Single case experimental designs: an essential service in communicatively disabled care

A situation analysis of communication disabilities of and services to this population in the RSA reveals a lack of knowledge about the field and a paucity of research, probably due to therapists' extreme involvement in clinical practice. In this article the advantages of single case experimentation are put forward and specific designs are discussed in an attempt to motivate and enable clinicians to be producers of research. It is pointed out that this type of research will not only add valuable scientific information to the field of speech pathology and audiology, but it will also increase accountability in clinical practice.