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Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose + Examples!

Speechy Musings December 3, 2018 11 Comments

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So, you’re writing your speech pathology statement of purpose and looking for examples?

When I wrote my essay, I remember thinking to myself… “I wish I could just read somebody else’s. Not to copy, but just to get a CLUE of where to start!”. So… here is the next best thing! Below is a list of topics I talked about in my essay, in order!

This is obviously very personalized to me, and my life, but will hopefully help in deciding how and where to start!

1) Intro: I began with a personal story about my brother, what originally sparked my interest in speech-language pathology.

2) Paragraph 2: My work experience during my undergrad, and how my focus in Autism led me to want to continue my education at XYZ University

3) Paragraph 3: My background working in multidisciplinary teams, how they are important, and how I contributed to student organizations other than ones related to speech

4) Paragraph 4: The characteristics that will help me succeed in grad school. I talked about working nearly full-time during my undergrad, volunteering, etc…

5) Conclusion: Why I want to continue my education and why I picked that school. I gave information about that particular school and related it to my personal experiences outlined earlier.

Throughout my whole essay, I intertwined Autism and its importance throughout my life. I picked schools that had a focus in Autism so that I could make a fair case for why I wanted to go to each school.

A friend of mine wrote her statement of purpose like this:

Think about what makes you unique and start with an action statement. (This friend actually went back to school after staying home with her kids for several years, but wanted to show those years weren’t wasted. Her opening sentence was “I tried to attack motherhood with my usual intellectual fervor and work ethic.” and described language and literacy ways she helped her children as they were growing.
Summarize previous education history (which wasn’t Communication Sciences), but tied it in to Communication Sciences type issues.
Talked about why original path of education was not a perfect fit, highlighting CSD interests, as well as volunteer work that led to SLP.
Talked a little more about volunteer work (if you have any specific numbers, mention them!) “Next, I spent over 60 hours of my summer vacation volunteering at a therapy camp…”
Interests in future research (what areas? What areas of research does your school specialize in? Focus on your areas of mutual interest!)
How would I use my degree in SLP in the future (more long term goals, why this school can help you get there)

I hope these speech pathology statement of purpose examples help! The most important thing is to proofread, proofread, proofread!

If you’re in need of a little more graduate school advice, check out my other blog posts:

Applying to SLP Graduate School, Where Do I Start?
Preparing for SLP Graduate School
Advice for SLP Graduate Students
Top 5 Products for SLP Graduate School
Five Fun Sites for SLP Graduate Students
How to Survive SLP Graduate School
For the Poor Grad Student: All of my FREEBIES

Good luck!!

About the Author

Shannon is a pediatric SLP and the creator behind Speechy Musings. As an SLP, she is most passionate about language, literacy, and AAC. Outside of being an SLP, she loves hiking, camping, dogs, and travel.

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Reader Interactions

11 comments.

August 8, 2013 at 4:30 PM

Your blog is AMAZING! I’m starting the grad school application process this Fall, and randomly stumbled across your blog. This article definitely helped me get on track with what I want to write about in my personal statement. Thank you so much!

August 9, 2013 at 1:33 AM

Thank you so much, Katherine!! You just made my whole day! I really, really appreciate your comment. Glad to help! Let me know if you have any questions along the way!

August 27, 2013 at 5:27 PM

OMG, you are a angel. I have been trying to write a admission essay and I just couldn’t do it. I had a mental block. But now with your outline it will be much easy to get started. Thanks a million. Finding your blog was like getting a gift from god.

August 28, 2013 at 8:55 AM

Betsy you are just wonderful!! How much nicer could you be?! Good luck with everything!! Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any more questions along the way!

March 31, 2014 at 11:42 AM

Excellent post! I’d like to add something about my experience if I may. I had a significant dip in grades for a few semesters due to a very serious issue in my personal life. I was so worried that this would ruin my application. I very briefly explained what I was going through in my statement along with how it’s made me a better student and clinician. Of course, I also included my related volunteer/work experience. I was hesitant to get so personal, but I think it helped me in the end. It’s encouraging to know that some schools appreciate life experience as well as academic. Sorry for the rant. I hope this helps someone out there! The application process can be so discouraging but do the best you can and it will happen!

April 4, 2014 at 11:29 PM

I can relate! I transferred colleges to improve my GPA and mentioned that in my statement. I also took a semester off because of a seizure that I had, and mentioned that as well. I was accepted into two of the schools I applied to, and I am convinced it is because of my honesty. Of course, I mentioned leadership and volunteer experience, which I am sure helped as well!

Something I found to be a great resource at my school was career services and the writing center. Both of these resources helped me write my personal statements and resumes.

April 5, 2014 at 11:41 AM

Yes to all of this!! Congrats into getting into 2 schools!!

October 15, 2014 at 7:40 PM

How did you find out the schools that had a focus in autism?

October 19, 2014 at 6:58 PM

Look closely at their sites! Many have specific autism camps, or labs, or classes, etc…

March 4, 2016 at 4:00 PM

Hi Shannon!

I’m a current undergrad (and college blogger!) and I’m about to start the application process for graduate school. I just wanted you to know that your blog is GOALS for me! I hope to continue blogging throughout grad school and eventually make my own materials as well.

I was wondering how you found time to blog during grad school? I love blogging and I always find time to do it now but I wanted to know if you thought it was hard to balance coursework on top of blogging. How often did you post while you were in school? Sorry for so many questions I’m just really excited to have found a blog that’s pretty much everything I want to do in the future haha.

March 5, 2016 at 11:55 AM

Hi! Thanks for reaching out 🙂 I actually found it fairly easy to blog during grad school as I lived very far away from my family and friends! It was a nice thing to do on weekends when my grad school friends headed home and such! Blogging is also nice in the way that when you get super busy, you can take a few weeks off, no big deal! Good luck with everything!

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SLP Grad School Personal Statements: The Ultimate Guide

What is an slp personal statement.

SLP grad school personal statements are probably the single most important part of your application to a masters program. It is what brings everything else together.

It gives context to your GPA and GRE scores.

