Background: Listening to children’s voices and including them as active participants in their care, is an important aspect of speech and language assessments. Creative tools are necessary to support SLPs in this effort. Two promising tools include the Sound Effects Study Drawing Protocol (SESDP) and the Speech Participation and Activity Assessment of Children (SPAA-C). Despite the utility of these tools, limited studies have examined their use within multilingual contexts. This study aimed to understand the contributions of these tools in a Jamaican context by examining children’s drawings using the SESDP in conjunction with the SPAA-C.

Method: Four pairs of age-matched Jamaican Creole-English-speaking preschoolers completed the SESDP and the SPAA-C in both languages. Each pair included one child with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). Themes, focal points, and SPAA-C responses were qualitatively analysed to understand each child’s individual communication experience, examine connections across tools, and assess variations in responses from children with and without DLD. Ethical approval (REB#00043534), parental consent, and child assent were obtained before starting study activities.

Results: The findings demonstrated mixed consistency of attitudes and emotions expressed across both tools. While most preschoolers reported being happy when communicating, variations were observed. The results suggest that including both tools offers a more complete representation of a Jamaican preschooler’s communicative experience.

Conclusions: The use of the SPAA-C and drawings are complementary in allowing preschoolers to express themselves in a way that empowers their human right to communicate.

Implications for children and families: No matter how old you are, you have the right to share your ideas and feelings. These tools can help you share your experiences!

Implications for practitioners: Using creative tools, like the SPAA-C or drawings, can amplify your clients’ voices, promote their active involvement, and help you to better understand their nuanced experiences within multilingual contexts.

Funding: Jamaican Creole Language Gift Fund and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Key words: children’s voices, international communities, well-being, communication, multilingual

This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities