Parenting on Mother for Children with Speech Delay: A Case Study

in Successful Parenting

Sabrina Ade Soura and Dewi Retno Suminar

Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya - Indonesia

Keywords: Parenting, Mother, Speech Delay

Abstract: Speech delay could affect development in children, parenting has become an important factor on speech

delay as a cause to improve the speech ability of children. Parenting in this research focusing in how mother

did a good way to apply parenting behavior, that can make a child have to survive and improve their speech

ability. The result is expected to give knowledge about good parenting, in which it could help in accordance

to child with speech delay, and help mother to try improve their child ability even though many aspect in

their life get consequences. This research uses the qualitative approach, using intrinsic case as a study

method. The subject of this research are three mothers, who each of them is the main caregiver for their

children with speech delay issue, and had overcome it. The data acquired using semi-structured interview

and analyzed using thematic analysis theory driven. From this research, it could be concluded in which a

mother could overcome speech delay in their children using three parenting aspects. The first aspect of

parenting is parental support, the other aspect is behavioral control and psychological control. Three of them

are shown in mother’s behavior, this behavior is accordant on Bandura social cognitive and the

implemented parenting that caused by many factor are accordant on purposive behavior.

1 INTRODUCTION

Speech delay is a problem which occurs on children.

Children are said to have speech delay when their

oral ability is underdeveloped compared to their

peers significantly (Hurlock, 1978).

In Indonesia, there are data which shows how

speech and language delay in children is a common

case, even one of the most common. The data came

from a 2007 report, compiling data from 7 hospitals

in Indonesia. As Anna reported, the percentage of

children having trouble with their oral development

is around 6% to 19% (Widodo, Syarvani,

Wisnugroho, and Kurniawan, 2014)

Children who suffer from speech delay go

through plenty consequences in many aspects of

their life. According to Tiel (2007), it is explained in

which speech delay in children will affect their

ability to communicate, thus cause hindrance in

socializing. This will prevent the children from

having the chances to sharpen their playing skill and

put their social acceptance in danger. Besides,

children with speech delay will experience difficulty

in reading, which is a basic skill they needed to

master in school. Directly, their academic skill and

achievement will be affected.

There are many causes for speech delay in

children. The most common causes, according to

Tiel (2007), are ear health and condition, delay in

development, pronunciation support, intelligence,

parenting, information processing, and

psychological factor. Parents have pertinent role for

improving speech ability in children. This

correspond to Santrock (2012) saying, in which

parenting in oral development can be seen from how

parents show their support, not only through

discipline and practice.

Data shows how language development in

children are affected by parents’ education, revenue,

and parenting. From a research show that the

implementation of good parenting by parents has

20,19 times chance to have children with better

language development (Muryanti, et al., 2016).

Good parenting have the role to fulfill their

children’s need, and this fulfillment will occur

alongside with their children development (1992, in

Andayani and Koentjoro, 2004). Parenting itself

considered from how parents guide, control, and

accompany their children in doing their development

task (Baumrind, 1996).

However, parenting is not a one-way technique

as explained by Barber, et al., (2005), parenting

Soura, S. and Suminar, D.

Parenting on Mother for Children with Speech Delay: A Case Study in Successful Parenting.

DOI: 10.5220/0008585400660071

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Psychology in Health, Educational, Social, and Organizational Settings (ICP-HESOS 2018) - Improving Mental Health and Harmony in

Global Community, pages 66-71

ISBN: 978-989-758-435-0

involves relationship between parents and children

in an interaction pattern, which is shown from their

behavior and pattern. In this case, behavior and

pattern that make parenting with special child,

including speech delay, can help improve their child

ability to gain a good speech and others good ability

for school or social activity. Parenting which is

conducted here is warm, fully accepting, giving

understanding, and able to give appropriate response

according to the children needs (Garbarino and

Benn, 1992).

There are three aspects of parenting which was

put forward by Barber, et al., (2005), these three

aspects represent the parenting behavior of parents.

The first aspect is parental support, to show affection

to children and display acceptance of parents to their

children. The second aspect is behavioral control,

which is shown to implement discipline over

children. The third aspect is psychological control,

which is shown by giving negative reinforcement to

children.