A well-written personal statement complements the letters of recommendation from your academic sources.

Your personal statement transforms the lists on your resume into rich and meaningful experiences that excite the admissions committee.gra

SLP personal statements defined:

The basic idea behind a personal statement is to talk about your intent to study in that SLP program, and explain why you might be a good fit.

Other names for a personal statement

Different graduate programs have different names for it. You may see different SLP programs refer to it as any one of the following:

Personal statement
Statement of purpose
Letter of intent
Admissions essay
Personal essay
Statement of interest
Statement of goals

The basic idea behind each of these names is the same.

Some might argue that a “personal statement” is more of a personal narrative whereas as “statement of purpose” focuses more on the program. If you’re worried about splitting hairs, you can read more on the difference between letter of intent and personal statement at GradSchool.com.

How to Write SLP Grad School Personal Statements

I’m going to walk you through the exact steps I used to write the statements of purpose that earned me admissions into top SLP grad programs, and helped me earn over $100,000 in SLP scholarships and funding.

My experience on the topic

Back before I wanted to become an SLP , I worked with a program called Upward Bound as a sort of college coach. I helped dozens of amazing high schoolers become first-generation college students (one of them is now literally a rocket scientist!) through tutoring, ACT prep, workshops, summer camps, and designing customized college admissions strategies.

When I applied for a Fulbright Fellowship, I was lucky that Dr. Marie Orton, took me under her wing and mentored me through the rigorous application that helped me earned the coveted grant.

While completing that Fulbright, I interned at the Institute of International Education’s Office for Latin America. There, I managed multiple international scholarships for partners like Exxon-Mobil, Cargill, and Harvard.

Finally, each year I am deeply honored to serve on the selection committee in Mexico for Fulbright scholars, conducting interviews with dozens of top applicants from Mexico and the United States.

I don’t share all of this to brag. I’m not perfect (heck, I even found a glaring typo in my own SLP masters admissions essay). I share it to let you know that I’m not just making this up. What I’m sharing is based on my experiences, my research, and my work.

I truly hope it is helpful to you.

Two Types of SLP Personal Statements for Graduate School

A general or comprehensive statement has very few guidelines and a very broad topic. This gives you so much freedom to write, which is a bit scary but ultimately super powerful.

Some examples:

Why do you want to become an SLP?
Explain your interested in graduate studies at our institution.
Describe your intentions in pursuing study in this field.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, some SLP masters programs ask very specific questions. Your personal statement should answer those questions specifically. Some schools might provide multiple questions for you to choose from OR multiple questions you must answer.

What does disability mean to you?
Explain what “evidence based practice” means to you.
What three objects would you take with you if trapped on a desert island?
Other than technology and “apps”, what do you believe is a significant development in the field of speech-language pathology over the past 10 years? How will you incorporate this development into your future practice as a speech/language pathologist?”

Steps to Writing the Best SLP Personal Statements for Grad School

Step 1. start early.

This should be pretty obvious, but I put it because… well… you need to start early!

DO NOT wait until the last minute to write your essays. I repeat: DO NOT wait until the last minute to write your essays.

You should start drafting your essays about 6 months before they’re due. They don’t need to be perfect, but you need a rough draft.

For my admissions essays to top SLP program, I started around April, and didn’t turn the essays in until October. This gives you plenty of time to change and revise your essays. My first draft essay looks NOTHING like the one that earned me a spot in my first-choice graduate program.

2. Brainstorming & Introspection

If you think you can write your grad school admissions essay without doing this, you’re either 1) a hyper-focused prodigy, or 2) you need to rethink your decision to go to grad school.

That might sound a bit harsh, but let’s not sugarcoat this: Graduate school for speech-language pathology is a big deal, and you need to treat it as such.

You should spend sometime doing some “soul searching” to figure out why you truly want to go. Your conscious rationalization might not even match whats going on in your subconscious once you start probing.

If you’re not very good at introspection, I suggest investing the $14 in my book: SLP to Be . There is a whole chapter on pre-writing exercises, focused on SLP grad school.

In my essays, I started with a (hackneyed) explanation of my passion for teaching inspired by my wonderful high school Spanish teacher. After several months of revising (and guidance from an amazing mentor), I was able to draw a meaningful thread through most major events in my life (literally from birth) and show how those antecedents, more than inspired me, compelled me to go to graduate school.

Ok, that’s a little dramatic sounding – but it was truly an emotional and stirring experience. I even cried once… or twice.

Nothing should be overlooked during this process. Look at everything you’ve done: jobs you’ve had, people who have mentored you, classes you’ve taken, books that have inspired you.

The point is, you really need to look inside yourself and reflect on what you find.

And if you’re stuck, seriously consider my book. Here’s an example of one of the activities included in it:

Sample pre-writing activity from the book, SLP To Be.

Working with certain professors (whether taking their classes, reading their work, or working with them on a project) influences you and forms you as a scholar and future clinician. You pick up their perspectives and ways of viewing the field.

For this activity, you will reflect on the people who have influenced you and how you view the field of SLP (or related fields such as health care, linguistics, or education). Write a response to each question:

Which professors have most influenced the way you think? What ideas or perspectives did they imprint upon you?

Have any professors ever said something that stuck with you? What was it? Why did it stick?

If you have completed any research, what was it about? What was your methodology? What did you learn from the process?

Are there any professors who you would like to study under at a specific university?

Is there a book or essay that you found particularly meaningful? Why?

Have you ever heard conflicting information or thoughts from professors on the same topic? How did you decide whose advice to follow?

Step 3: Word Vomit Everything

“Word vomit” is the highly technical process (<- sarcasm) that you will use to create your first draft.

You’re just going to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and start writing the answer to the question, “Why do you want to go to graduate school for Speech Language Pathology?” without thinking or stopping or editing.

You might think, “AH! But that’s not the prompt!” And you’re right; it is probably not the exact prompt for every school. But I bet it is pretty close, and “pretty close” is good enough for now .

Don’t worry at this point if you have too much content or if it is completely filled with atrocious grammatical errors. This is a precursor to rough draft.

