CVC affilates and adjuncts contribute papers to CLTT special issue

Listening to Children with Diverse Communication Abilities

Child Language Teaching and Therapy Special Issue (2026, volume 42) - Q1 journal

Guest editors: Sharynne McLeod and Holly McAlister*, Children’s Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University, Australia
CLTT Editors: Judy Clegg and Victoria Joffe

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/clt 

The entire special issue contains 17 papers written by people from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, UK

Here is my 2-minute video summary of the special issue:  https://charlessturt.zoom.us/rec/share/M6k58N7ZaAZsqNcKTpefR9bRT62DNI-tKN-5ov_9PT6h-6bh4j1K79Knb6d1Y7IO.WKRpGEL_LBPtpYv7
View in Zoom

It has been great to mentor and include so many CVC staff/affiliates/adjuncts/HDR students in the special issue:

• 6 CVC papers
• 2 CVC editors
• 19 CVC authors
• 8 CVC peer reviewers

1. Cologon, K. (2026). From space and voice to audience and influence: Methodological approaches to inclusive co-research with young children. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 42, https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590261470993
2. Deehan, H., McLeod, S. & Harrison, L. J. (2026). “Oh! I forgot the voice”: Comparing drawings of talking by children with and without speech sound disorder. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 42, https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590261433348
3. Gregoric, C., McLeod, S., Hopf, S. C., Downey, B., Rahman, A., Sikder, S., Zischke, C., Tran, V. H., Murray, E., McAlister, H., Ivory, N., Delli-Pizzi, L., Elwick, S., Dealtry, L., Davies, J. (2026). Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 42, https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251406102
4. McAlister, H., McLeod, S., & Hopf, S. C. (2026). Ladders, trees and matrixes: Child-focused participatory action research frameworks for children with diverse communication abilities. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 42, https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590261455298
5. McCormack, J., Cronin, A., McLeod, S., Ireland, M., Wang, C., & Tiong, C. (2026). Children’s drawings of intervention for childhood apraxia of speech: Place, people, activity, and emotion. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 42, https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251375340
6. McLeod, S. (2026). Large listening ears are not enough: How can we mature in our practices to listen to children? Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 42, https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590261477289

*bolded text = CVC affiliate/adjunct/HDR student

 

Large listening ears are not enough: How can we mature in our practices to listen to children?

The following article has just been accepted for publication after peer review: 

McLeod, S. (2026, in press). Large listening ears are not enough: How can we mature in our practices to listen to children? Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 

Here is the abstract:

Communication is a human right for all; including children with speech, language, and communication needs and those who speak/sign non-dominant languages. Communication specialists enhance the “voice” of children in two ways. We support children’s physical and cognitive abilities to talk as well as enabling children the “right to freedom of expression… regardless of frontiers” (Article 13 Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations, 1989). We have creatively engaged in child-friendly methods to provide children space and voice – and children frequently depict their supportive communicative partners with “large listening ears”. As communication specialists, we also have the power to assist others to listen, giving children audience and influence (Lundy, 2007). This paper provides examples of listening to children with diverse communication abilities, is based on the Child Language Teaching and Therapy (CLTT) 2024 Summer Lecture, and has been updated by integrating papers from the CLTT special issue published in 2026. As we become accustomed to including children’s perspectives in our professional practice, this paper encourages us to reflect on whether we listen to children superficially or use our large listening ears to provide children the opportunity for action based on their insights. How can we mature in our practices to enhance all children’s participation within democratic processes in their families, schools, communities, and society? Our challenge is to have large listening ears; employ a variety of sources (Mosaic approach); involve children’s participation throughout the research process, and facilitate their capacity to influence the world.   

The manuscript was written based on my invited lecture and forms the first article of the special issue of CLTT titled "Listening to Children with Diverse Communication Abilities". 

You can watch the Child Language Teaching and Therapy Summer Lecture 2024 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iajSaUyEuOw

Summer Lecture Abstract:

Communication is a human right for all; and ALL includes children with speech, language, and communication needs, including those who speak/sign non-dominant languages (McLeod, 2018). Aligning with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989) we have given attention to the “voice” of children. For example, we have creatively engaged in child-friendly arts-based methods to provide children with the “right to freedom of expression… regardless of frontiers” as outlined in Article 13. However, do we REALLY listen to children? As we become more accustomed to including children’s perspectives in our professional practices, it is time to reflect on whether some of our inclusion of children’s voices could be perceived as “tokenistic” (Hart, 1992). As communication specialists, we have the power to support children’s voice and to assist others to listen. How can we mature in our practices to enhance children’s participation within democratic processes in their families, schools, communities, and society?