Social cognitive perspective by Bandura

explained about stimulus allocation to children

which result in certain responses, nevertheless the

process still implicates the cognitive aspect. What is

meant by involvement of cognitive aspect is by

studying behavior as a result of imitating (Jarvis,

2017). The learning done by children from imitating

what their mother do as caregiver and role model

receives an expected response. This is in line with

Barber, et al., theory (2005) which explains about a

parenting aspect, parental support, shown by giving

example in words pronunciation, singing,

complimenting, doing activities together, listening to

children and give them questions. Modification on

how mother behave as role model could also define

how the behavior of children formed.

Behavior shown by mother to children is an

intended behavior, which is based on purposive

behaviorism. Effort that is implemented by mother

in improving her children ability to speak is shown

in three parenting aspects by Barber, et al. (2005).

Parental support and psychological control are

intended to make children show more of their speech

ability, and behavioral control is proposed to

discipline the children. The mother behavior as an

effort is affected by surrounding stimulation,

psychological encouragement, heredity, accepted

training, and age (Schultz and Schultz, 2013). These

are according to parenting factors by Bigner and

Gerhardt (2013), the parenting factors became

intervening variable in giving stimulus and creating

expected response.

Parenting must be taken earnestly by parents for

there are effects to children with speech delay.

Including mother who holds the most pertinent role

in parenting in the family. Parenting in Indonesia is

known to mostly done by mother, in both to educate

and tend after the children. In research conducted by

State Ministry for National Family Coordinating

Board (1999, in Briawan and Herawati, 2008)

mentioned that 50% of mothers assume that

parenting is a mother responsibility, while the other

40% assumes it is both parents’ responsibility to

hold. This is also supported by another small

research about the role of father in family. The result

shows that father is the breadwinner and help the

household only if he has to (Elia, 2000).

Looking into the effect of parenting into children

development, in this case their development in

speaking. Writer is interested to focus on the

parenting on mother for children with speech delay

that success, by observing how mother parenting

aspect could limit speech delay on children and what

are the factors behind the implemented parenting.

This research take a positive focus in parenting, it

means behavior in parenting have goals, called

purposive behaviorism, and in this case shown by

mother to improve speech ability in their child. This

study is expected to benefit the reader, especially

mothers. To enable them to give a positive and good

parenting they could do, while adjusting to the

existing culture.

2 METHOD

Participants in this research are determined by

purposive sampling, purposive sampling is a method

for taking sample with some specific criteria

(Sugiyono, 2011). There are three mothers with

child who suffered speech delay. These three

subjects are the main caregiver in the family,

especially to their children with speech delay. Child

of these three subjects are diagnosed with speech

delay early, at different ages. The diagnose is from a

relevant individual. This research, the speech delay

cases are not limited by age, duration, and cause of

the speech delay itself.

The first subject is a 44-year-old housewife, the

second is a 27-year-old housewife and entrepreneur,

and the third subject is a 34-year-old housewife who

owns a store.

This research uses qualitative approach which

generate descriptive data on observation of human

behavior in their environment. The qualitative type

used is case study. With this type, researcher could

explore in detail on the case, involving many sources

as a suitable informant for the case and to collect an

in-depth data (Creswell, 2007 in Ilhamsyah, 2015).

This research utilize interview to achieve data

from subject about the research topic. Interview

according to Sugiyono (2011) is a technique

Parenting on Mother for Children with Speech Delay: A Case Study in Successful Parenting

addressed to discover problem to be inspected and

be used to know a lot more about subjects in-depth.

The usage of semi-structured interview is far more

unrestrained compared to structured interview,

nevertheless still have a fixed reference and

limitation. Later, data exploration will be gained

more and more open in the practice (Sugiyono,

2011).

The research question is being formulated based

on parenting theory by Baber, et al., forming

research question helped by relavant individual to be

rater that reach good question. Research questions

are dynamic, so process inquiry could be done in

order to achieve a deeper data. Interview are carried

out two times each participant, duration for

interview between one hour until one hour and half.

Organization and data analysis used in the

research is descriptive technique. According to

Miles and Huberman (1984, in Sugiyono, 2011),

descriptive technique is used by reducing data,

present data, and do verification by drawing

conclusion based on facts.

The data analysis use thematic analysis technique

to code from information, which later will result in

list of theme, theme model, and even qualifications

which are related to the theme or a combination of

those (Poerwandari, 2011). However in that analysis

technique, researcher utilize theory driven as a base.

