The aim of this study was to propose an approach based on distinctive features for the Multiple Oppositions Model, and to test its application on a Brazilian Portuguese speaker. The model was used with a male subject with moderate-severe phonological disorder and six years and six months old. After phonological evaluation the target sounds were selected. The initial phonological system was considered, as well as the altered distinctive features ([+voiced], [+sonant], [+approximant], [coronal/±anterior], [-continuous]). The features with more alterations were [+voiced, +sonant, +approximant], justifying the choice of the following target sounds for treatment: /r/ x /l/ x /<img src="/img/revistas/rsbf/v14n3/simbQuad.gif" align="bottom">/ x /<img src="/img/revistas/rsbf/v14n3/simbZ.gif" align="middle">/ x /z/,in medial onset. Based on the application of this model in English speakers, some necessary procedures were introduced, such as: choice of the target-sounds based on the altered distinctive features, and the structure of therapy session. At the end, the subject was reassessed, in order to verify the phonological system acquisitions. After ten speech-language therapy sessions, the subject acquired the phonemes /l, <img src="/img/revistas/rsbf/v14n3/simbQuad.gif" align="bottom">, <img src="/img/revistas/rsbf/v14n3/simbZ.gif" align="middle">, z/, generalizing them to other word positions (/l/ and /<img src="/img/revistas/rsbf/v14n3/simbZ.gif" align="middle">/ in initial onset). It was also verified the occurrence of generalization for the same class and other classes of sounds (/b/, /d/, /g/, /v/). However, the phoneme /r/ was not acquired. This proposal proved to be effective, for the subject showed improvement on his phonological system with few therapeutic sessions. It was possible to observe that the Multiple Oppositions Model, when applied using the approach based on distinctive features, is effective, because it favored many phonological changes.
Speech disorders; Speech; Speech therapy; Generalization; Children; Case reports
