Effects of integral stimulation therapy on speech - Portland State ...

Method
Study Design
This study used a single subject, multiple-baseline across behaviors design. The
speech and language <strong>of</strong> the participant, CP, were evaluated by standardized assessment
protocols, and by independent and relational analyses <strong>of</strong> a conversational speech sample.
Analysis <strong>of</strong> speech features determined the speech sounds and speech behaviors targeted
during the application <strong>of</strong> <strong>integral</strong> <strong>stimulation</strong> intervention. CP’s response to treatment
determined the levels at which treatment occurred (phoneme, syllable, word, phrase, or
sentence level) and changed over the course <strong>of</strong> treatment.
Throughout data collection, CP was audio and video recorded while he imitated a
series <strong>of</strong> 20 carrier phrases containing target speech sounds. CP repeated these phrases
for data collection during periods <strong>of</strong> baseline data gathering and (when baseline results
were stable) at the beginning <strong>of</strong> each treatment session. Speech sound stimulus probes
consisted <strong>of</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> 5 functional carrier phrases paired with target speech sounds. For
each session, a list <strong>of</strong> 20 phrases was selected randomly from a corpus <strong>of</strong> 400 possible
phrases. Data were gathered over 40 sessions, and occurred over 3 phases: baseline,
treatment, and post treatment. Baseline data were collected for a minimum <strong>of</strong> 5 sessions
before treatment began. Treatment began when there was a consistent baseline
performance, defined as no systematic trend upward or downward in the target sound
speech intelligibility for a period <strong>of</strong> at least 5 consecutive sessions (Schiavetti & Metz,
2002). The treatment phase <strong>of</strong> this study consisted <strong>of</strong> 33 treatment sessions. Change in
production <strong>of</strong> target speech sounds was tracked over time to monitor the level <strong>of</strong> change
in target sounds and behaviors. Post treatment sessions were conducted after a 2-week
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