Abstract

Families and clinicians face a persistent challenge: translating speech therapy from the clinical environment into meaningful, playful learning at home. While research confirms that parental involvement is the primary driver of successful intervention, a significant “implementation gap” exists between clinical benchmarks and everyday domestic life. This is not a failure of caregiver engagement or clinical expertise, but rather a failure of design; existing tools are often either commercial toys that lack therapeutic scaffolding or clinical ones that feel too sterile for the home environment. This thesis proposes a design framework for supporting flexible, family-centered participation in Early Intervention through Tala, a modular, story-based toy system. Drawing on developmental theory and educational philosophy, Tala explores how reductive, geometric forms can serve as semiotic prompts for language development through embedded scaffolding and open-ended play. By repositioning the child as a capable communicator and the parent as an empowered collaborator, this framework offers a path toward a more accessible, empathetic, and effective therapeutic experience.

Publication Date

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Industrial Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Design, School of

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Marissa Tirone

Advisor/Committee Member

Juan Noguera

Advisor/Committee Member

Stan Rickel

Comments

This thesis has been embargoed. The full-text will be available on or around 5/12/2027.

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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