Mexican-American and Anglo-American mothers' beliefs and values about child rearing, education, and language impairment

Association of Birthplace for Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality, and Sleep Disorder Symptoms, at the US-Mexico Border

OBJECTIVES

The present study investigated the roles birthplace and acculturation play in sleep estimates among Hispanic/Latino population at the US-Mexico border.

MEASURES

Data were collected in 2016, from N = 100 adults of Mexican descent from the city of Nogales, AZ, at the US-Mexico border. Sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index categorized as none, mild, moderate, and severe, and Multivariable Apnea Prediction Index (MAP) categorized as never, infrequently, and frequently. Acculturation was measured with the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans II (ARSMA-II).

RESULTS

The sample consisted of majority Mexican-born (66%, vs. born in the USA 38.2%). Being born in the USA was associated with 55 fewer minutes of nighttime sleep (p = .011), and 1.65 greater PSQI score (p = .031). Compared to no symptoms, being born in the USA was associated with greater likelihood of severe difficulty falling asleep (OR = 8.3, p = .030) and severe difficulty staying asleep (OR = 11.2, p = .050), as well as decreased likelihood of breathing pauses during sleep (OR = 0.18, P = .020). These relationships remained significant after Mexican acculturation was entered in these models. However, greater Anglo acculturation appears to mediate one fewer hour of sleep per night, poorer sleep quality, and reporting of severe difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Among individuals of Mexican descent, being born in the USA (vs Mexico) is associated with about 1 hour less sleep per night, worse sleep quality, more insomnia symptoms, and less mild sleep apnea symptoms. These relationships are influenced by acculturation, primarily the degree of Anglo rather than the degree of Mexican acculturation.

Caregiver Experiences With Oral Bilingualism in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the United States: Impact on Child Language Proficiency

PURPOSE

Best practices recommend promoting the use of the home language and allowing caregivers to choose the language(s) that they want to use with their child who is deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). We examined whether Spanish-speaking caregivers of children who are DHH receive professional recommendations on oral bilingualism that follow best practices. We also assessed whether professional recommendations, caregiver beliefs, and language practices had an impact on child language(s) proficiency.

METHOD

Sixty caregivers completed a questionnaire on demographic questions, language(s) use and recommendations, beliefs on bilingualism, and child language proficiency measures in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL). Professional recommendations on oral bilingualism were reported descriptively, and linear regression was used to identify the predictors of child language(s) proficiency.

RESULTS

We found that only 23.3% of the caregivers were actively encouraged to raise their child orally bilingual. Language practices predicted child proficiency in each language (English, Spanish, and ASL), but professional recommendations and caregiver beliefs did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results revealed that most caregivers received recommendations that do not follow current best practices. Professional training is still needed to promote bilingualism and increase cultural competence when providing services to caregivers who speak languages different from English.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21644846.

Culturally Sensitive Behavior Intervention Materials: a Tutorial for Practicing Behavior Analysts

Behavior analytic interventions for people with disabilities often rely on implementation by novice caregivers and staff. However, behavior intervention documents are ineffective at evoking the level of performance needed for behavior change, and intensive training is often needed (Dogan et al., 2017; Ward-Horner & Sturmey, 2012). The cost and time requirements of intensive training may not be viable options for some clients, leading to nonadherence or attrition (Raulston et al., 2019). In addition, others may feel that prescribed interventions are not appropriate or will not work (Moore & Symons, 2011). These barriers may reflect a cultural mismatch (Rathod et al., 2018). One potential way to increase efficacy of intervention materials is to improve the cultural sensitivity and comprehensibility of these documents. Although the body of research on cultural adaptation of behavioral interventions is becoming more robust, adaptation of behavior intervention documents as a means to create effective behavior change when cultural and linguistic diversity are factors, is an area of behavior analytic practice that is not well researched and there remains a need for cultural humility. Because diversity can include expansive differences between individuals, such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, gender and sexuality; understanding and adapting to each of these areas may be best done through separate reviews. It is the intent of this article to focus on ethnic diversity in the United States as a starting point and frame of reference for cultural adaptation. This tutorial includes tips learned from health communication research to give step-by-step guidance on creating comprehensible, culturally adapted intervention plans through the example of training for parents of autistic children.

