FREQUENCY AND ACCURACY OF

SPEECH SOUND PRODUCTION:

CLASSROOM VS. SPEECH ROOM

Jenna Sargent, BSE

Margaret Pawlowski, BSE
Shandra Lock, BS

INTRODUCTION

Students with disabilities should be

educated in the least restrictive
environment (IDEA, 2004). This means that
students, including those with speech
and language impairments, should
receive services with typical peers in
the classroom environment, which can
include the classroom as well the
lunchroom, playground, art room,
gym, and field trips. (Flynn, 2010)

SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS FOR

PRESCHOOL ARTICULATION INTERVENTION

ASHA, 2011

Question 1
Does the number of opportunities for
target speech sound production change
depending on the intervention context
(i.e. speech room or classroom)?

Question 2
Does the accuracy of target speech
sound production increase or decrease
depending on the intervention context
(i.e. speech room or classroom)?

PARTICIPANTS
JACK

JILL

5;11

5;9

Dominant
Language

English

English

Reason for
Services

Delayed Sound
Production

Delayed Sound
Production

Initial th
Final th
Pre- and post-vocalic /r/

Initial th
Final th

3 months

29 months

CA

Targets
Duration of
Intervention

PROCEDURE
Four graduate students conducted
articulation intervention

Therapy was conducted twice a

week for a 7 week period
Each participant worked with two
different clinicians
Once in the speech room and once
in the classroom

Sessions were drill based

Participants were given visual,

auditory, and tactile cues

Specific feedback was given

about the accuracy of production
Accuracy of productions was
judged based on each clinicians
perception in real time

Classroom

Sessions were
approximately 18 minutes
Participant was seated at
a small table with 3 other
students
The clinician worked with
the participant while
working on an in-class
activity
The clinician asked the
participant to say phrases
containing the target
sound

Speech Room

Sessions were
approximately 17 minutes
Intervention focused on
target phonemes at the
appropriate level of
complexity
Stimulus materials were
used (flashcards, word lists,
iPad)
After a set number of
productions, the student
was able to play with their
chosen toy or game

RESULTS &
DISCUSSION

Question 1

Does the number of opportunities for target

speech sound production change depending on
the intervention context?

8
7

Classroom

Speech Room

5
4
3
2
1
0
Jack
Jack
Jill
Total

Jill
Classroom

Speech Room

4.6 (1.5)
3.6 (1.5)
4.1 (1.5)

6.1 (1.8)
7.2 (2.3)
6.6 (2.0)

Question 2

Does the accuracy of target speech sound

production increase or decrease depending on the
intervention context?

100%

Classroom

Speech Room

80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

Jack
Jack
Jill
Total

Jill

Classroom

Speech Room

88.2 (7.3)
80.2 (6,7)
84.5 (7.9)

81.3 (15.9)
87.9 (7.0)
84.6 (11.9)

DISCUSSION
The mean number of speech sound
productions was higher in the speech
room than the classroom.
The accuracy of productions was similar
across contexts.

If similar accuracy can be

achieved in both contexts, why
isnt more articulation intervention
being conducted in the general
education classroom?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A Special Thank You to Williams Bay Elementary School, Dana

Syring CCC-SLP, and Brooke Lile

REFERENCES
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2011). National outcome measurement
system: Pre-Kindergarten National Data Report 2006-2010. National Center for
Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders. Retrieved from:
http://www.asha.org/members/research/noms/
Flynn, P. (2010). New service delivery models: connecting SLPs with Teachers and
Curriculum. The ASHA Leader, 15(22). doi:10.1044/leader.SCM1.15102010.22