Speech Sound Disorders Phonology Stimulability Approach

Stimulability Approach

Stimulability approach focuses on increasing the child’s phonetic inventory using visual speech sound cue cards and hand motions. Sounds are taught in isolation or CV context.

Who It's For:

Young children (2-4 yo) who are not stimulable for consonant sounds. Additionally, the approach has been effective with older children with characteristics of CAS, as well as children with speech sound disorders of known origin and speech delay-otits media with effusion.

How It's Practiced:

Focus to increase the child’s phonetic inventory using visual speech sound cue cards and hand motions. Sounds are taught in isolation or CV context.

7 parts

  • Directly target nonstimulable sounds
  • Make targets the joint focus of attention
  • Associate speech sounds with hand/body motions
  • Associate speech sounds with alliterative characters
  • Encourage vocal practice
  • Ensure early success
  • Ensure successful communicative attempts

Steps of therapy

  • Elicit ⅓ of stimulabilty probe: each consonant is elicited in isolation, then with a vowel in CV, VCV, and VC context. Repeat with 2 more vowels and the same consonant.
  • Review sounds and motions: model sound and associated movement.
  • Engage in play-based stimuliablity activities: 3 different 10-minute activities, SLP should model sound and encourage imitation.
  • Elicit palindrome probe.

Download Stimulability Approach Handout Here

Duration:

45-50 minute sessions once or twice per week for no longer than 12 weeks.

Resources:

Miccio, A.W. & Williams, A.L. (2021). Stimulability Approach. In A.L. Williams, S. McLeod, & R. J. McCauley (Eds.) Interventions for Speech Sound Disorders in Children (2nd ed., pp. 91–110). essay, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Miccio, A. W., & Elbert, M. (1996). Enhancing stimulability: A treatment program. Journal of Communication Disorders, 29(4), 335–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9924(96)00016-0 ‌