Background: In the UK, speech and language therapy (SLT) services for children with Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) are delivered by a publicly funded national health service (NHS). There are disparities in how SLT services are delivered and differences in how outcomes are measured. The services collect different information on the outcomes for these children. This means we do not know which therapy works best for which children. In this research, we have worked with different groups of speech and language therapists, children with speech sound disorder, older children and young adults, parents and academics from across the UK to agree on which outcomes are the most important to collect, and how to do so, for children with speech sound disorder. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) work is a crucial part of this research; it is about having an active partnership between patients and the public and researchers. In the UK, PPI is often a mandatory requirement for successful research funding. 

Aims: To maximise involvement and engagement in the MISLToe_SSD study from families who are typically time-poor, from young people who may lack motivation, and from young children who have challenges in communicating and may be difficult to understand. These voices are important to ensure that this research is shaped by their perspectives and priorities so that it can have the maximum impact on improving outcomes for children with speech sound disorder.

Method: Using innovative and creative methods such as emotional mapping and drawing, we held face-to-face and in-person engagement activities with ethnically diverse children and young people aged between 4 and 18 years in the UK. As this work was a PPI activity, ethical approvals were not required; however ethical principles and guidelines were followed, and parents of the young participants were provided with an information sheet and consent form before their participation.

Results: Sixty-six children and young people aged 4–18 years from diverse ethnic backgrounds with and without SSD took part in in-person and virtual PPI sessions held in community settings in Edinburgh (Scotland) and Bristol (England). Emotional mapping, audio and video recordings captured their experiences. Their responses provided insights into the aspects of therapy that stood out most for them and which data were most important to collect and why, which differed from what academics thought.

Conclusions: Methods such as emotional mapping and drawing can enable children as young as four years old to help shape research designed to impact them.

Implications for children and families: Involvement in PPI activities is critical to supporting researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders to ensure that research is designed and carried out in a way that will achieve maximum impact for you. The findings and learning from this work contribute to growing evidence that you have both the appetite and right to contribute to research that impacts you.

Implications for practitioners: This work shows that you can use highly creative, innovative and dynamic methods to engage children and young people in the design and prioritisation of your research. By doing so, you can ensure your work addresses the issues and priorities of those it is designed to impact.

Funding: MISLToe_SSD Phase 1 was funded by a National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit grant (NIHR202766).

Key words: children’s voices, communication, health, innovation, qualitative methods

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

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goals