The influence of the choice of target sounds and therapy model in children who present devoicing

The purpose of this paper was verifying the ABAB-Withdrawal and Multiple Probes Model effectiveness in the phonological system restructuring of children who present devoicing and the influence of target sounds choice in this process. Seven children were selected from a data basis of a federal institution. All of them were authorized to participate by their guardians and had to present devoicing before the intervention, being treated after by ABAB-Withdrawal and Multiple Probes Model. Speech and additional evaluations were performed to obtain the diagnosis. The disorder severity was obtained by Percentage of Consonants Correct-Revised. The subjects presented mild-moderate or moderate-severe disorders, the ages ranged from 5 to 7 years and 1 month. Three of them were treated with liquids and four with /ʒ/. The speech samples from the first two sessions of withdrawal of the first therapy cycle were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The means between initial and final evaluations or the evolution means between the groups were compared. There were significant increase of the sounds acquired number and the correct production of fricatives. However, the same didn't occur with the Percentage of Consonants Correct-Revised. The plosives and liquids consonants didn't demonstrate significant increase of correct production either. In the comparison between the groups treated by liquids versus treated by fricatives, there was no difference to the variables. It follows that the ABAB-Withdrawal and Multiple Probes Model improves some aspects of phonological systems of children who present devoicing. Nevertheless, the target sounds for therapy don't influence this process.

Child; Speech; Articulation Disorders; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Speech Therapy