A Parent‐Child Interactional Model for Assessing and Remediating Language Disabilities

The parent‐child interactional approach is a three‐phase program for the treatment of childhood language disabilities. The first phase of the program attempts to identify those child and adult behaviors in need of change. Once all target behaviors are specified, Phase II provides individually planned parent‐centered therapy, whereby the parent is taught specific techniques to facilitate the child's language development through their everyday verbal interchanges. Once appropriate parent‐child interactions are established, the program shifts to a child‐centered approach, where the child's specific linguistic deficits receive attention.