Parental Beliefs, Language Practices and Language Outcomes in Spanish-English Bilingual Children

As the U.S. population who speaks a language other than English at home continues to grow, few studies have focused on the effect of parental beliefs on the importance of bilingualism have on language outcomes of their children. In this study, we surveyed families raising Spanish-English bilingual children on their beliefs concerning both languages, language practices they implement at home, at school, and in the community, and language outcomes of their children. Using a single mediator model, this study aimed to understand the impact of parental beliefs on language outcomes in Spanish and English and the mediating effects of language practices. We then examined the individual mediating effects of language practices at home, school, and community on the relationship between parental beliefs and language outcomes for each language using a multiple mediator model. Our results suggest that parental beliefs in Spanish predict Spanish language outcomes and parental beliefs in English predict English outcomes and that practices in each language mediated this effect. In particular, we found that Spanish practices at home mediated the effect of language outcomes in Spanish and that English practices at home and in the community mediated English language outcomes.

Cultural and Linguistic Adaptations of Early Language Interventions: Recommendations for Advancing Research and Practice

Purpose Speech-language pathologists are responsible for providing culturally and linguistically responsive early language intervention services for legal, ethical, and economic reasons. Yet, speech-language pathologists face challenges in meeting this directive when children are from racial, ethnic, or linguistic backgrounds that differ from their own. Guidance is needed to support adaptation of evidence-based interventions to account for children's home culture(s) and language(s). This review article (a) describes a systematic review of the adaptation processes applied in early language interventions delivered to culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the current literature and (b) offers a robust example of an adaptation of an early language intervention for families of Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrant origin. Method Thirty-three studies of early language interventions adapted for culturally and linguistically diverse children ages 6 years and younger were reviewed. Codes were applied to describe to what extent studies document the purpose of the adaptation, the adaptation process, the adapted components, and the evaluation of the adapted intervention. Results Most studies specified the purpose of adaptations to the intervention evaluation, content, or delivery, which typically addressed children's language(s) but not culture. Study authors provided limited information about who made the adaptations, how, and when. Few studies detailed translation processes or included pilot testing. Only one used a comprehensive framework to guide adaptation. A case study extensively documents the adaptation process of the Language and Play Every Day en español program. Conclusions Future early language intervention adaptations should focus on both linguistic and cultural factors and include detailed descriptions of intervention development, evaluation, and replication. The case study presented here may serve as an example. Increased access to such information can support research on early language interventions for diverse populations and, ultimately, responsive service provision.

Adaptation of a Caregiver-Implemented Naturalistic Communication Intervention for Spanish-Speaking Families of Mexican Immigrant Descent: A Promising Start

Purpose Caregiver-implemented naturalistic communication interventions (CI-NCIs) support the communication abilities of young children with language disorders and enhance the communication behaviors of their caregivers. Yet, few CI-NCIs have been adapted and tested for feasibility with families who speak Spanish at home. This study addresses this gap in the literature by examining the social validity and preliminary outcomes of an adapted CI-NCI program with families who identified as Mexican immigrants and spoke Spanish. Method A multiphase cultural adaptation process enhanced the Language and Play Every Day program for Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrant families in the United States. Six families, including eight caregivers and eight toddlers, participated. Caregivers received coaching on the use of language-facilitating strategies within existing home routines. Multiple measures of the social validity of the intervention's goals, procedures, and outcomes were collected. Changes in caregivers' reported confidence, knowledge, and use of language-facilitating strategies and children's receptive and expressive communication were examined to determine preliminary outcomes. Results Overall, caregivers perceived many of the intervention's goals, procedures, and outcomes as socially valid and specified aspects of the intervention needing improvement. Caregivers and children showed modest but potentially clinically meaningful gains in their communication skills following the intervention despite wide individual variability. Conclusions Given some recommendations to further adapt the intervention, this CI-NCI appears to be feasible for supporting the communication development of children of Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrant descent. Thus, future research on the efficacy of the intervention is warranted. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12269081.

