My name is Laoise Kiernan and I am currently an undergraduate studying Clinical Speech and Language Studies in the school of Linguistics and Communication Sciences at Trinity College Dublin.
I am currently undertaking my capstone project which is exploring the experiences of teenagers with Developmental Language Disorders in taking part in music activities. I am asking you to assist me in my recruitment plan by distributing my flyer (attached in this email) through any relevant channels, including social media pages such as Facebook, Instagram, or the IASLT website.
Before you decide whether or not you wish to assist me with the recruitment for this study, it is important for you to understand why this research is being done and what is involved in taking part, for you and for the participants.
Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please email me if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information on. Feel free to take some time to read this leaflet and to decide whether or not to facilitate the recruitment for this research by distributing the flyer.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by continuous difficulties in acquiring language. It affects understanding and expression in linguistic subfields and affects everyday listening, speaking, reading and writing. It can also impact social and academic participation.
Music can be described by a range of elements, however three of the main ones include melody, rhythm and harmony. The connection between these elements and DLD is informed by the literature which has found components of music such as rhythm being impacted in children with DLD.
When music is sung, lyrics are often involved. It is understood that there is a range of cognitive-linguistic commands within understanding or learning lyrics, which individuals with DLD might have difficulties with.
The study I am undertaking involves the recruitment of adolescents because of the development of emotional expression, social bonds and identity exploration in this time period. Music may be a powerful tool for young people to explore these developments.
This study will take the form of a meaningful joint discussion with 6-12 participants (aged from 13 to 19) and aim to constructively explore music- related activities in three broad areas: Leisure, Academic/extracurricular, and social. I also hope to explore if and how participants feel that their diagnosis affects their participation in music-related activities.
Thematic analysis will be done on the data to understand how the participants from this client group feel about their participation in music- related activities, and if these are influenced by their Developmental Language Disorder in any way.
I plan to qualitatively explore the perspectives of adolescents with DLD around their experiences with music-related activities.
You have been asked to assist in the distribution of my flyer through any relevant channels to help spread the word on my study and aid with the recruitment process. This is because you have a strong presence in Ireland, where this study is being conducted.
If participants wish to withdraw from the study at any time, they should contact the email: kiernala@tcd.ie or project supervisor Dr Caroline Jagoe (cjagoe@tcd.ie)
If you have are having difficulty logging in or registering, please contact us at cpdadmin@iaslt.ie.
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