Phonological Treatment: Targeting Complex Sounds

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Research has suggested that children who arrive in kindergarten with unintelligible speech are significantly more likely to experience academic issues (Williams, 2005; Nathan et al, 2004). Therefore, services for children with phonological disorders must promote efficient change and results. Historically, SLPs have taught sounds in developmental sequence. In many cases, children only learned the treated sounds and made limited gains in overall intelligibility.This approach does not lead to changes in a child’s phonological system and results in children needlessly lingering on caseloads for years. Furthermore, it leaves these children at risk for long-term academic issues.

Over the past 30 years, numerous peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated that teaching phonetically-complex, later-developing and nonstimulable sounds leads to greater generalization in both treated and untreated sounds, thereby significantly increasing overall intelligibility. This constitutes a substantial (and sometimes intimidating) paradigm shift. SLPs require resources and professional development to apply these principles. Such an effort leads to reduced treatment time and a more expedient return to classroom instruction.

Phonological Treatment: Targeting Complex Sounds in Meaningful Activities features strategies for teaching complex sounds through hands-on techniques, motor learning principles, children’s literature, play-based activities and suggestions for meaningful home practice. Learners are also given the opportunity to rehearse explaining complexity principles to parents and teachers as well as practice in choosing treatment words based on lexical characteristics.

By the end of the course, participants will possess the tools and knowledge to apply these principles to their own caseloads. For those who wish to receive ASHA CEUs, eight hours will be awarded after completing a short, multiple-choice exam. Learners will have 60 days to complete the full course at their convenience. You will need a Windows, Mac, Apple, or Android device along with a high speed internet connection to view the videos. If you are able to watch the video above, you will be able to complete the course.

This workshop is appropriate for speech-language pathologists, graduate students in speech-language pathology and speech-language pathology assistants. It is strongly recommended that participants first complete the Powerful Phonological Assessment and Analysis course prior to the treatment course.