Speech Practice Patterns of Children with Speech Sound Disorders: The Impact of Parental Record Keeping and Computer-Led Practice

摘要

This study assessed the impact of parental record keeping on motor speech practice and compared computer-led practice to parent-led practice with eight children with severe speech sound disorders. Parents recorded and reported the total number of minutes their child practiced each week during parent- and computer-led practice. Results revealed that participants increased their overall practice time when recording and reporting practice. In addition, computer-led practice appears to offer an additional increase in overall practice time compared to parent-led practice.Children with motor-based speech sound disorders (SSD) require frequent practice, a fundamental component of motor learning, for accurate speech to become automatic (Schmidt & Lee, 2005; Strand, Stoeckel, & Baas, 2006). However, there are significant constraints limiting the amount and type of speech therapy a child may receive, including health care reimbursement and caseload size (Maas et al., 2008). Parents are often relied on to provide additional practice at home. Home practice allows children to extend their performance toward mastery through practice beyond scheduled therapy.