Exploring the Cultural Validity of Parent-Implemented Naturalistic Language Intervention Procedures for Families From Spanish-Speaking Latinx Homes

Purpose This study addressed the cultural, linguistic, and contextual validity of parent-implemented naturalistic language interventions for young children from Latinx homes. Parents' perspectives on the acceptability of commonly delivered intervention procedures were explored. Method Thirty-seven parents from Spanish-speaking Latinx backgrounds with children under the age of 6 years participated. Four focus groups were completed. Parents responded to 14 procedures regarding the intervention implementers, settings, activities, strategies, and language. Structural and emergent coding was used to explore procedural acceptability and parents' rationales for perceiving each procedure as acceptable, not acceptable, or neutral. Results Substantial intracultural variability in parents' acceptance of specific procedures and the reasons for their perspectives was observed. Parents' perspectives evinced both individualist and collectivist orientations toward child language development. Several suggestions regarding promising adaptations for early language interventions that may overlap with evidence-based parent-implemented naturalistic language intervention procedures emerged. Conclusion The findings highlight the variability within the Latinx community that is likely to impact the cultural validity of early language interventions for children and families from this background. Considerations for enhancing interventions to achieve cultural congruency and promote child outcomes are provided. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12315713.

In Search of Culturally Appropriate Autism Interventions: Perspectives of Latino Caregivers

Most evidence-based autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions are tested with primarily White, mid-upper class, English-speaking populations, despite the increase in Latino children with ASD in early intervention programs throughout the United States. Unfortunately, interventions that are incongruent with a target population's culture may be relatively ineffective. This mixed-methods study explored how culturally appropriate, feasible, and acceptable Latino caregivers perceived intervention models, strategies, and targets. Survey data were compared for 28 Latino and 27 non-Latino White parents of young children with ASD. Further, 20 Latino caregivers participated in focus groups to describe their challenges, perspectives and preferences for intervention strategies and models, and unmet needs from providers. These findings underscore the need for culturally modified interventions for Latino children and families.

The Relationship Between Culture, Quality of Life, and Stigma in Hispanic New Mexicans With Dysphagia: A Preliminary Investigation Using Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to (a) identify the relationship between level of acculturation, and quality of life (QOL) and stigma and (b) explore the QOL experiences for Hispanic New Mexicans with dysphagia. Method This study includes 7 New Mexicans who self-identified as Hispanic. This prospective investigation was completed in 2 phases. In the quantitative phase, all participants completed the (a) the SWAL-QOL ( McHorney et al., 2000 ), (b) the Neuro-QoL Stigma subtest ( Gershon et al., 2012 ), and (c) the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA-II; Cuellar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995 ). In the qualitative phase, 3 participants were selected from the quantitative phase to complete the qualitative phase. These participants were selected to allow for distribution across levels of acculturation, and each of them participated in interviews designed to explore QOL experiences. Interviews were analyzed to identify themes. The occurrence of themes is discussed as a function of level of acculturation. Results There is no clear relationship between acculturation and QOL. A strong nonsignificant correlation was observed between acculturation and stigma. QOL experiences, as identified from the interviews, were classified into 2 broad categories: emotional experiences (stigma, distrust, fear, frustration, religion, and impact) and swallow safety (symptoms, treatment, triggers, and compensatory strategies). Conclusions Level of acculturation did not relate to measures of mental health or fatigue. Yet, both quantitative and qualitative analyses support a relationship between level of acculturation, and symptom reporting and religion, as well as patient perception of stigma.

Parent Spanking and Verbal Punishment, and Young Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors in Latino Immigrant Families: Test of Moderation by Context and Culture

Objective

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of spanking and verbal punishment in a community sample of Latino immigrant families with young children, as well as the association of spanking and verbal punishment with child internalizing and externalizing problems 1 year later. Parenting context (e.g., warmth) and cultural context (e.g., the cultural value of respeto) are considered as potential moderators.

Design

Parenting and cultural socialization practices were assessed via parent self-report in sample of 633 Mexican and Dominican immigrant families with young children (M age = 4.43 years). Parent and teacher assessments of child internalizing and externalizing were also collected at baseline and 12 months later.

Results

At Time 1, male child gender was positively correlated with concurrent spanking; familial social support and U.S. American cultural knowledge were negatively correlated with mothers' spanking. Verbal punishment at Time 1 was associated with externalizing problems at Time 2 among both Mexican and Dominican American children, and this relation was not moderated. Additionally, verbal punishment was associated with Time 2 child internalizing problems among Mexican American children. There were no significant associations between spanking and later child internalizing or externalizing behaviors.