Just try to write without stopping to think or judge, just type any thoughts on why you want to become an SLP. Imagine you’re sitting on a comfy couch having a cup of coffee (or wine, depending on which gets you going better) with someone who asks you why’re interested in the field. You’ve got nothing but time and someone who is super interested in your answer. Tell them everything!

My word-vomit-super-rough-draft was three pages long and riddled with errors, errant thoughts, and all sorts of stuff that (while true) I would never show to grad schools. But the point was to get the answer onto paper!

At this point, no experience is too small. Write about fears, hopes, dreams. Write about things that excite you and things that terrify you. Write about things you would never tell the admissions committee.

The point is to get all of those rambling, errant thoughts out of your head so they can stop districting you. How do you know when you’re finished? When you have every possible motivation to become an SLP written down.

Step 4: Writing Your SLP Personal Statement

At this point you have a good source of raw material from which to build your essays. More importantly, you got all those loose ideas out of your head so they’ll stop distracting you.

Now you’re at an important juncture. You need to focus on a general or specific prompt.

If your school has a specific prompt, answer it. Then jump ahead to these other steps. Chances are, you’ll need to answer a general prompt as well.

Here’s how to do it:

First and foremost, answer the question being asked. Even if it is a general essay prompt, be sure you are answering it. Don’t wander off into left-field and talk about something irrelevant. Answer the question in approximately 1,000 words or less (we’ll cut it down later). Pull generously from your brainstorming (i.e. word vomit) that you did previously.

Next go back to the beginning. You need a hook, or strong opening paragraph. This is where you grab the reader’s attention or lose it. This paragraph will set the tone for the rest of the statement.

Finally, make sure that your essay can answer these three questions:

How does your background prepare you for graduate studies?
What do you want to attend our specific school for speech-language pathology?
Briefly, what are your plans upon graduation?

Those three questions kind of cover the basic information that any admissions committee is going to look for. They might not say it explicitly, but the admissions reader expects to find answer to these implicit questions in your essay.

Step 4: Revising Your Personal Statement

Now, you want to dig in to essay and create a narrative. You need to make sure the essay tells a bit of a story.

You’re going to have to make a lot of tough decisions at this point.

My first piece of advice is to focus on what only you can talk about. If you know one of your letters of recommendation is going focus on teamwork, don’t waste space on that in your essay – focus on something only you can focus on – like how you felt during your first linguistics course or how shadowing an SLP showed you the impact speech therapy can have on a child’s life.

Second piece of advice: don’t be afraid to delete and remove sentences or even paragraphs. Sometimes, you know you need a smoother transition or a shorter way of expressing an idea, but you’re too attached to what’s already written to make changes. When this happens, open a new word document and start typing there until you’ve got the idea out, then copy and paste it into the main essay. Sometimes getting your work out of your sight helps you to get your mind off of it.

I recommend saving each draft on your computer. Save it as “Draft 1.” Then next time you make a big change, make a new copy and save it as “draft 2,” and so on. This helps you to keep track over time of your progress, and lets you easily backtrack.

Aim to revise your essay at least three times over the course of 2-3 weeks. Why does time matter? You need to look at the essay with fresh eyes. Waiting at least a week between readings helps you do that.

Step 5: Get some help

At this point, you need some help. You cannot should not try to do this on your own.

Why? Because we get tunnel vision when reading our own writing, after a few passes we tend to skip things and to think it is a lot better than it actually is. Also, we’re so close to our own lives that we sometimes can’t make sense of it – a third party can make connections we take for granted.

My advice for selecting a mentor:

This is a tough and delicate thing to figure out. If the person is a professor, do they teach writing courses (good sign!) Are they published? (good sign!) Does they often get asked to write letters of recommendation (good sign!) Have they won grants in the past? (good sign!)
Business people write differently than engineering people write differently than speech language pathologists. You want someone who knows your field and what is abuzz in its sphere of influence.
Many of your college professors have probably served on an admissions review panel for graduate students before. These are the perfect people to give you advice on your essays because they know all of your competition and what reviewers will look for!

As a final note, you don’t have to know your mentor very well before beginning work with him/her. I actually didn’t know my mentor before she agreed to look at my essays. My academic advisor suggested I contact this professor who “had some experience” with Fulbright. I wrote her a polite (and proper) email asking if she could spare some time to work with me. As it turns out, she is an alumnus of the program and a former member of the national selection committee! Her advice was AMAZING (and probably a huge part of why I won the grant!).

Once you have a mentor, ask them to read the essay multiple times. In fact, ask as many people as possible to read your essays.

But remember, just because someone reads the essay doesn’t mean they have to follow their advice! Evaluate who is giving you the information and their familiarity with the field of SLP and with graduate education in general.

Step 6: Tweaking & Customizing

First, a tip on organization. I use Dropbox; it is easy to use and creates automatic backups for free. I suggest creating a folder for each university that you’re applying to. In each folder, create a copy of your “base draft” of the essay. In a new word document, put that school’s specific essay requirements at the top. Into the document, paste chunks of your “base essay” together and start tweaking it.

One thing to help customize your essay is simply to mention the school’s name. You’d be surprised how many people don’t.

Another powerful tool for customization is program fit. Most SLP programs are pretty similar, but many do have speciality tracks or reputations in certain sub-areas.

If you’re interested in a specific area of research, mention the name of a faculty member conducting research in that area. Remember, you’re not committing yourself to anything yet. You’re merely expressing your interest.

Check out the program’s mission statement as well for relevant key concepts.

Finally, make sure you’re following the school’s prompts to the letter. You don’t want to get rejected when some student worker notices essays was 301 words when the limit is 300. Oh and double checking spelling. How embarrassing would it be if you spelt a professor or university name incorrectly? Is it Queens College or Queen’s College? Double check.

This step, of customizing and tweaking, requires a lot of knowledge about the program you’re applying to. Read up on their website to make sure you’re a good fit, and that you’re showing that in your essays.

Step 7: Revise Revise Revise

Once your essay is beginning to take shape and you have a draft you’re excited about, wait a week and read it again.

