The why and how of prioritising complex targets for intervention

![CDATA[SLPs/SLTs have a tradition of prioritising early developing and stimulable speech sounds when working with children who have a phonological impairment. Such targets are considered easier and less frustrating for children to learn. Other time-honoured criteria influencing target selection include speech sounds that are in the child’s name, important to the child or family or prominent in the ambient language; and production patterns that attract teasing are unusual, highly variable or greatly affecting intelligibility. Such factors may be relevant, but the logic and principles they reflect are not necessarily grounded in an understanding of the nature of the problem or phonological theory. Consider the child who says Sue /su/ as [ɬu], shoe /ʃu/ as [ʃu] and two /tu/ as [tu]. Phonemic contrasts are preserved. The obvious target for this child is /s/. What about the child who says Sue /su/, shoe /ʃu/ and two /tu/ all as [tu]? Phonemic contrasts are lost. In this case, the child needs to learn the phonological system rather than an individual sound. Empirical research guided by phonological theory suggests that complex (rather than simple) targets can be an efficient means of facilitating change in children’s systems (Gierut, 2007; Gierut & Hulse, 2010). What are complex targets? An appreciation of the answer to this question requires an understanding of several theoretical concepts. These definitions are cumulative. An understanding of one definition assumes you have understanding of prior definitions.]]