Dynamic Assessment: Speech Sound Disorders

Children who have speech sound disorders have a limited number of speech sounds that they produce correctly. Speech-language pathologists identify these disorders in children and provide treatment. Static assessment is most commonly used to evaluate a child’s speech abilities. However, this process can often leave out key components of a child’s speech abilities by not considering different environments in which speech is used. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of dynamic assessment, which is used less often, to measure speech changes when help is given and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Another aim of this study was to compare treatment phases and target selection when using dynamic assessment. This research is significant because there are currently limited methods of measurement being used that fully encompass a child’s speech abilities. In this study, the researchers used a new type of dynamic assessment, the Glaspey Dynamic Assessment of Phonology (GDAP), where the clinician provides help when needed. This approach is one of the first dynamic assessments that can be used to evaluate and treat a child’s speech production issues. The methods included researchers watching therapy sessions of a six-year old boy with a moderate speech sound disorder. The researchers analyzed and compared his results from both a static assessment and a dynamic assessment. The researchers measured the changes of four moderately adaptable target sounds treated over the eight therapy sessions from mid- to post-treatment (phase 2) using the GDAP. Three of the four moderately adaptable targets improved during the therapy sessions. Overall, composite scores for moderately adaptable targets improved slightly, whereas not to slightly adaptable targets addressed during phase 1 in a previous study improved significantly. Results indicated that the participant’s sounds in error improved most significantly during phase 2. The present strategy of target selection was effective in treating the participant’s speech sound disorder. Implications for future research would include assessing and treating a variety of participants as well as evaluating if treating moderately adaptable or not-to-slightly adaptable targets first in treatment is most beneficial.