Here’s some exercises to help with revision:

Make sure you have a structure and flow. If you need ideas, check out this post that gives three basic example structures.

Ask yourself about each sentence and paragraph:

Is this idea necessary?
Can I say this in less words?
Does the admissions committee really care about this?
Am I trying to humble brag, or is this sincere?

Take sections of your essay and try rewriting them or reducing them to one sentence. You don’t have to use those short bits; it is just an exercise to help increase the quality of your writing.

The most important thing is to revise, wait, and revise again constantly. Even years later looking back at my admissions essays, I see things I could improve upon.

If you need more help writing SLP personal statements...

If you’re still stuck or need more help, you might find my book helpful . It has three chapters on how to write personal statements for SLP graduate school.

Obviously I’m biased because I wrote it… but I really do think it will help.

A published guide to writing SLP grad school personal statements

4 thoughts on “SLP Grad School Personal Statements: The Ultimate Guide”

Do you help people with their personal essays of know of someone I could hire?

Hey Courtney! Send me a message through the “Contact” age ( https://thespeechblog.com/contact/ ), and I’ll see what I can do!

I am curious, do you always put a cover sheet (not a cover letter) with your personal statements?

I did not use cover sheets with mine when I was applying, and I haven’t seen any schools ask for it. Usually in the upper left margin you’ll include a simple note like “First Name Last Name – Personal Statement” and that’s about it.

Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose: Examples & Tips

Whether you’re an undergraduate student just starting to explore speech pathology or a career changer with years of work experience behind you, writing your statement of purpose (SOP) for a speech pathology graduate program can be intimidating. In this post, we’ll demystify the speech pathology SOP by sharing insights and speech pathology statement of purpose examples from our work with successful applicants. By the end, you’ll have a clear plan and set of tips for crafting an SOP tailored to you and your unique experiences, goals and fit for a speech pathology program. We’ll break down the key pieces admissions committees want to see and how to weave them together into a cohesive narrative that makes you stand out from the applicant crowd. Let’s get started on putting your best foot forward with your speech pathology SOP.

What is a statement of purpose?

As you will see in the speech pathology statement of purpose examples provided at the end of this blog, a statement of purpose is a document that outlines your goals, motivations, and aspirations for pursuing a particular academic program or career path. It serves as a personal introduction to the admissions committee, providing insights into your background, experiences, and future plans.

This document showcases your passion, commitment, and ability to articulate your objectives coherently. It highlights your unique qualities, skills, and achievements that make you a strong candidate for the opportunity at hand.

A well-crafted statement of purpose not only explains why you are interested in a specific field but also demonstrates how your past experiences and future goals align with the program or position you are applying for. It is a crucial component of your application because it gives decision-makers a glimpse into your personality, potential, and suitability for their institution.

What are admissions committees looking for?

Admissions committees are seeking candidates who can clearly articulate their passion for speech pathology and demonstrate a deep understanding of the field. They value candidates who have gained relevant practical experience, whether through internships, part-time jobs, or volunteering and can reflect on how these experiences have informed their desire to pursue this career path.

Additionally, they are interested in candidates who can show how they will contribute to the university and the field of speech pathology beyond just academics. They want to see your uniqueness, your drive, and your potential.

Crafting an impactful statement of purpose is no small task. The pressure to present oneself convincingly can certainly lead to anxiety about the quality of your draft. Is it engaging enough? Does it genuinely represent you? Does it make a compelling case for your admission? These are crucial questions to consider as you refine your statement.

Before you start

Before you start writing your statement of purpose for a career in speech pathology, and before you even start looking at speech pathology statement of purpose examples for inspiration, it’s essential to set aside time for introspection and preparation.

This is the first step because it allows you to gain clarity about your motives and aspirations, which will serve as the backbone of your statement. Reflect on why you chose speech pathology – was it a personal experience, an influential mentor, or an inherent fascination with the field? Recalling your journey will help you articulate your passion convincingly.

Secondly, review your experiences in the field. What did you learn during your internships or part-time jobs? How have these experiences shaped you? These insights will highlight your hands-on experience, making your statement more authentic and credible.

Thirdly, think about your future aspirations. How does the specific program you’re applying for align with your career goals? Expressing this alignment will demonstrate your focus and commitment.

Finally, consider your unique traits or experiences. What makes you different from other applicants? How will you contribute to the university and the field of speech pathology? This will help you stand out from the crowd.

This preparatory process, though time-consuming, is crucial because it lays a solid foundation for your statement of purpose. It ensures that your statement is not just a generic narrative but a rich, coherent, and personalized story that resonates with the admissions committee and increases your chances of selection.

Conduct some preliminary research

Thorough research is a cornerstone of writing an impactful statement of purpose, especially for a field as specialized and intricate as speech pathology. Understanding the nuanced expectations of the admissions committee, the intricacies of the program, and the current trends in the field can significantly enhance your statement’s relevance and persuasiveness.

Delving into the university’s course structure, faculty profiles, research focus, and values can help you align your aspirations and experiences with the institution’s vision, thereby demonstrating a clear fit. Furthermore, researching about the evolving landscape of speech pathology can help you showcase your ability to stay abreast with cutting-edge developments and reflect your commitment to lifelong learning. This can be achieved by reading recent academic papers, following relevant blogs, and engaging with professionals in the field.

Lastly, research equips you with a broader understanding of the field, enabling you to articulate your long-term goals and potential contributions with more precision and conviction. Even though this process might appear daunting, the depth and context it adds to your statement of purpose can potentially tip the scales in your favor, making the investment of time and effort well worth it.

girl writing her Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose

Why choose speech pathology?

In your statement of purpose, articulating why you chose speech pathology is of paramount importance. The field of speech pathology is intrinsically linked to the fundamental human need for communication; it is through communication that we express ourselves, form relationships, and navigate our daily lives.

Speech pathologists play a crucial role in fostering and restoring this essential ability, making a significant difference in people’s lives. They work with individuals across the lifespan, from children struggling with language development, to adults recovering from strokes or traumatic brain injuries; they help those with speech and language disorders to swallow difficulties. A career in speech pathology is both challenging and rewarding, offering a dynamic work environment with continual learning and development opportunities.

