Online Speech Therapy Using Visual Biofeedback to Improve s Sounds in Children and Teens Aged 8 to 17

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of a visual-acoustic biofeedback treatment delivered via telepractice for children aged 8 to 17 years who have speech sound disorders affecting the production of the s sound. The study aims to determine whether this biofeedback method can improve s sound accuracy compared to no treatment and if it positively influences social-emotional well-being for participants and their guardians. The study involves six children with distortions of the s sound. Participants will first undergo an initial evaluation to confirm eligibility and then be randomly assigned to begin treatment after 4 to 10 baseline sessions where their s sound production is assessed but not treated. All children will receive 20 one-hour biofeedback treatment sessions over 10 weeks, followed by three maintenance sessions. Treatment is provided individually by a certified speech-language pathologist via password-protected Zoom videoconference calls, using software that provides real-time visual feedback and adjusts practice difficulty based on participant performance. Throughout the study, participants will complete standard word probes at baseline and after treatment to measure the accuracy of their s sound production. Surveys will also be conducted before and after treatment to assess changes in social-emotional well-being. The trial includes monitoring of speech production during sessions with software-guided feedback, and participants will practice producing sounds in structured blocks. The total study duration includes baseline, treatment, and maintenance sessions, with outcomes assessed after 20 weeks.

BiOfeedback, Online for Sibilant Treatment