A review and critical analysis of treatment research related to articulation and phonological disorders

This article contains a summary of aspects of research designs and strategies found in 63 published reports in which the effectiveness of treatment of articulation or phonological disorders was evaluated. These research reports were published in four nationally refereed journals that contained most of the literature published in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s. A total of 91 items were evaluated in each report by two reviewers working independently, including types of research designs, details about subjects, sampling, and types of independent and dependent variables used by researchers. Comparisons were made within each decade and across both decades to identify strengths and limitations. Some significant differences in research designs and variables under investigation occurred between the decades. A critical analysis was performed, and suggestions for changes are discussed.