As demonstrated in the speech pathology statement of purpose examples we provided below, your statement should highlight these aspects, along with any personal experiences or observations that have led to your interest in this field. Reflect on why you’re drawn to the complexity and impact of this profession and how you envision contributing to it. This will not only demonstrate your understanding of the field but also your passion and commitment to it.

Highlight your qualifications

In crafting your statement of purpose, your qualifications should take center stage as they’re a testament to your readiness and aptitude for pursuing a career in speech pathology. Your academic achievements, coursework, research involvements, or any specialized training you’ve undertaken in the field should be highlighted.

Additionally, it’s crucial to narrate any relevant practical experiences that have enriched your understanding of the profession. For instance, if you’ve volunteered or shadowed a speech pathologist, share those experiences. Discuss the insights you gained, the skills you honed, and how these experiences deepened your interest and commitment to speech pathology. It could be your observation of the transformative impact speech therapy had on a patient, or the emotional resilience you witnessed in clients struggling with communication disorders. It might even be your realization of the intricate complexities involved in the diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders.

Each of these experiences and insights is invaluable as they provide a glimpse into your hands-on exposure to the field, your understanding of the practitioner’s role, and your capacity to contribute meaningfully to the field. Elaborating on this will not only underscore your qualifications but also substantiate your passion for speech pathology

Share your passion

In your statement of purpose, a vivid portrayal of your passion for the field is paramount as it brings authenticity and personality to your application. It’s not just about stating your interest but demonstrating a genuine commitment to speech pathology and an innate desire to help those afflicted with speech and language disorders.

Anecdotes can be effective tools for this purpose. For example, you might recount a poignant instance when you helped a relative, who struggled with a speech disorder, to communicate a simple yet vital message to their loved ones. The sense of fulfillment you felt in that moment, witnessing the power of effective communication, underscores your passion. Or perhaps it was an interaction with a speech pathologist who deeply impacted a community, inspiring you to follow in similar footsteps.

These narratives provide a personal touch, making your statement more compelling and relatable. As demonstrated in the speech pathology statement of purpose below, they effectively show your readers—not just tell them—about your enthusiasm for speech pathology, your understanding of its transformative potential, and your readiness to devote your professional life to this field.

essential tips Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose

Showcase research interests

In crafting your statement of purpose for speech pathology, it’s vital to emphasize not only your passion for helping individuals overcome speech and language disorders but also your thirst for continual learning and exploration in the field. This can be effectively conveyed by highlighting your research interests, which may span beyond conventional treatment approaches.

For instance, you may express interest in areas such as discourse analysis, a study that investigates how language is used in social contexts, or aphasia recovery, an area that delves into the complex process of regaining language and communication abilities after a neurological injury. By showcasing these areas of interest, you underscore your readiness to embrace the evolving dynamics of the field.

Moreover, the inclusion of these interests in your statement illustrates your holistic view of speech pathology, suggesting a desire to contribute to the breadth of knowledge in the field, rather than merely applying existing techniques. Therefore, don’t shy away from demonstrating your enthusiasm for research and continual learning, as this could be the distinguishing factor in your statement of purpose.

Discuss Your Career Goals

In your statement of purpose, it’s critical to articulate your short and long-term career goals clearly. Beyond the immediate goal of earning your degree, where do you envision yourself in the next 5 to 10 years?

Perhaps you aspire to specialize in a specific area of speech pathology, or maybe you aim to lead a team in a reputable health institution. Do you dream of implementing groundbreaking research in speech disorders or maybe starting a private practice to serve your local community? Whatever your goals may be, it’s essential to spell them out and, more importantly, to explain how attaining these objectives will enable you to make a bigger impact.

For instance, if your goal is to research novel treatment methods for aphasia, discuss how this will potentially revolutionize the care and recovery of aphasia patients, thereby furthering your impact in this field. Show the reader that you have a clear plan for your future and are prepared to use your education as a stepping stone to achieve your career objectives and make a significant contribution to speech pathology.

your Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose Examples tooltkit

Connect Your Goals with the School’s Offerings

It is crucial to seamlessly connect your career goals with the specific offerings of the school you’re applying to, thereby demonstrating concordance between your aspirations and the institution’s objectives. This connection serves a dual purpose.

Firstly, it shows that you’ve done your homework about the school and its speech pathology program, and you’re not just randomly applying. Secondly, it assures the admissions committee that their resources will be well-utilized in fostering your career and that you are likely to succeed in their program.

For instance, if the school is known for its research in childhood speech disorders and this aligns with your career interest, explicitly mention this in your statement of purpose. Highlight how participating in such research will provide you with the necessary skills and exposure to excel in your career and contribute significantly to the field.

Similarly, if the school prides itself in its cutting-edge technology and innovative teaching methods, discuss how these aspects will equip you with the modern tools of the trade, thereby enhancing your efficiency and effectiveness as a future speech pathologist.

Remember, a statement of purpose is not just about you; it’s about how you and the school can mutually benefit and grow from this partnership.

Proofread thoroughly

Finally, a crucial step that cannot be overstressed is thorough proofreading of your statement of purpose. Meticulous proofreading is not merely a finishing touch; it is a crucial aspect that can significantly impact your SOP’s effectiveness. Poor grammar or spelling mistakes can undermine your message, dilute the impact of your words and leave the impression of a lack of attention to detail.

Remember, an SOP is a professional document that should reflect your commitment, precision, and linguistic prowess. It’s a reflection of your academic capability and your respect for the reader’s time and attention. After you’ve written your statement, take a break and revisit it with fresh eyes. Read it out loud, listen for any awkwardness, and correct any grammatical, punctuation or spelling errors. Use software that checks for grammar and punctuation errors.

But don’t stop there. Ask others to review it as well. A fresh perspective can often spot errors or inconsistencies that you might have missed. They can also provide feedback on the flow and overall impact of your statement. Remember, it’s not just about the message but also about how you deliver it. A well-structured, error-free SOP will emphasize your seriousness about the program and your professional attitude, thereby significantly enhancing your chances of selection.

Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose Examples

Speech pathology statement of purpose examples #1:

“My passion for helping others communicate more effectively, combined with my academic background in linguistics, makes me a strong candidate for this program.

Ever since I assisted in a local school where children with speech difficulties were often left behind, I realized the profound impact of speech and language pathologists. Their work goes far beyond teaching kids to articulate sounds; they truly empower people, granting them the gift of communication. This transformative experience ignited my desire to dedicate my professional life to speech pathology.

During my undergraduate studies in Linguistics at XYZ University, I focused on phonetics and phonology, which provided me with a robust foundation for understanding speech sounds and their physical properties. I also worked with Professor ABC, a renowned expert in dyslexia, where I learned the importance of interdisciplinary research in understanding and treating speech disorders. In my research…

To expand my practical experience, I volunteered at a local clinic, providing therapy for children with various speech difficulties. Seeing these children’s progress and their excitement as their communication skills improve has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. This has not only solidified my resolve to pursue speech pathology but also instilled in me the patience, empathy, and resilience required in this profession.

I am particularly drawn to XYZ program because of its emphasis on both theory and clinical practice. The multidisciplinary approach and cutting-edge research conducted at your institution would provide me with the comprehensive education necessary to excel as a speech pathologist. I am looking forward to enrolling in the X, Y and Z courses because…Moreover, I am particularly interested in the work of Professor XYZ, whose research on aphasia aligns with my interests.

In return, I bring to the program my unwavering dedication, academic knowledge, and practical experience. I am especially to engage in X, and Y activities outside the classroom because… I am confident that the master’s program in speech pathology at XYZ University would equip me with the skills and knowledge to make a significant contribution to this field, and I am eager to embark on this journey.”

I firmly believe that successful speech pathology hinges on the integration of in-depth theoretical knowledge with innovative research. This conviction is rooted in my academic studies and practical experiences, and I intend to further this understanding by contributing to the scientific community through high-impact research.

Speech pathology statement of purpose examples #2:

The role of research in advancing the field of speech pathology cannot be overstated. It is through rigorous research that we can uncover new diagnostic techniques, develop more effective therapeutic strategies, and ultimately improve the quality of life for individuals with communication disorders. My undergraduate studies, coupled with my practical experience, have equipped me with a strong foundation in research methods and the clinical application of research findings. As an undergraduate, I engaged in active research. My project, titled XYZ, written under the supervision of Dr. X, studied…My approach was…The conclusions were…

I am particularly interested in exploring the neurological underpinnings of language disorders, which I believe can pave the way for novel treatment approaches. I am especially interested in…The opportunity to work under the guidance of distinguished faculty like Professor XYZ, whose groundbreaking work in aphasia I greatly admire, is a privilege that I am keen to leverage.

My goal is to contribute to the speech pathology field by conducting research that can drive improved clinical practices and outcomes. I am confident that the master’s program at XYZ University, renowned for its research-driven approach, provides the ideal platform for this endeavor. I am excited about the potential to collaborate with the faculty and my peers in pushing the boundaries of our understanding of speech and language disorders. I look forward to the prospect of furthering my studies and contributing my unique perspectives to your program.

In the course of my 10-year career as a speech-language pathologist, I have been fortunate enough to serve a diverse patient population, ranging from young children with articulation disorders to adults recovering from traumatic brain injury. Each patient’s journey has underscored the transformative power of evidence-based, personalized speech therapy. However, I have also noticed gaps in our understanding and treatment of certain complex disorders, particularly in the area of neurologically based communication disorders. It is this curiosity and the desire to contribute to the field in a more meaningful way that draws me to the master’s program in speech pathology at your esteemed institution.

Over the years, I have developed strong clinical competencies, but I believe that there is always more to learn and discover. I am particularly intrigued by the innovative research being conducted at your institution, especially under the tutelage of Professor XYZ, whose pioneering work in the field of aphasia has had a significant impact on my own practice. The prospect of working in a thought-provoking environment, where I can apply my practical knowledge to advance research, is both exciting and challenging.

I am confident that the blend of my clinical expertise and my passion for research will enable me to make a valuable contribution to the program. I am eager to delve into research that can uncover new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, thereby enhancing our capability to serve those in need. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the scientific community and help shape the future of speech pathology.

Surviving the cut

The admissions process for a graduate program in speech pathology is increasingly competitive. Each year, institutions receive applications from a multitude of highly qualified, ambitious candidates who, much like you, aspire to make a significant impact in this challenging field. These candidates are not just academically proficient; they have demonstrated exceptional clinical skills, have a clear research direction, and most importantly, they can articulate their passion and unique contributions in a compelling personal statement.

This rigorous selection process necessitates an application that stands out, showcases your unique journey, and convincingly argues why you would be an invaluable addition to the cohort. Lapses in effectively communicating your motivation and vision could lead to missed opportunities, even if you have a strong academic and clinical background. The stakes are high, and the margin for error is thin.

So, it is of paramount importance to consider seeking assistance in this critical stage of your career progression. Whether it’s mentorship from experienced professionals, proofreading and editing services, or personalized guidance on how to structure your statement of purpose, do not hesitate to reach out for help. The chances of crafting a persuasive application increase significantly with the right assistance, thus maximizing your chances of receiving that coveted admission letter.

We hope the speech pathology statement of purpose examples we provided were helpful to you. Crafting a good statement of purpose isn’t something that you can just jot out in an hour – but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming either.

When it comes to crafting your personal statement, clarity is key. Pare down your essay to the facts that most directly relate to this program and this moment. Show the admissions committee what you’re about and how their program can help make your dreams come true. Dedication and practice are essential components of successful applications, so don’t let anything hold you back. If you feel overwhelmed by the process, remember that The Admit Lab can provide valuable insight to help polish your SOP and other aspects of your application package.Feel free to check out our graduate application services and explore how we can help make sure your SOP propels you toward success. We wish you the best in your journey towards a speech pathology degree!

