Service Delivery Schedule Effects on Speech Sound Production Outcomes

Purpose Children with speech sound disorders feature prominently on the caseloads of speech-language pathologists working in schools, with many receiving services once or twice weekly for 20-30 min. This study compared the outcomes of services provided twice weekly for 30 min to those provided 4 times weekly for 15 min to examine their effectiveness in remediating speech sound disorders in an elementary school setting. Method A total of 35 students were recruited from an existing public school caseload for participation. Participants were randomly assigned to receive school-based speech therapy services for either 30 min twice weekly or 15 min 4 times weekly. There were no differences between groups in age, gender, or the amount of time spent in general education. Growth was measured by the percentage of Individualized Education Program goals mastered and the percentage of sounds produced correctly in isolation. Results After one calendar year, there was a negligible difference between groups on both the percentage of Individualized Education Program goals mastered and the percentage of sounds produced correctly in isolation. On average, both scheduling configurations were effective in meeting students' needs. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that children with speech sound disorders receiving school-based speech therapy services can benefit from a variety of scheduling options. Awareness of such options is an invaluable resource to speech-language pathologists wanting to provide effective and efficient services. Future research should continue investigating service delivery models' effects in applied settings.