Evidence-based practice for children with speech sound disorders. Part 1: Narrative review

Elise Baker, Sharynne McLeod

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

129 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: This article provides a comprehensive narrative review of intervention studies for children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Its companion paper (Baker & McLeod, 2011) provides a tutorial and clinical example of how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can engage in evidence-based practice (EBP) for this clinical population. Method: Studies reporting speech sound intervention for children with SSDs published from 1979 to 2009 were identified and coded. Results: One hundred thirty-four intervention studies were identified. Intervention typically was conducted by an SLP in a one-to-one individual format for 30- to 60-min sessions 2 to 3 times per week. Total duration of intervention (from assessment to discharge) was reported for 10 studies and ranged from 3 to 46 months. Most studies were either Level IIb (quasi-experimental studies, 41.5%) or Level III (nonexperimental case studies, 32.6%). Single-case experimental design (29.6%) was the most frequently used experimental research design. There were 7 distinct approaches to target selection and 46 distinct intervention approaches, with 23 described in more than 1 publication. Each approach was associated with varying quantities and levels of evidence, according to research design. Conclusion: Collaborative research reflecting higher levels of evidence using rigorous experimental designs is needed to compare the relative benefits of different intervention approaches.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)102-139
Number of pages40
JournalLanguage, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
Volume42
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

Keywords

  • evidence-based medicine
  • phonetics
  • speech
  • speech disorders in children

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