A Survey on Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions of Speech Therapy for Children with Borderline Intellectual Functioning

Objectives: Research and data on children with BIF (borderline intellectual functioning) is limited compared to other areas of disability, which has made it difficult for speech-language pathologists in the field to understand and to treat them. This study aims to identify speech-language pathologists’ perceptions of speech therapy for children with BIF and to explore their educational and institutional needs. Methods: The data were collected using a questionnaire (needs and perceptions of speech therapy for BIF children, self-efficacy, therapy goals and therapy termination criteria, educational and institutional needs) from 109 SLPs. Questionnaire were developed based on previous research, distributed and collected in Google Form through an online URL. Results: In terms of perceptions of the need for and perception of speech and language therapy, the statement ‘the approach should take into account the individual characteristics of the BIF children’ was the most highly rated. Regarding the goals of speech-language therapy, the statements ‘language development (reading and writing), vocabulary development (receptive and expressive), and peer interaction’ were the highest score. In terms of educational programs to be supported, participants indicated a need for programs to train primary caregivers in providing guidance (emotional and behavioral) to children, as well as institutional improvements to facilitate collaboration between primary caregivers, school teachers, and speech-language pathologists. Perceptions of speech-language pathology differed significantly by level of speech-language pathologist certification. Conclusion: Speech-language pathologists recognized the importance of speech-language therapy for children with BIF, but lacked specific and systematic guidance.