Making One Change in Your Therapy

In my 34 year career, I’ve done a lot of articulation mentoring of other SLPs. One of the most consistent issues I see is that practice tends to be too slow. When I first developed the SATPAC Program, I had kids complete the program and they were not transferring their correct productions into conversation. I realized that I was taking them through the program too slowly.

Because this is such an important issue, I’m repeating most of my April 2013 column.

The SATPAC Approach is based on the idea that when we as SLPs work to remediate sounds/phonological processes, the therapy should be as close to conversational speech as possible and to include the elements that we use in conversational speech (i.e., coarticulation, normal rate, natural prosody, etc.).

Early in my career I was practicing the /s/ sound with a student and we were working on sentences. He was saying them at a slow rate: I wash with sssoap. I like to sssing. The bell rang and he said at a normal rate: Thee you later Mithter Thackth–Itth time for retheth!

Realizing that it is necessary to begin at the level where the student’s skills are, we often have to begin at a slow rate. However, the goal needs to be to practice at the same conversational rate that the student speaks.

With SATPAC, I follow a 3-part approach. First the target sound is established (Establishment Phase) in one context (for /s/ I frequently use the nonword BEETSEET). It is repeated over and over until the student is 95% accurate. Then the second step uses the target sound in many different contexts. In SATPAC, this is known as the Practice Phase. The student builds up to a conversational rate practicing systematic lists (140 beats per minute using a metronome). The third step is the Generalization/Transfer Phase where the student is now using his skill to practice phrases, sentences and conversation–all at a normal conversational rate.

If you have your students practice at a conversational rate, you will be pleased by how much quicker they transfer their skills into conversation.

Stephen SacksSATPAC Speech

Workshops: I will be doing two workshops in So. Cal October 3rd and 4th. Registration will be $59 or $159 with the purchase of the SATPAC Program (Program normally $150 by itself). SATPAC is a growing company and our computer program is being used by universities, hospitals, clinics and school districts all around the world. We are looking for people to market SATPAC in their geographical areas part-time on a commission basis. Contact steve@satpac.comsteve@satpac.com if you are interested or have friends or associates who might be.