in mind and has no easy resolution.
Jayne Newbury
University of Canterbury
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The complexities of diagnosis: New Zealand parents’ knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of identification of their children’s language and literacy difficulties, International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, November 2023, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2023.2272587.
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