Children Draw Health Global Online Galleries

 The Children Draw Health Global Online Galleries are now on Charles Sturt University's YouTube channel 

• What makes you healthy: https://youtu.be/Lwedfy8_MB8
• Where to go to get healthier: https://youtu.be/365OwVm4oRs
• Who helps you be healthy: https://youtu.be/jATxwhYCyV4
• Ideal health service: https://youtu.be/7-X-z4gFDOg
• Four Galleries:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwedfy8_MB8&list=PLRXcSAl_dA7YoGpVsg-oyKe3et80WnfVl

They  are also available on the Children's Voices Centre website: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-health

Here is our summary document: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4506148/CVC-Children-draw-health-2025-Fiji-submission.pdf  

Thanks to the children from 18 countries who submitted 126 drawings to be included, the CVC Children's Advisory Groups, Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Dr Belinda Downey, Patrick McKenzie and the CSU Brand and webteams for their work to put this together.

 

Once Upon a Time - Children's perspectives of DTTC intervention - Data are arriving

Our Once Upon a Time - Children's perspectives of DTTC intervention research team met today and had the first look at some of the submitted data. What a great milestone!

A/Prof Jane McCormack, Prof Sharynne McLeod, Dr Marie Ireland, Dr Anna Cronin

Data collection has begun for our DTTC Once Upon a Time Foundation Grant

Today Dr Anna Cronin met with Marie Ireland (research assistant) and myself to document the commencement of our DTTC Once Upon a Time Foundation grant. One huge achievement is that the box containing packs of 10 markers have made it to Marie in the US for the children to use for their drawings (we have had a lot of angst organising this!). Marie has made a video with a child who has agreed to be on advisory committee. Anna will go to the US to meet with the rest of the team next week. I can't wait to see the children's drawings and feedback on their speech interventions.

Once Upon A Time grant and meeting

Next week I head to Fort Worth, TX, USA for a meeting with the Once Upon A Time Foundation to discuss our grant to consider children's perspectives of speech intervention. Today I had a meeting with Dr Anna Cronin and A/Prof Jane McCormack from ACU who are leading the grant. It's an exciting project.

Announcement: Children Draw Talking Global Online Gallery

We announced the Children Draw Talking Global Online Gallery today. http://earlychildhoodresearch.csu.domains/go/22-drawings

The Informed SLP reviews our latest article

The Informed SLP has reviewed many of our articles. I enjoy reading their version of our work and their translation of the findings for speech-language pathologists.

• That one time a journal article on speech sounds broke the SLP internet https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/that-one-time-a-journal-article-on-speech-sounds-broke-the-slp-internet? 
• When do children acquire consonants? A review of 27 languages https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/when-do-children-acquire-consonants-a-review-of-27-languages

This week, they have reviewed another of our papers: https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/talking-pictures 

Their review is based on this paper 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, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00140

Page proofs

We have had a number of papers accepted for publication recently - so now we are enjoying checking the page proofs. I really enjoy having to sit and read our work carefully from cover to cover after time away from the paper. I am frequently surprised by the quality and quantity of work reported within an individual paper - and am proud of our team for their rigour and committment to making a difference in children's lives.

We have checked, or have been told the proofs will be coming soon for:

1. McLeod, S., Verdon, S., Tran, V. H., Margetson, K., & Wang, C., (2022). SuperSpeech: Multilingual speech and language maintenance intervention for Vietnamese-Australian children and families via telepractice. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00146 
2. Tran, V. H., Verdon, S., McLeod, S., & Wang, C. (2022). Family language policies of Vietnamese-Australian families. Journal of Child Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1743490 
3. McCormack, J., McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J. & Holliday, E. L. (2021, in press December). Drawing talking: Listening to children with speech sound disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. 
4. To, C. K. S., McLeod, S., Law, T. & Sam, K. L. (2022, in press January). Predicting who will normalize without intervention for speech sound disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

Drawing talking: Listening to children with speech sound disorders

The following manuscript has just been accepted for publication in a special issue: 1. McCormack, J., McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J. & Holliday, E. L. (2021, in press). Drawing talking: Listening to children with speech sound disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools.

Here is the abstract:

Purpose. Listening to children using age-appropriate techniques supports evidence-based clinical decision-making. In this paper we test the Sound Effects Study Drawing Protocol, an arts-based technique, to support children with speech sound disorder (SSD) to express their views about talking.

Method. Participants were 124 Australian children aged 4- to 5-years in the Sound Effects Study. Their parents and teachers were concerned about their talking and they were assessed as having SSD on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology. Drawings and children’s interpretations were elicited then analysed using the: (1) Who Am I? Draw-a-Person Scale and (2) Sound Effects Study Focal Points. 

