According to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, “phonological disorders focus on predictable, ruled-based errors (e.g., fronting, stopping, and final consonant deletion) that affect more than one sound.” There are many different treatment approaches your speech pathologist may use with your child! A couple of examples are listed below:
Minimal Pairs Approach: Using pairs of words that differ by only one sound. This is used to establish contrasts not present in the child’s phonological system (e.g., “light” vs. “white,” “key” vs. “tea,” “spot” vs. “pot”)
Cycles Approach: This approach is designed for children with highly unintelligible speech who have extensive omissions, substitutions, and limiting the use of consonants. During each cycle, one or more phonological processes are targeted. After each cycle has been completed, another cycle begins, targeting a different phonological process. Recycling of these phonological patterns continues until the targeted patterns are present in conversational speaking.
Not all approaches work for every child and sometimes it is necessary to change approaches. Your speech pathologist not only considers the evidence-based research but strives to match the right intervention to fit your child’s individual needs! Talk to your speech pathologist today and see what approach they are using! Have concerns about your child's phonological processing? Call Coastal Therapy to schedule an evaluation at 904-372-4070.
(Information was taken and adapted from: ASHA, Speech Sound Disorders – Articulation & Phonology, 2019)
Coastal Connection blog post contributor, Tara Cripe MS, CCC-SLP
Tara formally joined the Coastal Pediatric Therapy Center’s team in 2018 after completing her externship and clinical fellowship with Coastal. During her fellowship, Tara was a graduate student with Jacksonville University - receiving her Master of Science in
Speech-Language Pathology. She gained clinical experience in a variety of settings including pediatric outpatient and private practice clinics, acute care and serving within the Duval County Public School System. Prior to this, Tara completed her undergraduate studies at Florida Atlantic University, graduating Cum Laude.
Tara holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. She takes a strong interest in working with a variety of diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, developmental delays, receptive-expressive language disorders, and articulation and phonological disorders. Tara strives to provide parents with the necessary tools and strategies to promote carryover of targeted skills and increase success for her patients. She also strives to provide individualized treatment plans as she understands no two patients are alike and each patient has individual needs.
As a Jacksonville native, Tara enjoys running and biking around the beaches, relaxing with a good book, and spending time with friends and family.