Online treatment for improving speech sound disorders in children

Online Assessment and Enhancement of Auditory Perception for Speech Sound Errors: Online Rotating Delivery of Perception/Production Enhanced Treatment for Rhotics

NA · Montclair State University · NCT06969521

This study is testing if an online treatment that focuses on listening skills first or speaking skills first can help children with speech sound disorders improve their speech.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment60 (estimated)
Ages8 Years to 17 Years
SexAll
SponsorMontclair State University (other)
Locations1 site (Montclair, New Jersey)
Trial IDNCT06969521 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to evaluate whether perceptual training can enhance speech perception and production outcomes in children with Residual Speech Sound Disorders (RSSD). Participants will undergo pre-treatment evaluations to assess their speech production accuracy and will be categorized into high or low accuracy groups. They will then be randomly assigned to either a perception-first or production-first treatment approach via telepractice. The study will analyze how the order of intervention affects speech improvement based on initial accuracy levels.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are children aged 8 to 17 who speak English as their dominant language and have difficulty producing the /r/ sound.

Not a fit: Patients who have a significant cognitive impairment or who do not meet the speech accuracy criteria may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could significantly improve speech outcomes for children with speech sound disorders.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown success with similar perceptual training approaches, indicating potential for effective outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

Must be between 8;0 and 17;11 years of age at the time of enrollment. Must speak English as the dominant language (i.e., must have begun learning English by age 2, per parent report).

Must speak a rhotic dialect of English. Must pass a pure-tone hearing screening at 20dB hearing level. Must pass a brief examination of oral structure and function. Must exhibit less than 30% accuracy, based on consensus across 2 trained listeners, on a probe list eliciting rhotics in various phonetic contexts at the word level.

Must exhibit no more than 3 sounds other than /r/ in error on the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-3 (GFTA-3).

Exclusion Criteria:

Must not receive a T score more than 1.3 SD below the mean on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-2 (WASI-2) Matrix Reasoning Must not receive a scaled score of 7 or higher on the Recalling Sentences and Formulated Sentences subtests of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-5 (CELF-5).

Must not have an existing diagnosis of developmental disability or major neurobehavioral syndrome such as cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, or Autism Spectrum Disorder

Where this trial is running

Montclair, New Jersey

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Speech Sound Disorder, speech sound disorder, auditory perception, articulation

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.