This exploratory effectiveness study conducted in Spain included an experimental group who participated in the It Takes Two to Talk® Program and a control group who received clinician-directed therapy. The study compared child outcomes for both groups, as well as parents’ stress levels and perceptions of their child’s abilities. All participants spoke either Spanish or bilingual Spanish-Valencian at home.

Participants 

• It Takes Two to Talk (experimental) group

  10 children (18 months to 40 months) and their parents

• Control group

  7 children and their parents 

Results & Key Findings

Participation in the It Takes Two to Talk Program resulted in children’s improved social, communicative, and symbolic activities

• The study found that, compared with the control group, children who participated in It Takes Two to Talk Program made significant gains in measures recorded via the Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales Developmental Profile, but there were no significant differences between groups in vocabulary and syntax.

Parents’ perceptions of their child’s communicative abilities were significantly better in the It Takes Two to Talk group

• Parents completed the Parent Stress Index-Short Form at pre- and post-intervention intervals. Results of this measure showed that parents who participated in the more intensive It Takes Two to Talk Program did not experience any heightened stress levels compared to the clinician-directed control group intervention.
• Parents who had participated in the It Takes Two to Talk Program reported less concern about the “gap” between their child’s current communication abilities and typical development.
• Through the Parent Perception of Language Development tool, parents in the It Takes Two to Talk group reported greater success in supporting their child’s communication development throughout the day than parents in the control group.