According to theory driven approach, there are a few

steps in doing analysis. First, the code based on

theory, which will become focus of this research.

Second, to consider and write codes that could be

implemented on acquired data. Third, to confirm the

reliability. Fourth, to apply the codes on data. Fifth,

to decide on the validity and draw an interpretation

that suit the theory (Boyatzis, 1998).

3 RESULT

Speech delay which children experience in this

research has difference in cause. Child of subject 1

(N) go through speech delay because of encephalitis

at 13 months old. This hindrance the development of

the child. The second subject child (M), however has

different cause. The child was known to have speech

delay at the age of 1,5 years old and diagnosed with

dyslexia at the age of 5. Both children suffered from

non-functional speech delay which is the result of

abnormalities in brain (Leung and Kao, 1999).

While the child of the third subject (S), recognized

her child having speech delay at the age of 1,5 years

due to the lack of stimulation to talk. Referring to

Tiel (2011) the second subject child’s speech delay

was due to parenting issue.

From this research, three subject showed

behavior that represent all of the three parenting

aspects. All subject showing their behavior that

indicate characteristic behavior from parental

support, behavioral control and psychological

control. The most implemented aspect of parenting

is parental support, in which plenty of love is shown

in this aspect. The other aspect is behavioral control,

whereas rules and surveillance are given to supervise

the activity on child at school. The last aspect is

psychological control, and it is implemented for the

children to achieve understanding of their own

mistake, and caregiver should show different

emotion when children make mistakes. Based on

behavior that showed in subjects, they have different

factor behind.

The implemented parenting is caused by the

difference in experience within the family,

environment, and children. Along with the

understanding from mother about the suitable

parenting for children, understanding about

condition of the child and find out how to deal with

child, and the approach used to discipline the

children.

4 DISCUSSION

The implementation of parenting appears different in

each individual, in this research is parenting done by

mother. Especially to children with speech delay.

Moreover, parenting became one of the factor

children could go through their speech delay,

caregiver role could stimulate children speech

development by drawing them into oral conversation

(Craig, 1996). Inviting the children to talk is done by

every mother in this research, they did this effort as

one of the ways to support their child development.

The mother behavior in showing her effort to

develop her child become stimulus and given to the

child in order to draw them to talk.

Parenting that involves parents relationship in the

process has three aspect which is shown in form of

behavior and pattern (Barber, et al., 2005). The three

subjects have shown all aspect are applied to their

child, however, using different ways.

The first parenting aspect is parental support.

The three subjects show that this aspect is done to

their child by giving affection since understanding

their child condition. N and M affection are shown

during the therapy process. N and M accompany

their child to provide comfort for the child. On

subject S, she showed affection by signing the child

into a Maternal and Child Health Centre program.

Some behaviors to improve the child speech ability

ICP-HESOS 2018 - International Conference on Psychology in Health, Educational, Social, and Organizational Settings

made the mother behavior as a model to be imitated,

in this case when the subject engage the child to talk.

A study according to Bandura (Schultz and Schultz,

2013), this involve the child cognitive which made

modelling process become an effective study.

The three subjects have similarity in their

parenting support by showing affection and

encouragement. This behavior shown by giving

comfort to child, showing concern, understanding

and giving affection to child (McNeely and Barber,

2010). However, all children from the subjects are

not showing their worry by storytelling, instead they

show it through their behavior. While the behavior

explained that children could tell about their worry

(McNeely and Barber, 2010).

The second aspect is behavioral control, in

implementing the parenting, subjects tend to

surveillance the activity if their child, subject N look

after her child by involving herself in many

activities that the child has. Subject M supervise her

child at home, outside she gave trust to her child. On

the other hand, subject S supervise her child by

seeing her child during break time at school and

report from the teachers.

Supervising their child is done by the subjects to

be aware of how they develop. Some rules are

applied by the subjects to prevent danger for the

child and to form consistency in matters categorized

as good. The subjects’ behavior has purpose in

forming discipline in children, in accordance with

Tolman (Schultz and Schultz, 2013) that behavior

has purpose.