With a Master’s from McGill University and a Ph.D. from New York University, Dr. Philippe Barr is the founder of The Admit Lab . As a tenure-track professor, Dr. Barr spent a decade teaching and serving on several graduate admission committees at UNC-Chapel Hill before turning to full-time consulting. With more than seven years of experience as a graduate school admissions consultant, Dr. Barr has stewarded the candidate journey across multiple master’s and Ph.D. programs and helped hundreds of students get admitted to top-tier graduate programs all over the world .

Elevate your grad school application—join the Grad Pathway Hub today for exclusive forums, tutorials, templates, workshops, and all the tools you need to succeed! Follow me on YouTube for tips and tricks on navigating the grad school application process .

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, talking about speech impediments on a college essay.

Hey! I've got a minor speech impediment that has impacted my high school life quite a bit. I'm wondering if this could be a good topic for my college essay? I mean, would it make a positive impact on my application or is it better to choose something else? Any advice?

Sure, your speech impediment can make for a compelling topic for your college essay. You want to show colleges parts of your identity that don't necessarily appear elsewhere in your application, and your experience with a speech impediment can fall under that.

The critical part is how you draw connections between your speech impediment and broader themes of growth, resilience, identity, or personal development. For example, instead of just describing your impediment or how others have reacted to it, you might talk about how it has motivated you to become a stronger communicator or how it's given you a unique perspective on the power of language. Remember that in your essay, you should aim to be very specific. Share a detailed story or anecdote about how the speech impediment has shaped you, rather than speaking generally about it.

Also, ensure that the essay does not portray you as someone who feels victimized by circumstances. Your aim should be to show how you've handled a challenging situation and learned from it.

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Speech Development and Disorder Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Background information, system design, training follow up.

Speech development disorders are common problems or difficulties people have when communicating. They are grouped into two broad types namely: Congenital and acquired. Congenital disorders normally are present from birth meaning that a child is born with it. In most cases, mothers who have problems during the delivery process do have children suffering from speech disorders. On the other hand, acquired disorders are got during the stages of development of an individual.

Acquired language impairment can be a result of stroke, head injury, or illness. The brain normally does speech development. It is the brain that decides what message to be passed, how to send it by sending a series of signals to the speech muscles telling them what to do. After the muscles have received the signals from the brain then they will act in a coordinated pattern to produce the intended sounds. During this process, many things can go wrong. For example, there can be problems of articulation, the production of speech sound. Speech therapy, therefore, is very important simply because if proper intervention measures are not taken then those affected will continue making speech errors even up to the time, they become adults.

The development of language disorders is a common problem affecting most children in our society. As I write this paper I have full experience on the causes and types of language disorders that most people especially children suffer from. Currently, I study special education in schools where those with hearing impairment and language difficulties are helped. However, I will not talk about the education Assessment criteria for placing these people. There are two major types of hearing impairment. We have the permanent and the partial. The cause of these will be briefly mentioned below. In our family, my younger sister has a language problem so she will serve as my client for this discussion to strengthen my argument using the practical example. I will emphasize the languages or speech problems in children especially those in primary school and below. The age is probably two years to five years.

In the country, pupils and students with special needs are either placed in separate schools called special schools or are placed in a general school where there is a specially trained teacher called the peripatetic teacher to deal with them. The mode of placement will depend on the severity of the problem (Yonata and Schaeffer, 2003).

If I may take for example my sister Linda who has a partial language expressive problem and aphasia, the result from the assessment center suggested that Linda was to be placed in a general school where those who are normal and speech problems are placed. One advantage of this placement option is that students or pupils normally get all the materials they need at the right time. In special schools also there is no teasing of one another, which is very common in the general schools. Those placed in general schools are normally teased, discriminated but the government through the ministry of education is trying hard to promote the integration of those with special needs with those normal. Even at homes where we come from, some children are seriously struggling to develop language.

The diagnosis that I learned was that children who do not develop language skills are either the language was delayed or had the disorder. What can be said is that there are several causes of language delays and disorders in children that may include hearing impairment, autism, and physical handicap (Robert, Scott and Gary, 1986).

All these problems deny the child that opportunity from interacting with their environment. At times my sister who is three years old now could struggle to bring up some sounds but nothing could be heard.

Most of the causes of language problems are a result of brain damage. Language impairment is caused by some damages to the part of the brain that is responsible for language function. According to the findings for EARS, damage to the brain occurs when a person is subjected to stroke, tumor, or head injury (Alison, 2003). Accidents can also cause language impairment of the brain affected will determine the degree of the problem in language and speech. Scientists believe that it is the left hemisphere of the brain that does control language development in children.

The doctor can be the key contributor to all these problems during he is carrying out an operation to a mother having complications when giving birth. The use of drugs by the mother that is not recommended during pregnancy can also cause these disorders in children. This is why pregnant mothers are advised not to drink alcohol and smoke. Just for instance any damage to the Broca’s area, which is found in the left frontal lobe of the left hemisphere, will result in Broca’s aphasia characterized by difficulty in producing language (Knezevic, 1988).

Language or speech impairment in individuals is very different just the way genes are different in all human beings; the same applies to language problems. It will be very rare to find exactly three or four people having the same ability to understand language. People have differences in brain function, differences in location, and even the nature of the damage. All these differences will lead to a different degree of impairment that is unique to an individual. During parent’s day, I do visit the school where my sister is placed and have critically studied the differences and uniqueness in them. Some of them have word findings difficulties normally referred to as anomia (Bounfour, 2003).

These children will struggle to find out the exact word whereby in the long run they end up using an incorrect word or a word that does not even exist in the dictionary. Pupils that use incorrect words or unrecognizable words in place of the correct one normally perform poorly and in classwork. Their grammar is always poor and in most cases, there is no flow of the essay they are trying to develop. Other children that have been closely observed are those having problems with word reputation. During the conversation, they get stuck on the way and end up repeating the same word.

Children with Aphasia normally have problems with word findings, repetition of words, and low vocabulary. These people can seriously be discouraged in our society if not encouraged. Accidents normally happen and no one can predict the occurrence of an accident.

