Traditional and Visual-Acoustic Biofeedback Treatment via Telepractice for Residual Speech Sound Disorders Affecting /ɹ/: Pilot study.
Laura C Ochs, Megan C Leece, Jonathan L Preston and 2 others
PMID 38764857WHAT IT FOUND
Seven children with persistent /ɹ/ distortions completed 20 telepractice sessions combining visual-acoustic biofeedback and motor-based treatment.
Six showed clinically meaningful improvement, but the design cannot separate which component drove the gains.
Key findings
01Six of seven participants demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in /ɹ/ accuracy after the combined treatment package, with one showing no change and one marginal.
02The study measured the effect of the full treatment package, so it cannot determine the relative contribution of visual-acoustic biofeedback versus traditional motor-based treatment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study combined two treatments without separating their effects, so it is unclear whether biofeedback, motor-based treatment, or both drove the improvement. Only seven participants were enrolled, limiting generalizability. Most participants had already received at least one year of traditional treatment for /ɹ/, so prior experience may have influenced response. Technical issues such as audio lag and internet interruptions occurred during the pandemic, which may have affected treatment delivery. The analysis focused on perceptual ratings of untreated words, not acoustic measures or session-by-session changes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing financial or non-financial interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that visual-acoustic biofeedback is more effective than traditional motor-based treatment for /ɹ/ distortions. The study delivered both treatments together and explicitly states it cannot separate their individual contributions.