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Published on: July 13, 2019
Nonwords and generalization in children with phonological disorders
Judith A Gierut1, Michele L Morrisette, Suzanne M Ziemer
1Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7002, USA. gierut@indiana.edu
Nonword (NW) stimuli in speech therapy for children with phonological disorders led to faster and more widespread sound generalization compared to real words (RWs). These benefits persisted after treatment ended, suggesting improved treatment efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Childhood Communication Disorders
- Phonological Development
Background:
- Phonological disorders affect children's speech sound production.
- Treatment efficacy for phonological disorders is crucial for effective intervention.
- Understanding stimulus effects (nonwords vs. real words) can optimize therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of nonword (NW) stimuli versus real words (RWs) in treating children with phonological disorders.
- To evaluate generalization of accurate sound production following treatment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of production data from 60 children with phonological disorders.
- Comparison of treatment outcomes between two groups: one treated with NWs (n=30) and the other with RWs (n=30).
- Assessment of generalization to treated and untreated sounds immediately post-treatment and longitudinally.
Main Results:
- Both NW and RW stimuli resulted in greater generalization to treated sounds than untreated sounds.
- Nonword (NW) stimuli produced more rapid and system-wide generalization compared to real words (RWs).
- Children treated with NWs maintained performance levels post-treatment, while RW-treated children required approximately 55 days to reach similar generalization levels.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the ecological validity and potential efficacy of using nonword (NW) stimuli in phonological treatment.
- Nonword (NW) stimuli may enhance treatment efficiency and effectiveness for phonological disorders.
- Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the benefits of NWs in phonological therapy.
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