Concurrent Targeting of Expressive Vocabulary and Speech Comprehensibility in Pre-Schoolers with Developmental Language Disorder and Phonological Speech Sound Disorder Features: A Survey of UK Practice

Abstract

Highlights: What are the main findings? When targeting both expressive vocabulary and speech comprehensibility concurrently, UK speech and language therapists (SaLTs) focus on the holistic application of intervention techniques in a variety of activities and contexts. SaLTs also prioritise maximising the impact of their interventions on the child’s everyday life, including the use of functional strategies. What are the implications of the main findings? We now have a description of current practice; the effectiveness of SaLTs’ preferred approaches can now be explored within subsequent intervention trialling. Interventions for this group should incorporate functional strategies for immediate impact, in addition to techniques to develop the child’s speech and language skills. Background/objectives: Speech sound disorder (SSD) and developmental language disorder (DLD) are common childhood disorders of communication that can also co-occur. This study investigated the reported content, format and delivery of UK speech and language therapists’ (SaLTs) practice when delivering intervention for pre-school children with co-occurring SSD/DLD features when expressive vocabulary and speech comprehensibility are prioritised areas. The findings can be used to inform the development of future interventions and enable reflection on current practice. Methods: A quantitative online survey via Qualtrics enabled the statistical analysis of intervention components from SaLTs from across the UK. The survey questions were based on prior research and the input of an expert steering group. The data were analysed through descriptive statistics. Results: There were 108 full responses from across the UK. For both target areas, the responses highlighted a preference for functional intervention targets, holistic delivery of intervention techniques in different environments, and incorporation of techniques into a variety of activities. Most respondents (97.5%) reported that they would also target phonological awareness (PA), with syllable segmentation being the most commonly reported PA target area for inclusion. Overall, 82.4% of respondents said they would consider dosage when providing their intervention. Conclusions: The findings highlight similarities in UK SaLT practice when targeting aspects of both speech (comprehensibility) and language (expressive vocabulary) concurrently, and an emphasis on functional communication, in addition to being guided by developmental norms. The implications for clinical practice and the development of future interventions are discussed.