Alternative Service Delivery Options: The Effectiveness of Intensive Group Treatment with Pre-school Children

Abstract

This paper compares the effects of intensive group treatment (three times a week) and traditional weekly treatment for the remediation of phonological processes. Whilst anecdotal evidence has suggested that treatment provided on an intensive basis is more efficient and effective than weekly sessions, few studies have objectively evaluated the merits of intensive treatment with the phonologically delayed, preschool population. Groups focussing on one selected phonological process (final consonant deletion, velar fronting, cluster reduction) were conducted either on a once weekly (over six weeks) or thrice weekly (over two weeks) basis. Pre-, post- and six-week follow-up probes were administered to measure the degree of generalisation and maintenance of the skills targetted. Results indicated that all subjects made comparable gains in their targetted phonological process regardless of the intensity of the intervention, and that these gains were sustained over a six-week follow-up period. Intensive group tre...