Clinicians' Perspectives of Treatment for Lateralization Errors: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Pediatric speech disorders
• Evidence-based practice

Background:

• Lateralization errors (LEs) are a common speech disorder in children.
• Effective treatment of LEs requires understanding their causes and current clinical practices.
• Facilitating evidence-based practice (EBP) in LE treatment is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perspectives on treating LEs.
• To identify challenges in implementing evidence-based LE treatment practices.
• To determine the sources SLPs use to find evidence for LE treatment.

Main Methods:

• A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed.
• Data collected from 214 SLPs via an online survey.
• Quantitative data analyzed using frequencies and averages; qualitative data analyzed using content analysis.

Main Results:

• SLPs believe LEs need individualized treatment before age 5, stemming from structural/neuromuscular factors.
• Key challenges include lack of specific skills/knowledge, time/resource constraints, and a research-practice gap.
• Evidence sources include colleagues, trainings, workshops, and ASHA journals.

Conclusions:

• SLPs perceive LE treatment as challenging, necessitating specialized skill training.
• Future research should consider real-world clinical decisions and constraints.
• Improving the uptake of evidence-based practice for LEs requires addressing these clinician-identified barriers.