None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Aim: The primary concern of the proposed study is to investigate the efficacy and the ability to apply the phonological contrast therapy approach in Arabic, and to evaluate the effect of the phonological contrast therapy approach on speech accuracy and consistency of word production for children with consistent speech-sound disorder in Arabic. Hypothesis: Arabic speaking children with speech disorders will benefit from contrast therapy approach delivered in Arabic Language. Background information: Treating consistent speech disorders in children with phonological contrast therapy has proven its efficacy in English (Baker & McLeod, 2011). According to the literature, there are four major contrastive approaches for treating speech disorders: minimal pairs (Weiner, 1981), multiple oppositions (Williams, 2000 & 2003), maximal oppositions (Gierut, 1990) and empty set (Gierut, 1991). The positive benefits of these treatments have been widely documented. Moreover, there are some studies that focused on comparing between these treatment types in an attempt to find out which method is the most effective one (Gierut, 2001) which reflected the complexity of the population. According to Crosbie et.al (2005), phonological contrast approaches target speech error patterns and help with recognizing a child’s linguistic system in order to increase recognition of the similarities and differences of sounds and how these mark differences in meaning. Overall, most of the research that investigated the efficacy of the phonological contrast therapy approach resulted in children with consistent errors benefiting most from phonological contrast therapy. The pilot study on a single case study design has revealed some interesting results including a significant improvement with child’s production accuracy following treatment presented in minimal pairs in Arabic. However, the data elicited from the pilot study is very preliminary as there is no available literature provides any information regarding speech treatment in Arabic. More sample size is required to validate the effectiveness of the treatment in monolingual Arabic speaking children. Method: Recruitment Participants will be recruited from the patients’ waiting list in Salem Al-Ali Centre for Speech and Hearing in Kuwait, and from Hospital of Natural Medicine. Participants This study will involve 20 children of ages 3-7. The inclusion criteria will include monolingual Arabic-Kuwaiti speaking children who have identified/ or suspected to have a phonological/speech impairment without having any known concomitant difficulties such as hearing loss, cleft-lip/ or palate, stuttering, or neurological impairment. Procedures: The participants will complete the following assessments test in order to fulfill the inclusion criteria: Receptive language assessment using an Arabic Standardized version of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Abu Alam & Hadi, 1998); oral motor screening test from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology test (Dodd, Hua, Crosbie, Holm, & Ozanne, 2002) ; and pure-tone hearing screening (ASHA, 1997). A 58-word picture naming Arabic articulation test will be used to evoke responses representing the initial, medial, and final consonants of Arabic Lebanese dialect (Amayreh, 2000). These tests will be conducted in Salem Al-Ali centre and the at the Hospital of Natural Medicine. The tests will be conducted over 2 sessions. Parents will be encouraged to observe these sessions from the associated observation rooms.
Interventions
This single case experimental design study will provide phonological therapy which has been shown to be effective in English in Arabic. The therapy is a traditional face–to-face session with speech pathologist. Each child will have individually selected treatment targets addressed in a behavioural intervention as per standard speech pathology clinical practice. Treatment will be provided three times per week for 10 weeks for one hour per session- a maximum total of 30 hours of therapy.
Sponsors
Kuwait University
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
3 Years to 7 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria will include monolingual Arabic-Kuwaiti speaking children who have identified/ or suspected to have a phonological/speech impairment without having any known concomitant difficulties such as hearing loss, cleft-lip/ or palate, stuttering, or neurological impairment.
Exclusion criteria
Non Arabic speaker children. Bilingual children Other medical conditions that effect speech such as :hearing loss, cleft-lip/ or palate, stuttering, or neurological impairment.
Outcome results
None listed