Children Draw Belonging: Children's insights

It has been a very special week with my young friends who have had such an influence on my research and how I listen to children. In the past, this group of children have initiated and shaped our research projects: Children Draw Talking, Children Draw Playing and  Children Draw Health. Today they participated in the Children Draw Belonging research. This is the first project that they have not initiated (this time another group of children initiated it). They had some good insights. I love learning from these children.

Ladders, trees and matrixes: Child-focused participatory action research frameworks for children with diverse communication abilities

Congratulations to our PhD student Holly McAlister who has just had the following article accepted for publication:

McAlister, H., McLeod, S., & Hopf, S. C. (2026, in press April). Ladders, trees and matrixes: Child-focused participatory action research frameworks for children with diverse communication abilities. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 

Here is the abstract:

Several frameworks – including Hart’s Ladder of Participation (1992), Shier’s Models for Participation (2001, 2010, 2019), and the Lundy Model (2007) – have been developed to support children’s genuine participation as researchers. These child-focused participatory action research (C-PAR) frameworks claim to increase children’s capacity to share their thoughts and opinions to change their lives and communities. This narrative review involved systematic database searches to identify application of these key C-PAR frameworks, and the extent of child participation by children with diverse communication abilities, particularly within the field of speech and language therapy research. Thirty-three papers were identified for descriptive analysis. Children included in these studies were aged between 2-18 years. Children were from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Most studies included children with speech, language, and communication needs (n = 32, 96.99%) and one paper (3.03%) included children with a swallowing disorder. Most studies (n = 26, 78.79%) consulted children at the data collection stage, often using visual supports, but fewer papers also involved children at other stages of the research process (n = 7, 21.21%). Of these 33 papers, only 4 (12.12%) directly applied one of the C-PAR frameworks. Within speech and language therapy research, we can mature in our practice of involving children with diverse communication needs in all stages of a research project, to support their genuine participation as researchers.

CLTT special issue - first articles published early online

Holly McAlister and I are the guest editors of a special issue of Child Language Teaching and Therapy (CLTT) titled "Listening to Children with Diverse Communication Abilities".

Here are excerpts from a recent email received from the editors-in-chief of CLTT:

Dear Sharynne and Holly
 
Hi, hope you are both well. Judy and I met today to talk about CLTT and one of the agenda items was our special issue. We worked through all the papers and are happy to report that all is going to plan and progressing well...Thanks to you both for all the hard work you have invested into this special issue. It is turning out to be a fantastic collection of important papers, and I am sure will have significant impact. 
 
Best wishes 
Vicky
 
Victoria Joffe DPhil (Oxon) FRCSLT RegHCPC FHEA MBPsS
Dean of Integrated Health and Care Partnerships
Professor of Speech and Language Therapy
Office of the Vice Chancellor
University of Essex

Here are the first papers to be published (early online) for the special issue. The entire double issue will be published later in 2026.

1. Weir, S., Forster, S., & Clendon, S. (2026, in press). Exploring voice and participatory processes for children who communicate in unconventional ways. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590261422660 
2. Spencer, S., Roberts, V., Schroeter, K., & Clegg, J. (2026, in press). Being understood: Neurodivergent care leavers’ perspectives on their own communication skills. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251411749 
3. Gregoric, C., McLeod, S., Hopf, S. C., Downey, B., Rahman, A., Sikder, S., Zischke, C., Tran, V. H., Murray, E., McAlister, H., Ivory, N., Delli-Pizzi, L., Elwick, S., Dealtry, L., & Davies, J. (2026, in press). Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children's voices across the globe. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251406102 *
4. McCormack, J., Cronin, A., McLeod, S., Ireland, M., Wang, C., & Tiong, C. (2026, in press). Children's drawings of intervention for childhood apraxia of speech: Place, people, activity, and emotion. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251375340 *

(*CLTT editors-in-chief managed peer review)
 

Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe

Our Children's Voices Centre has collaborated to write another paper based on the informative Children Draw Talking data set - and it has just been accepted for publication. Hooray!

