SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – A revolutionary new
software program that changes the way speech
disorders are treated in children was unveiled last
week during the annual American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention.
This groundbreaking software program is based on
newer models of speech intervention that have been
demonstrated to reduce dramatically the amount of
time children are required to be in therapy. It was
developed by Dr. Lynn Williams, a speech-language
pathologist and professor at East Tennessee State
University, and Thinking Publications, a publisher
of speech and language materials, headquartered in
Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The program, called
SCIP: Sound Contrasts in Phonology™,
is designed for speech-language pathologists as
well as for faculty members who train practitioners
in this field. It provides immediate access to
several current phonological treatment approaches,
including multiple oppositions (which was also
developed by Williams), minimal pairs, maximal
oppositions, and empty set.
The software package includes several video
tutorials and demonstrations, a database of more
than 2,300 words and over 6,000 nonsense words, and
a tracking program that displays each
patient’s progress.
“It’s about saving time, both for the
patient and the clinician,” said Williams, a
professor of communicative disorders in the ETSU
College of Public and Allied Health. “The
intervention materials are accessible within
minutes, data are recorded automatically, and
additional information and assistance are readily
available, all at the click of the mouse.
“Most importantly, intervention research has
demonstrated that these methods help children
improve their speech intelligibility more quickly
than traditional methods.”
Williams and Thinking Publications received major
funding from the National Institutes of Health to
develop this software and evaluate its operational
reliability, learnability, and usability.
Clinicians at six national test sites evaluated the
program and determined the software was highly
usable and reliable.
Using
SCIP, clinicians were able to learn the
new approaches and navigate through the software in
less than an hour.
“
SCIP has undergone extensive review and
testing and meets the highest standards of
evidence-based practices,” Williams said.
“That impressive distinction guarantees
clinicians, faculty members, and parents that this
software is among the most innovative and
cutting-edge treatment modalities available.”
Experts recommend that speech disorders be
resolved by the age of five or six, at which time
most children are beginning school. Speech problems
can cause significant delays in literacy
development and learning that place some children
behind their peers.
“Thinking Publications is honored to develop
Dr. Williams' idea and bring it to the marketplace.
SCIP adds to our line of quality products
that help speech-language pathologists change
lives; additionally
SCIP will change our profession. It's that
revolutionary,” said Linda Schreiber, CEO of
Thinking Publications.
In addition to Williams, the ETSU research team
included Carmen McCrea, a speech-language
pathologist with the department of communicative
disorders; John Kalbfleisch, a statistician at the
James H. Quillen College of Medicine; and research
assistants Kelley Lewis, Marni Adams, and Karen
Wiljhelm. Daniel Santiago from ETSU’s
department of communication produced the video
tutorial for
SCIP.
Joyce Olson, co-investigator; Cherie Godar, lead
editor; programmers Don Toro and Ken Ray; Terry
Shewczyk and Dawn Beard, illustrators; and Sara
Thurs, technical editor, represented Thinking
Publications on this project.
For information about purchasing
SCIP, visit www.thinkingpublications.com
or call 1-800-225-4769.
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