October 28, 2017

Impact: Speech sound disorders in preschool and school-age children

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) have just launched a journal self-study course for their members titled "Speech Sound Disorders in Preschool and School-Age Children (WEB3250)". It contains learning based around four journal articles, and two of the four were written by our team, with a third being written by our colleagues Yvonne Wren and Sue Roulstone from the UK. It is very exciting to have had our work selected by ASHA and will increase the impact of our work across the US and the world. The selected papers in the self-study course are:
  1. Stimulus Characteristics of Single-Word Tests of Children's Speech Sound Production - Toby Macrae 
  2. Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Intervention Delivered by Educators for Children With Speech Sound Disorders - Sharynne McLeod, Elise Baker, Jane McCormack, Yvonne Wren, Sue Roulstone, Kathryn Crowe, Sarah Masso, Paul White, and Charlotte Howland 
  3. Polysyllable Speech Accuracy and Predictors of Later Literacy Development in Preschool Children With Speech Sound Disorders - Sarah Masso, Elise Baker, Sharynne McLeod, and Cen Wang 
  4. Prevalence and Predictors of Persistent Speech Sound Disorder at Eight Years Old: Findings From a Population Cohort Study - Yvonne Wren, Laura L. Miller, Tim J. Peters, Alan Emond, and Sue Roulstone 
Here is the summary of the course from the ASHA website:
Children with speech sound disorders make up a large part of the caseload for many SLPs who work with preschool and school-age children. Speech sound disorders not only affect a child’s ability to communicate at a young age but also may lead to later speech and literacy difficulties. This journal self-study explores issues related to managing speech sound disorders, including assessment and treatment options. It also includes articles that identify predictors of future speech and literacy problems. Clinicians can use this information to help identify appropriate assessment tools and potential treatment options, as well as counsel parents and teachers of children who may be at risk for continuing speech and academic difficulties.