Gregoric, C., McLeod, S., Hopf, S. C., Downey, B., Rahman, A., Sikder, S., Zischke, C., Tran, V. H., Murray, E., McAlister, H., Ivory, N., Delli-Pizzi, L., Elwick, S., Dealtry, L., Davies, J. (2025, in press November). Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251406102 

Here is the abstract:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations, 2015) represent a global agenda for achieving a sustainable future for people and the planet to inform decision and policy making at all levels. Children should have a significant voice in shaping the world they will inherit; indeed, SDG 17 is focussed on partnership for the goals. The aim of the present study was to investigate which SDGs are depicted in children’s drawings of themselves talking to provide researchers and policy makers insights into their perceptions about, and solutions for, the SDGs. The Children Draw Talking Global Online Gallery (https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-voices) included 200 drawings from children from 24 countries. Children aged 2–12 years responded to the online prompt “draw yourself talking” and submitted their drawing and explanation. A 15-member interdisciplinary research team analysed the drawings to determine their alignment with the seventeen SDGs. Most of the 200 drawings (n = 191, 95.5%) could be coded with at least one SDG. Overall, there were 359 representations of SDGs coded across the data set of 200 drawings. Many children highlighted access to green public spaces and housing (SDG11), education (SDG 4), and decision-making (SDG 16) while others portrayed reducing inequality (SDG 10) and addressing poverty (SDG 1). This research demonstrated that children may be implicitly aware of factors related to the Sustainable Development Goals across their lives and provides an exemplar of how children’s voices could be included by inviting them to contribute drawings.  

LSHSS Clinical Forum: Children’s communication and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Dr Helen L. Blake, A/Prof Kathy Cologon and I are working on the LSHSS Clinical Forum: Children’s communication and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). We are delighted by the large number of submissions from across the world - and are now inviting reviewers.

 

Preparing for presenting the Children Draw Health research at the World Health Organization meeting next week

 Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Dr Belinda Downey and I have been doing a lot of work to prepare for presenting the Children Draw Health research at the World Health Organization meeting next week. Here are the finalised pull-up banners:

 

Here are the first pages of the final booklet

 

CLTT special issue - discussion with CLTT editors

Tonight Holly McAlister and I had a conversation with the Child Language Teaching and Therapy editors Prof Judy Clegg and Prof Vicky Joffe about the special issue we are guest editing titled: Listening to children with diverse communication abilities. Guidelines are here: https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/CLT/CLTT-Call%20for%20Papers-ListeningTo%20Children-FINAL-1733118416.pdf

The issue received 21 papers by the due date in April 2025. We have rejected 5 papers, we have 16 papers undergoing revisions. We still have quite a bit of work to do. It is going to be a fantastic special issue that will be published in 2026. 

Judy, Sharynne, Holly, Vicky

Invited lecture - Faculty of Arts and Education 2025 seminar series "What are schools for?"

Tonight I provided a lecture for the Faculty of Arts and Education 2025 seminar series "What are schools for?". The lecture was titled "Listening to children's voices" and will be held on 13 August, 2025 7-8pm. I presented it on behalf of the Children's Voices Centre and am grateful to A/Prof Tamara Cumming and A/Prof Kathy Cologon for their support in preparing the presentation. There were 90+ people registered for the event, 39 people attended for the evening event - and the people registered will receive the recording.

 Here is the abstract

Have you ever wondered what it might look like to uphold children’s communication rights by listening to their voices about social issues? In this session, you’ll hear about some of the ground-breaking methods our multi-disciplinary researchers have used to seek and listen to children’s voices. You’ll learn about the types of issues on which children’s voices can be sought as well as ways of using arts-informed practice to empower children to share their experiences. Methods covered in this session can be used by teachers working in early childhood right through to senior school education. 

 

 

Presentation to UNICEF UK

Today I co-presented an invited paper at the UNICEF UK  Child Rights Academic Research Network with my colleague Prof Yvonne Wren from Bristol University/Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. 

