Application of a Motor Learning Treatment for Speech Sound Disorders in Small Groups

Speech sound treatment in the public schools is often conducted in small groups, but there are minimal data on the efficacy of group treatment. This study evaluated the efficacy of a motor learning-based treatment (Concurrent Treatment) provided to elementary-school students in small groups. Concurrent Treatment incorporates the randomized sequencing of various practice tasks (e.g., words, sentences, or storytelling) and can result in rapid speech sound acquisition during individual treatment settings. Twenty-eight 6- to 9-year-old children participated in a randomized pretest-posttest control group design. The experimental group received Concurrent Treatment, while the control group received treatment (if needed) after the study. Participants in the experimental group acquired their target speech sounds within 40 30-minute sessions in groups of up to four participants (effect size, d = 1.31).