NCT05929859 · Syracuse University
Intensive Speech Motor Chaining Treatment for Residual Speech Sound Disorders
(iChain)
What this study is about
The goal of this randomly assigned-controlled trial is to compare distributed treatment schedules and intensive treatment schedules in 84 school-age children with residual speech sound disorders.
View original scientific description
The goal of this randomized-controlled trial is to compare distributed treatment schedules and intensive treatment schedules in 84 school-age children with residual speech sound disorders. The main question it aims to answer is: * How does intensive and distributed treatment affect speech sound learning in residual speech sound disorder? Some participants will be treated with a traditional Distributed schedule of 2 sessions per weeks for 8 weeks (16 hours total), whereas others will be treated with an Intensive schedule and will complete 16 hours of treatment in 4 weeks.
Interventions
BEHAVIORAL
Speech Motor Chaining
Sessions begin with Pre-practice to elicit target sounds, with verbal cueing and shaping strategies. During Structured Practice, items are practice in blocks of 6 consecutive trials (with systematic increases in difficulty), and our web-based software will manipulate the principles of motor learning, including the stimulus prompt, the participant's production, analysis of the clinician's rating, feedback prompts for the clinician, and the variability present in the practice trial. Randomized Practice will also be guided by the software and includes all linguistic levels that were produced correctly during Structured Practice, with items presented in random order.
Primary outcome measures
Change in percent correct for treated sound, rated by blinded listeners.
Time frame: Before the initiation of treatment and again 10 weeks later.
To assess generalization of treatment gains to untreated words, participants will read a 200-word probe list eliciting the treated sound (/ɹ/ or /s/). Stimuli in each probe will be presented individually in randomized order. No auditory models will be provided; for children with reading difficulty, semantic cues will be provided to elicit the intended word. Individual words will be isolated from the audio record of each word probe and presented in randomized order for binary rating (correct/incorrect) by listeners who are blind to treatment condition and time point (but will see the written representation of each target word). We will use the change in percent correct as our primary measure of perceptually rated accuracy.
Who can participate
This study lists these criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study coordinator reviews eligibility during screening — this page does not determine whether you qualify.
Inclusion criteria
- Must speak American English as a dominant language.
- Must have began learning English by at least the age of 3 years.
- Must be between 9;0 to 17;11 years of age.
- Must have reported difficulty with /ɹ/ and/or /s/ production
- Must pass pure tone hearing screening at 25 dB at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz.
- Must receive a scaled score of at least 5 on the Listening Comprehension and Story Retelling subtests of the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS)
- Must receive a percentile score of 5 or below on the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-3 (GFTA-3) Sounds in Words subtest.
- Must have 1 scorable response with 5+ consecutive correct /pataka/ with \> 3.4 syllables per second in the MRR-Tri task of the Maximum Performance Tasks OR must demonstrate no childhood apraxia of speech (CAS-only) features in BOTH articulatory and rate/prosody domains of the ProCAD.
- Must score \<40% accurate on /ɹ/ and/or /s/ probes assessing these sounds at the word level.
- Must express a desire to modify their speech.
Exclusion criteria
- Must have no known history of autism spectrum disorder, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, permanent hearing loss, or brain injury.
- Must not have current cleft palate or voice disorder.
Where
- Syracuse, New York
Collaborators
National Institutes of Health (NIH), State University of New York - Upstate Medical University, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
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Frequently asked questions
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a research study that tests new medical treatments, drugs, devices, or procedures to determine their safety and effectiveness. Trials are carefully designed and monitored to protect participants while advancing medical knowledge.
Is it safe to participate?
Clinical trials follow strict safety guidelines and ethical standards. Trials must be reviewed and approved, and participants are closely monitored by medical professionals throughout the study. You can withdraw at any time if you choose.
Will I be compensated?
Many clinical trials offer compensation for your time, travel expenses, and inconvenience. The specific compensation varies by study and will be discussed during the screening process. All study-related medical care is typically provided at no cost to participants.
Will I receive a placebo instead of treatment?
When effective treatment exists, participants typically receive either the standard treatment plus the study intervention, or the standard treatment plus placebo. You would not be denied effective care. Placebos are primarily used when no proven treatment is available, or in addition to standard care. Your trial consent form will clearly explain what treatments you may receive.
Can I leave a trial if I change my mind?
Absolutely. Participation in clinical trials is completely voluntary. You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.
How long does a clinical trial last?
Trial duration varies widely depending on the study design and purpose. Some trials last just a few weeks, while others may continue for months or years. The study coordinator will provide specific timeline information during your screening call.
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov · synced Jan 13, 2026 · Source of record for eligibility and locations