Results. Drawings were developmentally typical for 4- to 5-year-olds. The six Sound Effects Study Focal Points were identified: Body parts and facial expressions, Talking and listening, Relationships and connection, Positivity, Negativity, and No talking. Participants portrayed talking and listening as an action requiring mouths and ears represented by symbols (letters, speech bubbles) or as an activity with a variety of people. Children typically portrayed themselves as happy when talking; however, some portrayed negativity and some chose not to draw talking. 

Conclusions. In keeping with Articles 12 and 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 2009), this research demonstrated that 4- to 5-year-old children with SSD can express their views about talking via drawing. Professionals may use drawings as a child-friendly technique to support children to express views to guide holistic, evidence-based, child-centred speech-language pathology practice.

Longstanding research collaborations

A/Prof Jane McCormack and I have worked together for many many years. We have just picked up some research that we laid aside for a time - and had a wonderful meeting today getting back on track with submitting it so that the world can see it. What a pleasure it is to have lonstanding friends and colleagues who share a passion for making a difference in children's lives.

Associate Professor Jane McCormack, Australian Catholic University

Big Voices

Today I visited the Big Voices exhibition at the Queensland State Library https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/bigvoices. 

The exhibited artwork was created by children in Australia, Vietnam and China collected by Dr Barbara Piscitelli in her Children's Art Archive. There were a number of correlations with the Children Draw Talking project we undertook between 2009-2013.

Big Voices celebrates this courage and creativity of children sharing their stories through art.

Dr Piscitelli's archive is available here: https://collections.slq.qld.gov.au/guide/7116/details

There are collections about children's rights and other collections titled "Children's Picture Diaries" that depicts "children’s ideas of who they are, where they live and what they like to do" https://collections.slq.qld.gov.au/guide/7116/details#SR00007116-13

 This exhibit reminded me of our Children Draw Talking research: https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/search?q=Children+draw+talking

Health and Wellbeing in Childhood - Third Edition

My copy of Health and Wellbeing in Childhood - Third Edition has just arrived in the mail. It is so new it is not even on the Cambridge University Press website yet.

Here are the chapters I have co-authored with Jane McCormack:

• McCormack, J. & McLeod, S. (2020). Classifying health and wellbeing: Applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to early years learners. In S. Garvis & D. Pendergast (Eds). Health and wellbeing in childhood (3rd ed.) (pp. 20-34). Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press. 
• McCormack, J. & McLeod, S. (2020). Communication development. In S. Garvis & D. Pendergast (Eds). Health and wellbeing in childhood (3rd ed.) (pp. 132-153). Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press. 

They have been substantially updated since the second edition - and the chapter on communication development includes case studies based around children's drawings.

Children draw talking in Jamaica

This morning I met with Dr. Karla Washington and her team of very enthusiastic students from the University of Cincinnati to discuss their analysis of 231 Jamaican children's drawings of talking. The data are very interesting and mirror some of our findings from Australia. They are about to head to Jamaica to collect more data soon.

Rachel Wright, Kylee Loebick, Corrine Deutenberg, and Dr. Karla Washington

Children drawing talking in Jamaica

This morning I had a video conference with Dr Karla Washington and Corrine Dutenberg from the University of Cincinnati. Corrine has received a summer scholarship to work with Karla to analyze over 200 drawings from Jamaican preschool children. The children were asked to draw themselves talking to someone. They were also asked to complete the Speech Participation and Activity Assessment - Children (SPAA-C, McLeod, 2004). Their research will be informed by Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. I look forward to seeing the results from their research.

Corrine Dutenberg and Dr Karla Washington

Becoming bilingual: Children’s insights about making friends in bilingual settings

The following article was accepted for publication today.

McLeod, S. & Verdon, S. & Theobald, M. (2015, in press July). Becoming bilingual: Children’s insights about making friends in bilingual settings. International Journal of Early Childhood 

Here is the abstract

The majority of the world speaks more than one language yet the impact of learning a second language has rarely been studied from a child’s perspective. This paper describes monolingual children’s insights into becoming bilingual at four time points: two months before moving to another country (while living in Australia), as well as one, six, and twelve months after moving to Germany. The participants were two monolingual English-speaking siblings (a male aged 7- to 8-years and a female aged 9- to 10-years) who subsequently learned to speak German. At each of the four time points, interviews were undertaken with each child using child-friendly drawing and questionnaire techniques. Three themes were identified: (1) the children’s awareness of language competence, (2) inclusion factors, and (3) exclusion factors that influenced friendship formation. The impact of language ability on making friends was a dominant theme that arose across the four time points and was triangulated across data collection methods. The children made friends with others who had similar language competence in German, even though they were younger, and did not share the same first language. Age-matched peers who were more competent in German were less likely to be described as friends. Across all three themes, the playground was highlighted by both children as the key site where becoming bilingual most strongly impacted initiation and negotiation of friendships. Becoming bilingual impacted the children’s friendship formation and socialization opportunities with more competent language users.

"Samantha's" drawing at time 2 (she had just arrived in Germany) when
her new friend could not understand her English

"Samantha's" drawing at time 4 when
she and her friends had learned to speak German

Speaker of the House of Commons draws himself talking

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, recently hosted an event for Afasic as they celebrated their 45^th birthday. Afasic is a national organisation that supports families of children with speech, language and communication needs (SCLN) in the UK. It was held at the Speakers House in the House of Commons, London.   
At the event Professor Sue Roulstone gave John Bercow a copy of our book “Listening to children and young people with speech languageand communication needs.” John Bercow had written the Foreword to the book, so was interested to see it. While he was looking at the book, a young woman from Afasic asked him to draw a cartoon. Sue opened our book at chapter based on our Children Draw Talking research and said to him perhaps he’d like to draw himself talking as we had asked the children to do. John drew the young lady a cartoon of himself talking which said something along the lines of ‘I can’t stop talking’.

(Photos courtesy of Afasic)

• Here is the post from 2010 when I attended the same event. http://www.speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/invitation-to-house-of-commons-london.html

Congratulations Hannah!

Hannah Wilkin has just found out that she achieved first class honours for her thesis titled "Oh I forgot the voice: A comparative analysis of children's drawings". Congratulations Hannah! May your honours be a key that unlocks many doors in your future. Hannah is currently working as a primary school teacher in Bathurst.

“Oh! I forgot the voice”: A comparative study of children’s drawings of talking

Today Hannah Wilkin submitted her dissertation degree of Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours).

Her thesis was titled:“Oh! I forgot the voice”: A comparative study of children’s drawings of talking.

Hannah's thesis, and the drawing that inspired her title

Here is the abstract:

Talking and listening are important skills for all children to learn in order to fully participate in society. Since the publication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF, 1989), there has been increased recognition that children’s views should be valued and respected. Previous studies have shown the benefits of utilising child-friendly methods such as drawing to understand aspects of children’s lives. This study aimed to determine whether children with moderate to severe speech sound disorder (SSD) conceptualise talking differently in their drawings to children with typically developing speech. Participants were 78 4- to 5-year-old children (40 males, and 38 females) who were divided into two groups according to their speaking proficiency based on their percentage of consonants correct (PCC) on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP, Dodd, Crosbie, Holm & Ozanne, 2002). Children with typically developing speech achieved a standard score ≥ 7 and children with moderate to severe SSD achieved a standard score of ≤ 3. Children were matched on gender and age (within two months) to provide a comparative sample of 39 pairs of children. Each child was asked questions about their perceptions of their talking, to draw themselves talking to someone, and to describe their drawing. These drawings and accompanying descriptions were analysed using content, descriptive, developmental, and psychological approaches. The children were able to represent talking in their drawings. Findings from the study indicate few statistically significant differences between the drawings of children with SSD and typically developing speech. Significant differences were identified in three of the eleven areas assessed for the children’s drawings: accentuated body features, the colours used and one of the self report measures (KiddyCAT; Vanryckeghem & Brutten, 2006). Children with SSD were more likely to accentuate ears in their drawings, while children with typically developing speech were more likely to accentuate arms/hands. Children with SSD used red, brown, purple and yellow in their drawings more frequently than children with typically developing speech. The KiddyCAT self report measure found that more children with SSD were in the “some difficulty” category than children with typically developing speech. There were no significant differences for any of the other areas considered: number of people in the drawing, conversational partners, facial expressions, portrayal of talking, image of self, Who Am I? Analysis (WAI; de Lemos & Doig, 1999), Adapted Fury Relationship Analysis (AFRA; Holliday 2008) and Faces task (SPAA-C, McLeod 2004). The limited differences between the two groups could relate to children’s self-perception and self insights at that age, and compare with other research suggesting some preschool children do not believe they have difficulties talking, instead they suggest that their conversational partners have difficulty listening (McCormack, McLeod, McAllister & Harrison, 2010). It is recommended that drawings accompanied by children’s verbal descriptions can be used to enhance teachers’ and speech-language pathologists’ understandings of young children’s perceptions of their talking.

Hannah with her proud supervisors: Linda Harrison and Sharynne