What can be a consequence of not involving parents in therapy for communication disorders?

Involving parents in therapy for communication disorders is essential for various reasons, and one significant consequence of not including them is the decreased generalization of skills to everyday situations. When parents are actively engaged in the therapeutic process, they can help reinforce the skills learned in therapy sessions during daily interactions at home and in other settings.

Without their involvement, children may struggle to apply what they’ve learned in a clinical setting to real-world situations. This lack of reinforcement can lead to the skills remaining isolated within the therapy context rather than being integrated into the child's daily life. Generalization is crucial for making communication skills functional and useful, and parental involvement plays a key role in this process.

On the other hand, while reduced motivation, improvement in skills, and understanding of disorders are important aspects, they do not directly speak to the crucial function of generalization, which is central to effective communication therapy outcomes. Thus, the lack of parental involvement primarily impacts how and when children use their communication skills outside the therapy environment.