Development of a measure to assess effective listening and interactive communication skills in the delivery of children's rehabilitation services.

Abstract

Therapists' listening and communication skills are fundamental to the delivery of children's rehabilitation services but few measures comprehensively assess these skills. The 24-item Effective Listening and Interactive Communication Scale (ELICS) was developed to reflect a multifaceted conceptualization based on evidence in the literature. Data from 41 pediatric rehabilitation therapists (occupational, physical, speech-language, recreation, and behavioural therapists; psychologists and social workers) were used to determine the factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity of the subscales. The measure contains four subscales with very good to excellent reliability: Consensus-oriented, Exploratory, Receptive, and Action-oriented Listening. Content validity was ensured by the development process. The ELICS portrays listening as a purposeful, goal-oriented, and relational activity. The measure allows clinicians to assess and reflect on their listening/communication skills, and can be used to evaluate professional development activities and interventions geared to improving these skills.