The purpose of the Network is as follows:

"From the perspective of UNICEF UK, the broad intentions of the network are to:
- Develop an understanding of the scale and scope of research and other activities being undertaken on child rights in the UK
- Provide a forum for disseminating and sharing emerging and final research findings with the network, internal teams, and other key stakeholders such as programme implementers, in other words linking theory with practice.
- Create opportunities for scaling up research on child rights in general, developing the evidence base for our three UUK programmes and other relevant aspects of our work including advocacy and youth voice."

Our presentation was titled "Ensuring all children have a voice: Upholding a child’s right to communicate in the context of speech, language and communication needs". 

Here is today's program - packed with excellent presentations:

I was able to profile the work of the Children's Voices Centre and some of the work we have done over the years including:

• Roulstone, S., & McLeod, S. (Eds.). (2011). Listening to children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. J&R Press. http://www.jr-press.co.uk/communication-needs.html 
• Mahony, L., McLeod, S., Salamon, A., & Dwyer, J. (Eds.). (2024). Early childhood voices: Children, families, professionals. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56484-0
• McLeod, S. (2018). Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2018.1428687
•  McCormack, J., McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J., & Holliday, E. L. (2022). Drawing talking: Listening to children with speech sound disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 53(3), 713-731. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00140
• McLeod, S., Gregoric, C., Davies, J., Dealtry, L., Delli-Pizzi, L., Downey, B., Elwick, S., Hopf, S. C., McAlister, H., Ivory, N., Murray, E., Sikder, S., Rahman, A., Tran, V. H., & Zischke, C. (2025). Children draw talking around the world. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. Manuscript accepted for publication.
  
  
  
  

CLTT special issue

Holly McAlister and I continue to be busy as guest editors of the special issue of Child Language Teaching and Therapy https://journals.sagepub.com/home/CLT "Listening to Children with Diverse Communication Abilities". We have sent feedback on four papers and are awaiting reviewers' advice on the remainder. It is going to be a great issue - with diverse and innovative content.

Children’s, parents’, and experts’ perception of speech and communication

The following article has been accepted for publication in Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools: "Children’s, parents’, and experts’ perception of speech and communication". It is part of Anniek Van Doornik's PhD research. Congratulations Anniek!

Here is the reference and abstract:

van Doornik, A., Franken, M. C., McLeod, S., Terband, H., & Gerrits, E. (2025). Children’s, parents’, and experts’ perception of speech and communication. Advance online publication. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. 

Purpose: To improve our knowledge of how young children with speech sound disorders (SSD) perceive their own speech and communication in comparison with typically developing children (TD), and how these perceptions relate to parental judgment of communicative participation, intelligibility in different contexts, and an expert measure of children’s speech accuracy (PCCI).
Method: Participants were 111 Dutch-speaking children (48-89 months old): 65 with SSD and 46 who were TD. Children’s self-reports on the Dutch version of the Communication Attitude Test for Preschool and Kindergarten Children Who Stutter (KiddyCAT-NL) were compared (a) between SSD and TD groups and (b) with the parents’ ratings. Parents’ ratings were obtained from two parental questionnaires: Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34: Dutch (FOCUS-34NL) measuring communicative participation and the Intelligibility in Context Scale: Dutch (ICS-NL). The KiddyCAT-NL, FOCUS-34NL, and ICS-NL outcomes were also compared with (c) speech accuracy measured by SLPs as the percentage of consonants correct in syllable initial position (PCCI) using the Picture Naming Task of the Computer Articulation Instrument.
Results: Statistical analysis revealed that young children in the SSD group perceived their speech and communication differently than children in the TD group. Only in the SSD group was there a moderate positive correlation between speech accuracy and intelligibility in context and only a weak correlation with the child’s perception of speech and communication. Parents’ and children’s perceptions were weakly correlated.
Conclusion: Information on children’s perception of their own speech is complementary to information obtained from the parents and SLPs’ formal assessment of speech accuracy. To fully understand the impact of SSD it is therefore important to actively elicit and include children’s perspectives on speech and communication.

Meeting 3 with Australian advisors about our new research project with the World Health Organization

Today 17 enthusiastic children (and 8 parents) were our third group of Australian advisors about our new research project with the World Health Organization. They built on the knowledge from our first two meetings and taught us a lot. We are now ready to share their insights with the CSU researchers and the WHO. Thanks children (and parents)!

CSU children's advisory group