The third aspect is psychological control, and the

subjects show little behavior in this aspect. The three

subjects have similarities in conducting guild to their

child. Subject M and S question their child until the

child tell the things they have done wrong. On the

other hand, subject N gave fore warning to her child

before the child made the mistake that can cause

grief and if the grief has happened. Then the child

will acknowledge that he or she is wrong and feel

guilty.

The three subjects also show difference in their

inconsistent emotional response. Subject N

understand that if her child made a mistake, the child

will be punished by the school, however she does

not have the heart to. On subject M, she understands

that if her child make mistake, she could not punish

using anger. On the other hand, subject S when she

does not understand what her child wants, she let her

child be and seek to find out because she feels sorry.

The difference in implementation on parenting is

also known from what is the reason behind the

subjects behavior. Subject N habit of keeping her

child above 6 pm is due to the culture of Javanese

people, subject will wake her child is she or he is

still sleeping. Subject M and S is another case

because they are not influenced by culture.

The effect on family experience from the three

subjects also show difference. Subject N tend to

always be with her mother, thus she felt comfort

with the presence of a mother. Subject S was taken

care by a nanny until she grows up, and what could

her family learn is from her father principal. On the

contrary, subject M is from a broken home family

and she was raised by her aunt, this made her to

have little to no experience in that matter. Thus,

subject avoid this kind of happening with her child.

These three backgrounds have given a positive

impact for they look at the bright side of what

happened.

Understanding a child development rely on effort

in adjusting the way of parenting. Subject N and M

adjust their effort by signing their child into therapy

to gain a more developed speech skill. Likewise,

subject S also stimulate her child by engaging her

child in conversation more often, which also done by

subject N and M. this come in line with previous

research that interaction skill on parents could

increase the number of words spoken by their child

(Garcia, et al., 2016).

Some parenting behavior done by the subjects

are due to how the children behave. Subject N

choose to avoid her children to prevent herself from

venting her anger to her child, when her child could

not fulfil her expectation. The child of subject M is

clumsy, and it made her remind her child more

often, especially when her child tried to ride a bike.

Meanwhile on subject S, her child tends to stay quiet

even when he or she wants something, thus cause

subject S inability to fulfil what her child actually

wants.

The effect of environment in parenting is

explained through past and present experience,

physically or non-physically, it affects the parenting

(Bigner and Gerhardt, 2013). This could be seen in

subject N who receive suggestion from other mother

in her therapy place to sign her child to school.

Likewise, subject S also receives suggestion from

her younger sibling. However, on the other hand,

subject M is far more affected by experience, like

teaching her child to be more thoughtful because her

husband is not.

The behavior of mother is also affected by

several matters as mentioned by Tolman as behavior

factor. These factors are environment stimulation,

psychological push, heredity, undergone practice,

and age (Schultz and Schultz, 2013). Environment

Parenting on Mother for Children with Speech Delay: A Case Study in Successful Parenting

stimulations is gained from surroundings.

Psychological push is shown from what the mother

learnt from their experience. Influence from

undergone practice is shown in the effect of

parenting conformity factor, the main function of

parenting and discipline.

Limitations from this study are lack on data

about culture background to be a part of parenting

factor, lack of perfection in interview guidelines that

affects data quality, and less explanation about the

study. For further research more explain about factor

of parenting more deeper, including in culture

background. And can give a better description about

parenting behavior when have a special child,

especially speech delay.

5 CONCLUSIONS

According to this research, writer can conclude that

the three subjects has implement parenting behavior

which lean more on parenting aspect, the parental

support. The three subjects also show behavior

which represent the parenting aspects of behavioral

control and psychological control. Although the

tendency of their parenting shows similarity, some

signs a difference in their behavior. Like how the

three subjects supervise their child in different way,

however, still with the same purpose. Besides, thee

three subjects sow the same behavior in different

form in term of inconsistent emotional response. The

three subjects implement positive parenting by with

parental support dominating, albeit they do not

forget to draw rules in order to discipline their child.

Looking at their parenting factor, the most

prominent and different factor is from the effect of

their family. The different in background made the

three subjects assume that the mother existence is

important as a caregiver for child. This what cause

subjects to try and improve their child speech ability,

until the child shows improvement and further

develop their ability to talk. Other factor which

affect their parenting are environment, child,

parenting conformity, main function of parenting,

and approach in disciplining the child.

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Parenting on Mother for Children with Speech Delay: A Case Study in Successful Parenting