Speech Therapy with Biofeedback for Speech Sound Disorder
(C-RESULTS Trial)
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
Children with speech sound disorder show diminished accuracy and intelligibility in spoken communication and may thus be perceived as less capable or intelligent than peers, with negative consequences for both socioemotional and socioeconomic outcomes. While most speech errors resolve by the late school-age years, between 2-5% of speakers exhibit residual speech errors (RSE) that persist through adolescence or even adulthood, reflecting about 6 million cases in the US. Both affected children/families and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have highlighted the critical need for research to identify more effective forms of treatment for children with RSE. In a series of single-case experimental studies, research has found that treatment incorporating technologically enhanced sensory feedback (visual-acoustic biofeedback, ultrasound biofeedback) can improve speech in individuals with RSE who have not responded to previous intervention. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing traditional vs biofeedback-enhanced intervention is the essential next step to inform evidence-based decision-making for this prevalent population. Larger-scale research is also needed to understand heterogeneity across individuals in the magnitude of response to biofeedback treatment. The overall objective of this proposal is to conduct clinical research that will guide the evidence-based management of RSE while also providing novel insights into the sensorimotor underpinnings of speech. The central hypothesis is that biofeedback will yield greater gains in speech accuracy than traditional treatment, and that individual deficit profiles will predict relative response to visual-acoustic vs ultrasound biofeedback. This study will enroll n = 118 children who misarticulate the /r/ sound, the most common type of RSE. This first component of the study will evaluate the efficacy of biofeedback relative to traditional treatment in a well-powered randomized controlled trial. Ultrasound and visual-acoustic biofeedback, which have similar evidence bases, will be represented equally.
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for children aged 9 to almost 16 who speak English as their main language, have a specific speech sound disorder with the /r/ sound, and can pass hearing and oral exams. They shouldn't have severe voice or fluency disorders, significant learning disabilities, major neurological conditions, or score too low on certain intelligence and language tests.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive either traditional articulation treatment or biofeedback-enhanced treatment for speech sound disorder
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Biofeedback-ultrasound
- Biofeedback--visual-acoustic
- Traditional articulation treatment
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
New York University
Lead Sponsor
Syracuse University
Collaborator
Montclair State University
Collaborator
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator