The impact of selecting different contrasts in phonological therapy

Figures & data

Table I.  Participant details and intervention assessment data.

Child	CA	Gender	Rec Lang SS	Pre PCC	Pre PVC	Pre PPC	Therapy group	Stimulability All sounds	Post PCC	Post PVC	Post PPC
1	71	M	81	35	89	54	Minimal	Except //	55	98	70
2	60	M	91	49	95	65	Minimal	Except /d/	64	97	76
3	70	M	102	63	99	76	Minimal		59	96	72
4	65	M	88	71	97	81	Minimal		85	99	90
5	51	M	107	38	97	59	Minimal		57	97	72
6	59	F	103	59	99	73	Minimal	Except /t/	80	99	87
7	60	F	93	57	99	72	Minimal		88	100	92
8	73	F	85	66	99	78	Minimal		81	100	88
9	55	F	100	76	100	84	Minimal	Except /t/	94	100	96
10	56	M	98	71	99	81	Non-min		77	98	84
11	77	M	85	38	94	58	Non-min	Except /t, d, , /	49	96	66
12	62	M	91	67	97	78	Non-min		76	99	84
13	65	M	93	76	99	84	Non-min		96	99	96
14	68	M	85	43	97	62	Non-min		58	97	72
15	58	M	96	62	97	75	Non-min		83	97	88
16	66	F	106	46	99	65	Non-min	Except /k, g, d/	64	100	77
17	76	F	84	56	99	71	Non-min	Except /g, /	80	98	86
18	47	F	104	61	97	74	Non-min		73	97	82
19	64	F	117	70	100	81	Non-min		95	100	96

Table II.  Individuals' error targets during therapy.

Child	CA	Gender	Contrasts	Targets
1	71	M	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal, p-b
2	60	M	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal, n-l, p-b
3	70	M	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal, s-f
4	65	M	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal, w-l, d-d, fr-f
5	51	M	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal, s-t
6	59	F	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal, t-k, d-g,
7	60	F	Minimal	s-t, d-t, t-k, d-g, stop + r-r, fr-r, s-
8	73	F	Minimal	s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal
9	55	F	Minimal	tr-kr, dr-gr, s + stop − stop, s + nasal − nasal
10	56	M	Non-min	r-t, w
11	77	M	Non-min	f-d, s-m, sn-b, s + stop-m
12	62	M	Non-min	t-b, -n, t-m
13	65	M	Non-min	r-p, -m, s + stop-m
14	68	M	Non-min	s-g, f-m
15	58	M	Non-min	s-b, f-m
16	66	M	Non-min	-b, s-m, s + nasal-b, s + stop-m
17	76	F	Non-min	-b, k-l, s + nasal-b
18	47	F	Non-min	f-d, s-m, -b, s + nasal-b, s + stop-m
19	64	F	Non-min	-b, r-p

Table III.  Mean (SD) speech accuracy measures and the number of error patterns suppressed before and after therapy.

Measure	Pre therapy Mean (SD)	Post therapy Mean (SD)
PCC	58.11 (13.14)	74.42 (14.55)
PVC	97.47 (2.61)	98.26 (1.41)
PPC	72.16 (9.20)	82.84 (9.49)
Number of error patterns	4.42 (1.47)	2.37 (1.80)

Notes: PCC=percent consonants correct, PVC=percent vowels correct, PPC=percent phonemes correct.

Table IV.  Mean (SD) speech accuracy measures and the number of error patterns suppressed by group (minimal versus non-minimal contrast therapy).

	Minimal contrast therapy		Non-minimal contrast therapy
Measure	Pre therapy Mean (SD)	Post therapy Mean (SD)	Pre Therapy Mean (SD)	Post Therapy Mean (SD)
PCC	57.11 (14.08)	73.67 (14.90)	59.00 (12.94)	75.10 (15.00)
PVC	97.11 (3.41)	98.44 (1.51)	97.80 (1.75)	98.10 (1.37)
PPC	71.33 (10.10)	82.56 (9.99)	72.90 (8.77)	83.10 (9.55)
Number of error patterns	4.56 (1.67)	2.11 (1.70)	4.30 (1.33)	2.60 (1.90)

Notes: PCC=percent consonants correct, PVC=percent vowels correct, PPC=percent phonemes correct.

