Major focus area

Speech Therapy -> Phonology

Short description

Co-articulation therapy approach involves the SLP using syllable strings of targeted phonemes that are built up to a functional phrase (Siegelman, 2008).

Long description

Co-articulation therapy approach: SLP creates strings of syllables called 'Coarticulation Runs'. Coarticulation methods include coarticulation runs and awareness of vCv and vCvCv levels.

Beliefs/Method:
1) The syllable is the unit of production.
2) The phrase is the unit of communication.
3) The phrase is built up a syllable at a time to a length of 5 syllables.
4) Initially the phrase is begun using the pronoun “I” plus the first CV syllable of an action word. This happens after the target phoneme is elicited in strings of CV syllables.
5) Strings of CV syllables contain parts of several words.
6) The beginning and ending consonants of all words are blended into the adjacent vowel. This is very important as prosody is taught and their coarticulatory effects are felt across word boundaries.
7) Drill is effective. It’s the content of the drill that is important. Each syllabic unit that is presented is controlled and serves a specific purpose.
8) Each new length of syllables is repeated 3-5 times. 100% accuracy is needed to add a new syllable. If there is an error then that segment is pulled out and practiced. If 100% accuracy is achieved it is then reinserted in the string and therapy moves on. The target phrase is then put into functional use. The patient is praised for each production and achieves a sense of accomplishment. If the patient is too young for drill then a short phrase containing a specific syllabic sequence could be modeled for the patient during language therapy. Length of utterance is controlled.
9) Ideally the presentations by the therapist and the productions of the patient are produced in a turn taking manner with new instructions given if needed. The therapist should have a predetermined sequence with a final target in mind.

(Siegelman, 2008)