Conclusion

It is important that researchers examine both physical and verbal discipline strategies to understand their unique influences on Latino child outcomes, as well as contextual influences that may elucidate the use and long-term effects of spanking and verbal punishment on Latino children at different developmental stages.

Emotional Availability Scale Among Three U.S. Race/Ethnic Groups

This study used a cross-sectional design to conduct a subgroup psychometric analysis of the Emotional Availability Scale among matched Hispanic ( n = 20), African American ( n = 20), and European American ( n = 10) English-speaking mother-child dyads in the United States. Differences by race/ethnicity were tested ( p < .05) among (a) Emotional Availability Scale dimensions with ANOVA, and (b) relationships of Emotional Availability Scale dimensions with select Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System variables with Pearson correlation and matched moderated regression. Internal consistency was .950 (Cronbach's α; N = 50). No significant differences in the six Emotional Availability Scale dimension scores by race/ethnicity emerged. Two Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System behaviors predicted two Emotional Availability Scale dimensions each for Hispanic and African American mother-child dyads. Results suggest emotional availability similarity among race/ethnic subgroups with few predictive differences of emotional availability dimensions by specific behaviors for Hispanic and African American subgroups.

When Mothers and Fathers Are Seen as Disproportionately Valuing Achievements: Implications for Adjustment Among Upper Middle Class Youth

High achievement expectations and academic pressure from parents have been implicated in rising levels of stress and reduced well-being among adolescents. In this study of affluent, middle school youth, we examined how perceptions of parents' emphases on achievement (relative to prosocial behavior) influenced youth's psychological adjustment and school performance, and examined perceived parental criticism as a possible moderator of this association. The data were collected from 506 (50 % female) middle school students from a predominately white, upper middle class community. Students reported their perceptions of parents' values by rank ordering a list of achievement- and prosocial-oriented goals based on what they believed was most valued by their mothers and fathers for them (the child) to achieve. The data also included students' reports of perceived parental criticism, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and self-esteem, as well as school-based data on grade point average and teacher-reported classroom behavior. Person-based analyses revealed six distinct latent classes based on perceptions of both mother and father emphases on achievement. Class comparisons showed a consistent pattern of healthier child functioning, including higher school performance, higher self-esteem, and lower psychological symptoms, in association with low to neutral parental achievement emphasis, whereas poorer child functioning was associated with high parental achievement emphasis. In variable-based analyses, interaction effects showed elevated maladjustment when high maternal achievement emphasis coexisted with high (but not low) perceived parental criticism. Results of the study suggest that to foster early adolescents' well-being in affluent school settings, parents focus on prioritizing intrinsic, prosocial values that promote affiliation and community, at least as much as, or more than, they prioritize academic performance and external achievement; and strive to limit the amount of criticism and pressure they place on their children.

Hispanic Immigrant Mothers of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: How Do They Understand and Cope With Autism?

PURPOSE

This study aimed to understand the experiences of raising a child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in a group of Hispanic immigrant mothers. The following 3 aspects were explored: (a) the families' social environments, (b) cultural beliefs on development and autism, and (c) perceptions of bilingualism influencing language choices.

METHOD

In-depth 3-part phenomenological interviews and thematic analyses were conducted with 22 Hispanic immigrant mothers of preschool children with ASD.

RESULTS

A total of 3 thematic categories emerged: stigmatization and social isolation, preconceptions about developmental milestones and autism, and mothers' reluctance to speak Spanish with their children. A lack of awareness about autism influenced social isolation, and autism was viewed as temporary and associated with fear or sadness. The mothers believed that exposure to 2 languages would increase their children's language difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

Hispanic immigrant mothers raising children with autism were often challenged by immigration status, economic hardship, and advice against using Spanish with their children. Professional training and parent education are needed to facilitate early identification of ASD. Immigrant families should be encouraged to communicate in the home language with their children. Information about ASD should be disseminated through community outreach, home-school connections, and pediatricians, who remain pivotal in informing Hispanic immigrant families.