Table V.  Mean (SD) speech accuracy measures for group receiving non-minimal contrast therapy targeting or not targeting clusters: Mann-Whitney U, p value

	Clusters targeted				Clusters not targeted
Measure	Pre therapy Mean (SD)	Post therapy Mean (SD)	U=	p =	Pre therapy Mean (SD)	Post therapy Mean (SD)	U=	p =
PCC	55.4 (14.55)	72.40 (17.56)	8	.421	62.60 (11.50)	77.80 (13.40)	10	.690
PVC	97.60 (2.19)	98.00 (1.58)	12	1.000	98.00 (1.41)	98.20 (1.30)	11.5	.841
PPC	70.40 (9.76)	81.40 (11.08)	8	.421	75.40 (7.89)	84.80 (8.67)	9.5	.548
Error p*	4.4 (.8)	3.0 (4.5)	12	.915	4.2 (1.7)	2.2 (1.7)	9	.443
*Number of error patterns.
	Pre-therapy				Post therapy
Measure	Clusters targeted Mean (SD)	Clusters not targeted Mean (SD)	U=	p =	Clusters targeted Mean (SD)	Clusters not targeted Mean (SD)	U=	p =
PCC	55.4 (14.55)	62.60 (11.50)	8	.421	72.40 (17.56)	77.80 (13.40)	10	.690
PVC	97.60 (2.19)	98.00 (1.41)	13	1.000	98.00 (1.58)	98.20 (1.30)	11.5	.841
PPC	70.40 (9.76)	75.40 (7.89)	8	.421	81.40 (11.08)	84.80 (8.67)	9.5	.548
Error p*	4.4 (.8)	4.2 (1.7)	12	.915	0	2.2 (1.7)	9	.443

Notes: PCC=percent consonants correct, PVC=percent vowels correct, PPC=percent phonemes correct.

Pre-therapy phonetic repertoire and error processes

Child	C#	Phonemes Missing From Repertoire*	Error patterns
			Delay	Disorder
1	B	/r, d, , , t, /	CR, V, G1	cluster → w or Φ
2	F	/d, , t, , j/	CR, FCD, V, St, Fr
3	D	/f, v, d, , t, /	CR, V, WSD, Gl
4	C	/d, , /	CR, St
5	H	/l, f, s, z, k, g, r, j, d, , , t, /	CR, St, Fr
6	F	/d, , , t, /	CR, V, Assim, Fr
7	C	/k, g, j, d, , , t, /	CR, St, Fr	Atypical CR
8	E	/, /	CR, Gl, St, V
9	C	/v/	CR, St,	Atypical CR, Bk
10	B	/r, , j, /	CR, Fr
11	A	/f, v, s, r, d, , , t, , h/	CR, V, WSD, St, Fr
12	C	/d, , t, j, v/	CR, V, Fr, De-aff
13	C	/d, , v/	CR, St
14	E	/r, , /	CR, Gl, Fr, Assim, V	Bk
15	G	/r, , /	CR, Fr, St, Gl
16	D	/k, d, , , t , , z/	CR, V, St, Fr
17	B	/k, g, r, d, , , t, /	CR, St, Fr	Clusters → Φ
18	A	/v, z, d, , , t, /	CR, FCD, St, Frr
19	E	All present	St, Gl

# clinician; *Sounds not produced spontaneously; CR: cluster reduction; Fr: fronting; St: stopping; V: voicing; FCD: final consonant deletion; De-aff: deaffrication; WSD: weak syllable deletion; Gl: gliding; Bk: Backing, Assim: Assimilation.

Post-therapy phonetic repertoire and error processes

Child	C#	Phonemes Missing From Repertoire*	Error patterns
			Delay	Disorder
1	B	/d, t/	CR
2	F	/d, t, , j/	CR, V, Fr
3	D	/v, d, , t, /	CR, WSD, Gl
4	C	//	CR (3 members only)
5	H	/j, d, , t/	CR, St, Fr
6	F	/, t/	CR
7	C	/, /	Fr (/, → s/)
8	E	/, /
9	C	/v/
10	B	/r, /
11	A	/v, s, r, d, , , t, /	CR, V, St, Fr
12	C	/d, , j/	CR
13	C	All present
14	E	All present	CR, Gl, V, Assim	Bk
15	G	/, /
16	D	/ , z/	CR, V, St, Fr
17	B	/, /	CR, St, Fr
18	A	/r, d, , t/	St, Fr
19	G	All present

# clinician; *Sounds not produced spontaneously; CR: cluster reduction; Fr: fronting; St: stopping; V: voicing; FCD: final consonant deletion; De-aff: deaffrication; WSD: weak syllable deletion; Gl: gliding; Bk: Backing, Assim: Assimilation.