Actively Recruiting
Treatment for /s/ Production Errors in Children With Speech Sound Errors
Led by Syracuse University · Updated on 2025-10-09
24
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
81 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
We want to learn about a new way to help people make the /s/ sound, like in the word "snake." We will be studying a way to teach the /s/ sound that uses very short speech sessions. This study will also collect recordings from people as they say words with the /s/ sound. We will listen to these recordings and check if the words are said clearly. In the first visit, we'll do a speech lesson on how to make a clear /s/ sound. We will also have the participant say some words while we record them talking. If they are a good fit for the study, we will invite them to do a second visit. In the second visit, they will name some pictures, answer some questions, repeat words and sentences, and do some mouth movements. After the second visit, if they are a good fit for the study, we will invite them to do the speech lessons. The speech lessons will each take 10 minutes, and they will have lessons 4 times a week for 8 weeks. They will do these lessons on video chat. They will be randomized to either start right away or after 8 weeks. We'll also ask them to participate in 3 other visits to track progress by having them repeat words with /s/.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Treatment for /s/ Production Errors in Children With Speech Sound Errors
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 7 years 0 months and 11 years 11 months
- Difficulty producing the /s/ sound
- English as dominant language, started learning English before age 3
- No reported hearing loss
- No reported neurodevelopmental diagnosis except ADHD/ADD
- Access to Windows or Apple computer with Zoom and wired broadband internet
- Residence in the United States or Canada
- No orthodontic retainers or appliances preventing tongue contact with the roof of the mouth
- Accurately produce 3 to 36 items on the /s/ prescreener probe list
- Produce at least 5 out of 45 /s/ syllables correctly and no more than 60% accuracy on 75 /s/ words
- At least 75% of /s/ errors are dental or lateral distortion
- Adequate tongue range of motion in oral mechanism exam
- Score below 7th percentile on GFTA-3 and no more than two sound errors other than /s/ and /z/
- Scaled scores of 5 or higher on Listening Comprehension and Story Retelling subtests of TILLS
- Less than three inconsistencies on Linguisystems Articulation Test Inconsistency Screener
- Less than four additions on Syllable Repetition Task
- Consent to recording assessment and treatment sessions
- Provide general consent/assent for study procedures
You will not qualify if you...
- Younger than 7 years 0 months or older than 11 years 11 months
- No difficulty producing the /s/ sound
- Does not speak English as dominant language or started learning English after age 3
- Reported hearing loss
- Any reported neurodevelopmental diagnosis except ADHD/ADD
- No access to required computer or internet for Zoom
- Does not reside in the United States or Canada
- Has orthodontic retainers or appliances preventing tongue contact with the roof of the mouth
- Produces fewer than 3 or more than 36 items accurately on the /s/ prescreener probe list
- Produces fewer than 5 out of 45 /s/ syllables correctly or more than 60% accuracy on 75 /s/ words
- Less than 75% of /s/ errors are dental or lateral distortion
- Inadequate tongue range of motion in oral mechanism exam
- Scores above 7th percentile on GFTA-3 or more than two sound errors other than /s/ and /z/
- Scaled scores below 5 on Listening Comprehension or Story Retelling subtests of TILLS
- More than three inconsistencies on Linguisystems Articulation Test Inconsistency Screener
- More than four additions on Syllable Repetition Task
- No consent to recording sessions
- No general consent/assent for study procedures
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York, United States, 13244
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
B
Benedette Herbst
CONTACT
S
Speech Production Laboratory
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
CROSSOVER
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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