title: A Bioecological framework to evaluate communicative participation outcomes for preschoolers receiving speech-language therapy interventions in Ontario, Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Preschool Speech and Language Program (PSLP) in Ontario, Canada, is a publically funded intervention service for children from birth to 5 years with communication disorders. It has begun a population-level programme evaluation of children's communicative participation outcomes following therapy. Data are currently being collected for all children who access this service--over 50,000 children each year.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand and evaluate how therapeutic interventions in speech-language therapy impact the everyday lives of children and families by applying a theoretical framework.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This discussion paper critically examines how the Bioecological Model of Development can be applied to the study of communicative participation outcomes following speech and language therapy. This model will be used in future analyses of communicative participation outcomes data in Ontario's PSLP. The strengths and challenges of this approach are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D007808:Language Therapy; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research; D000067404:Social Communication Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013070:Speech Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Bioecological Model of Development; communicative participation; preschool; speech-language therapy; therapeutic outcomes