Religion, Spirituality and Speech-Language Pathology: A Viewpoint for Ensuring Patient-Centred Holistic Care

This paper presents a viewpoint concerning the largely neglected clinical relevance of spirituality and religious belief in speech-language pathology (SLP) assessments, interventions and outcomes across the lifespan. An overview of the refereed SLP literature is presented with regard to religion and spirituality. It was found that while there is increasing research with regard to spirituality, health and well-being, there is very little specific to SLP. What is available and clinically relevant, generally relates to holistic care and/or cultural and linguistic diversity. Amidst the health care literature, however, there is a growing number of recommended instruments (for religious/spiritual screening) sensitive to intercultural and interfaith issues that are currently available to medical, nursing, allied health and chaplaincy practitioners. These instruments can also be of value to SLPs to ensure holistic assessments and interventions. It would seem timely for SLPs (and other allied health practitioners) to consider including spiritual screenings/assessments as part of their clinical practice so as to ensure appropriate holistic care. This would also mean undertaking research and including relevant education within tertiary institutions and professional development programs.

Gender Differences in Beliefs about Infant-Directed Speech: The Role of Family Dynamics

The research investigated the relationship between family dynamics and the beliefs about the benefits of talking to infants. Prior research has shown that language development is enhanced by verbal interaction with others. We tested two hypotheses: (a) men may view talking to infants as less beneficial than women and (b) one’s relationships with parents would be related to the extent to which young adults view talking to infants as beneficial. In a study with 301 undergraduates (181 women, 120 men), we confirmed both hypotheses, showing that (a) men were less likely than women to view talking to infants as beneficial and (b) for both men and women, the more negative their relationship with their mother, the less likely they were to view talking to infants as beneficial. Implications for infant care are discussed.

Teorías subjetivas de profesionales de escuelas de lenguaje en chile sobre el trastorno específico del lenguaje

OBJETIVO: comprender y reconstruir las teorías subjetivas de profesionales de escuelas de lenguaje en Chile, sobre las causas y el tratamiento del trastorno específico del lenguaje. MÉTODO: se utilizó métodos cualitativos para recolectar datos en profundidad. Se realizó entrevistas individuales semi-estructuradas con una muestra de cuatro fonoaudiólogas (logopedas) y cuatro educadoras diferenciales de cuatro escuelas de lenguaje. Se grabó y transcribió las entrevistas, las que fueron analizadas con el programa informático Atlas.ti 5.0. Los resultados del análisis relacional se sintetizaron en tres modelos. RESULTADOS: para las fonoaudiólogas y educadoras diferenciales las causas principales del trastorno específico del lenguaje son factores sociales, originados en la familia de los niños afectados. Con respeto a la superación de este trastorno las entrevistadas destacaron con alta importancia el apoyo familiar para un tratamiento eficaz. CONCLUSIONES: entre las explicaciones subjetivas de las profesionales entrevistadas y las explicaciones científicas acerca las causas del trastorno específico del lenguaje, existen diferencias. Mientras las entrevistadas hablan de causas sociales, los enfoques científicos explican este trastorno por causas biológicas. Esta diferencia debería ser investigada en estudios posteriores. Las fonoaudiólogas y educadoras diferenciales ven la familia del niño como una de las causas principales del trastorno específico del lenguaje y al mismo tiempo consideran el apoyo familiar como un requisito crucial en el tratamiento. En la opinión de los profesionales de las escuelas de lenguaje el trastorno específico del lenguaje es un trastorno superable, si escuela y familia trabajan en conjunto.

Classification accuracy of brief parent report measures of language development in Spanish-speaking toddlers

PURPOSE

The purpose of the current study was to examine the concurrent validity and classification accuracy of 3 parent report measures of language development in Spanish-speaking toddlers.

METHOD

Forty-five Spanish-speaking parents and their 2-year-old children participated. Twenty-three children had expressive language delays (ELDs) as determined through multiple sources of information, and 22 had typical language development (TD). Parents completed the Spanish version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (Spanish ASQ; Squires, Potter, & Bricker, 1999) and the short-form of the Inventarios del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas Palabras y Enunciados (INV-II; Jackson-Maldonado, Bates, & Thal, 1992; Jackson-Maldonado et al., 2003), which is the Spanish version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories Words and Sentences form, and reported children's 3 longest utterances (M3L-W). Children were administered the Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition, Spanish Edition (SPLS-4; Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002) at early childhood centers.

RESULTS

All 3 parent report measures were significantly correlated with the SPLS-4, establishing their concurrent validity. Children with ELDs scored significantly lower than TD children on all 3 parent report measures. The Spanish ASQ demonstrated less than desirable levels of sensitivity and specificity; both the short-form INV-II and M3L-W measures demonstrated favorable sensitivity and specificity. Of these measures, M3L-W demonstrated the strongest classification accuracy qualities, including sensitivity, negative predictive value, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve.

