We know little about how parents and caregivers view the issue of simplified language input, yet understanding their perspectives is critical for implementing evidence-based practice. Given the discrepancy between empirical evidence and clinical practice, it is particularly important to understand their views on the use of telegraphic input (which removes function words and grammatical markers). To address this gap in knowledge, the current study surveyed 77 parents of children enrolled in early intervention about their views on different types of simplified language input. Participants completed an online survey asking them about their beliefs on how altering language input benefits a child with a language delay. Overall, parents considered shortened utterances to be more beneficial than telegraphic utterances. However, over half of parents (52%) agreed that telegraphic input is beneficial for supporting language development. Parents viewed receptive language as the most important factor to consider in deciding how to speak to a child with a language delay. These findings highlight the importance of talking with parents about their views regarding modified language input, especially in parent-mediated intervention models.
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