Yirgashewa Bekele (PhD)Fikiru Bedasa2024-11-082024-11-082024-07https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/3611Background Communication difficulties involving speech and language disorders can significantly impact an individual's ability to effectively communicate. Fortunately, speech and language therapy offers effective solutions to help improve communication and language skills. Parental involvement plays a crucial role in supporting children with communication difficulties by working collaboratively with speech therapists to create tailored treatment plans, provide necessary supports and accommodations in the therapy process. Objective This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents whose children were receiving speech and language services at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College. Methods Applying a qualitative phenomenological design, the research involved interviews and observations to collect data from ten parents of children with communication challenges. Results The study highlighted the emotional impact on families as they navigated the journey of recognizing their children's communication difficulties and challenges that parents faced, including scheduling conflicts, managing children's negative reactions during therapy, and consistently applying therapeutic strategies at home. The study also depicted effective strategies employed by parents, such as open communication and close collaborations, adapting therapy techniques, integrating play and everyday activities into therapy, respecting cultural values, and promoting positive outcomes. The identified parental efforts were aimed at helping their children develop effective communication skills, gain confidence in social and academic contexts, and foster their growth into independent individuals. Conclusion The study underscored the role of engaged and supportive parents in navigating emotions, overcoming challenges, and employing effective strategies to facilitate the success of speech and language therapy for their children with communication difficulties, ultimately helping them develop essential communication skills. Recommendations Speech therapy services should strive to actively engage parents, encouraging them to seek professional help and specialized therapy services for their children's communication challenges to maximize the benefits of speech therapy interventions for their children. Keywords: Communication difficulty, Speech and language therapy, Parental experience, collaboration, speech therapist, parental aspirationenCommunication difficultySpeech and language therapyParental experiencecollaborationspeech therapistparental aspirationThesis