CONCLUSION

The short-form INV-II and M3L-W demonstrated highly satisfactory classification accuracy of ELDs, but M3L-W demonstrated slightly stronger accuracy. These results indicate that these measures may be useful in screening for ELDs in Spanish-speaking toddlers.

Psychopathology, families, and culture: autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are now considered to be the most common of the developmental disorders, although the effect of cultural influences on the diagnosis and treatment of ASDs has received limited attention. The existing literature on this topic suggests that both macro-level and microlevel cultural factors can affect the characterization, diagnosis, and treatment of ASDs. As a result, it is important for clinicians to consider cultural factors throughout the diagnostic, treatment planning, and intervention implementation processes. In this article, cultural influences on the prevalence of autism and the diagnostic and treatment processes are reviewed and synthesized through a consideration of the developmental context and through clinical practice suggestions.

Measurement properties and classification accuracy of two spanish parent surveys of language development for preschool-age children

PURPOSE

To describe the concurrent validity and classification accuracy of 2 Spanish parent surveys of language development, the Spanish Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ; Squires, Potter, & Bricker, 1999) and the Pilot Inventario-III (Pilot INV-III; Guiberson, 2008a).

METHOD

Forty-eight Spanish-speaking parents of preschool-age children participated. Twenty-two children had expressive language delays, and 26 had typical language development. The parents completed the Spanish ASQ and the Pilot INV-III at home, and the Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition: Spanish Edition (PLS-4 Spanish; Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002) was administered to the children at preschool centers.

RESULTS

The Spanish ASQ and Pilot INV-III were significantly correlated with the PLS-4 Spanish, establishing concurrent validity. On both surveys, children with expressive language delays scored significantly lower than children with typical development. The Spanish ASQ demonstrated unacceptably low sensitivity (59%) and good specificity (92%), while the Pilot INV-III demonstrated fair sensitivity (82%) and specificity (81%). Likelihood ratios and posttest probability revealed that the Pilot INV-III may assist in detection of expressive language delays, but viewed alone it is insufficient to make an unconditional screening determination.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that Spanish parent surveys hold promise for screening language delay in Spanish-speaking preschool children; however, further refinement of these tools is needed.

Talking Across Cultures in Early Intervention: Finding Common Ground to Meet Children's Communication Needs

In this paper, we explore cultural values and expectations that might vary among different groups. Using the collectivist-individualist framework, we discuss differences in beliefs about the caregiver role in teaching and interacting with young children. Differences in these beliefs can lead to dissatisfaction with services on the part of caregivers and with frustration in service delivery on the part of service providers. We propose that variation in caregiver and service provider perspectives arise from cultural values, some of which are instilled through our own training as speech-language pathologists. Understanding where these differences in cultural orientation originate can help to bridge these differences. These can lead to positive adaptations in the ways that speech-language pathology services are provided within an early intervention setting that will contribute to effective intervention.

Parent Reading Belief Inventory: Reliability and Validity With a Sample of Mexican American Mothers

RESEARCH FINDINGS: The purpose of the current study was to (a) evaluate the internal consistency of the 7 scales of the Parent Reading Belief Inventory (PRBI), (b) assess the factor structure, and (c) examine concurrent validity in a sample of Mexican American mothers from low-income homes. Two hundred and seventy-four mothers of preschool children completed the PRBI and the Home Literacy Activities Questionnaire. Five of the seven scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Principal component and parallel analyses revealed that one component provided the best summary of the observed variables. Preliminary evidence of concurrent validity was revealed. PRACTICE OR POLICY: Future qualitative research is needed to explore mothers' interpretations of the items and to examine modifications to the PRBI.

The Effects of Mexican origin family structure on parental monitoring and pre-adolescent substance use expectancies and substance use

Substance use among Mexican origin, low-income youths is a serious, but under-studied problem. This study examines the relationship between the structure of Mexican origin families (i.e. nuclear, single-parent, blended or extended), and the parental monitoring, substance use expectancies, and substance use reported by pre-adolescents. Family structure did not differentiate the substance use prevalence, expectancies or parental monitoring among the 1224 low-income, Mexican-origin fifth grade participants. Parents from all family types demonstrated similar levels of parental monitoring. More importantly, family composition was not related to pre-adolescents' substance use. Other analyses showed that the relationship between substance use and certain demographic variables (e.g. gender, country of birth, language use) did not differ across family structures. The report concludes by discussing possible developmental and resiliency factors in Mexican origin families that would account for these findings.

Variations in the Home Literacy Environment of Preschool Children: A Cluster Analytic Approach

Home literacy surveys were collected from the primary caregiver of 1,044 2- to 5-year-old children (M = 49.32 months, SD = 9.36) representing a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and types of early educational programs or child care. The caregivers completed survey questions on family background and home literacy activities and materials. Hierarchical cluster analyses performed on three randomly constituted subsamples and on the total sample revealed that a three-cluster solution best fit the data. Clusters differed on frequency of shared reading and literacy teaching activities with clusters representing caregivers either low or high on all behaviors or low on shared reading behaviors but high on literacy teaching behaviors. Cluster membership was significantly related to socioeconomic status, family living circumstances, caregiver stress, and caregiver reading ability. Results support a model of home literacy behavior informed not only by knowledge and resources but also by parental beliefs and deliberate choices.

Substance use, resistance skills, decision making, and refusal efficacy among Mexican and Mexican American preadolescents

This article examines the relationships among resistance skills, refusal efficacy, decision-making skills, and substance use for a sample of Mexican and Mexican American 5th grade students who were attending public schools in Phoenix, Arizona. An analysis of self-report questionnaire data indicated that the likelihood that male students reported ever having used one or more substances increased as they reported a greater willingness to use passive decision-making (e.g., going along) and decreased as they reported greater refusal efficacy and a greater willingness to utilize active decision making (e.g., thoughtful processing). No significant relationships emerged between the 4 predictors and lifetime substance use among the girls. These findings support the role of social skills in substance use prevention, shed light on an understudied group, and suggest the importance of continuing to examine gender differences in skills-based interventions.

Puerto Rican mothers' beliefs and home literacy practices

PURPOSE

The aims of this investigation were to examine the parenting beliefs and literacy practices of mothers of Puerto Rican descent and to determine if relationships existed between the mothers' beliefs and practices.

METHOD

Eighty-one mothers of bilingual children who attended Head Start programs participated in the project. As part of a larger project, the children were divided into 2 groups depending on the timing of when they were exposed to English. Children who were exposed to Spanish and English from birth were classified as having home English communication (HEC); children who were not expected to communicate in English until age 3 when they entered Head Start were classified as having school English communication (SEC). Trained home visitors used questionnaires to collect information from the mothers on their background, beliefs about parenting and education, and home literacy practices.

RESULTS

The results revealed that Puerto Rican mothers held both traditional and progressive beliefs. Additionally, differences between the mothers of children in the HEC and SEC groups were observed on some of the measures of beliefs and practices. Relationships between beliefs and practices were not observed.

IMPLICATIONS

The findings demonstrated that Puerto Rican mothers integrated aspects of both the Puerto Rican culture and the mainstream culture of the U.S. mainland into their views concering child rearing and education. Implications for practice are discussed.

Mexican immigrant mothers' perceptions of their children's communication disabilities, emergent literacy development, and speech-language therapy program

PURPOSE

This qualitative study explored mothers' perceptions of their children's communication disabilities, emergent literacy development, and speech-language therapy programs.

METHOD

Participants were 14 Mexican immigrant mothers and their children (age 17-47 months) who were receiving center-based services from an early childhood intervention program, located in a large urban city in the Midwestern United States. Mother interviews composed the primary source of data. A secondary source of data included children's therapy files and log notes. Following the analysis of interviews through the constant comparative method, grounded theory was generated.

RESULTS

The majority of mothers perceived their children as exhibiting a communication delay. Causal attributions were diverse and generally medical in nature (i.e., ear infections, seizures) or due to familial factors (i.e., family history and heredity, lack of extended family). Overall, mothers seemed more focused on their children's speech intelligibility and/or expressive language in comparison to emergent literacy abilities.

CONCLUSIONS

To promote culturally responsive intervention, mothers recommended that professionals speak Spanish, provide information about the therapy process, and use existing techniques with Mexican immigrant families.