At least the world has changed, unlike the olden days where children with special needs could be neglected and dumped in the bush. Today parents and society are being encouraged to help these children grow positively by interacting with them. When speaking with a person who has aphasia to ensure that there is a minimum distraction during the conversation, it is advisable to speak slowly and clearly (Ruth and Jeffrey, 1995). These children are part of us and should be accepted both at school and at home.

Teachers and parents should help these children comprehend most of their words by using short and simple sentences when trying to communicate. At times training is very necessary where gestures can be used accompanied by speech. Alternatively, sign language can be used for those with severe difficulties with speech development. Children suffering from aphasia can also be helped by allowing them more time to respond. Teachers, parents, and probably relatives are encouraged to ask very short and simple questions that can be answered easily with either yes or single.

Not all children with speech difficulties are suffering from aphasia. The case of my sister Linda is very funny. The family doctor said that the problem she has was also a result of delayed language development.

According to the assessment that was done in one of the assessment centers when we were looking for the best placement option, it was found out that inclusion in the general school was the best option. One of the characteristics of children with delayed language is a problem with expression. Just with the case of my client, Linda took two good years before she developed speech. By this time she was two and a half years old. Children with language difficulties of impairment join school very late. They have difficulty in understanding language because of limited vocabulary (Hollander, 2003).

In most cases, they may not understand the meaning of word endings for instance that adding ‘s’ to a noun plural means possession or ‘ed’ to a verb shows that the action is a past thing. My sister usually uses few words when constructing sentences (Skutnabb, 2000).

Speech therapists have come up with prevention measures and approaches that may be used to assist those with speech difficulties. Families have to be on the central part in ensuring that their children are helped (Ruth and Jeffrey, 1995). They have to create a good learning environment for easy learning of the language.

Various assessment centers for example the Hanen Center in Toronto was formed to provide programs for helping families of children with language difficulties. These programs include training on how they can communicate effectively with their children. Parents must just use fluent language free from jargon when communicating with their children. The statements made should be short, clear, and simple for children to understand the message being passed. At times our children may keep quiet thinking that they have nothing to say but in the real sense you will realize that they have a lot but they lack that chance.

The speech-language therapists should therefore work with the parents to carry assessments, diagnosis, treatment, and helping to prevent speech-language disorders or difficulties. They normally keep the records on the initial evaluation, progress, and discharge of clients (Knezevic,1988). They also provide education and counseling services to individuals, families, co-workers, teachers, and any other person who may be interested in deciding communication.

Yonata, L and Schaeffer, J. (2003). Language competence across populations; Towards a Definition of specific language impairment. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Skutnabb, T.K (2002). Linguistic Genocide in Education or Wild wide Diversity and Human Rights? New York; Lawrence Erbaum Associates.

Ruth F.C and Jeffrey, A.C (1995). Parent’s Guide to special needs Schooling. London: Auburn House.

Bounfour, A. (2003).The management of Intangibles: The organization’s most Valuable Assets London: Routledge.

Alison, M. etal (2003). Listening Comprehension and working Memory. Are Impaired in Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Irrespective of language impairment, Abnormal Child Psychology, Vol 31.

Kinezevic, S. (1988). Handbook of Regional Cerebral Blood flow. New York: Lawrence Associates.

Hollander, E. (2003). Autism Spectrum Disorders. London: Marcel Decker.

Robert H.C Scott, M & Gary W.S (1986). Inside Doctoring stages and outcomes in the Professional Development of Physicians. London: Praeger publishers.

Developmental Psychology. Birth Process
Developmental Change In Proactive Interference
Hildred Schuell's Contribution to the Field of Aphasiology
Constructive Nature of Memory
Neuroplasticity Principle Interference (Melodic Intonation Therapy)
Psychosocial Development of Different Children
B. F. Skinner's Development Theory
Developmental Psychology: Language Acquisition
“Adolescents’ Perception of Bullying” by Frisen et al.
The Concept of Development in the Work by Dickovick and Eastwood
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

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Speech-Language Pathology Forum

The SLP SOP

By midnight March 21, 2013 in Speech-Language Pathology Forum

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I really have to echo what has already been said. When I applied, my SOP detailed my experiences working with clients who have aphasia, and how that led me to neurogenic disorders. I really believe having a strong tie to an area in SLP is something that helps a lot. You can always change that later on, but initially, it shows you're committed. Schools love love love hearing about themselves as well. This means do your homework. They want people who know about the program. You're going to get classes wherever you go. You'll get clinical placements. But what specifically about that school makes it stand out more to you than others? Having a strong section in this area of the SOP is probably the most helpful. It how's commitment on your end to the school and program, and if you can put it together in a coherent way, it how's strong writing skills. I personally believe these two areas are the most influential in a SOP for grad school, especially in SLP. Like midnight said, check, double check, triple check, and maybe even quadruple check your work. It'll pay of later on.

lexical_gap

I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but I hope what I have to say is helpful regarding SOPs.

Several schools have specific questions you need to address in your SOP. Make sure you read the whole prompt (if there is one) and answer every question asked, giving supporting anecdotes from your educational, work, and life experiences that answer those questions.

For example, I was asked to discuss my experience working with multi-age, multicultural, and socioeconomically diverse populations. In my essay, I specifically mentioned all three subcategories of diversity and the work I have done in each. I figured that if I didn't, I would automatically take myself out of contention due to not fully answering the question.

I also had a variety of people read and edit my essay: Professors in the department, Professors outside the department, faculty, high school English teachers, friends, family, professionals currently working as SLPs or Audiologists, etc. They will help with not only content, but structure, grammar, spelling, and making sure it isn't full of SLP jargon.

Follow page and word limits using standard fonts and margins if any are specified. One school to which I applied had a limit of 1 page, double spaced in a size 12 font with standard margins. I had the good fortune of attending a workshop at this school and was told that while they may not scrutinize each measurement, if it looks too far off the standard, they don't read it. (For example, using size 10 font with 1.75 spacing to fit more content on your 1 page limit.) Not following the guidelines tells the admission committee you either can't follow directions, didn't bother reading the prompt, or think that rules don't apply to you. Regardless, you don't leave a good impression.

Make your opening statements interesting. The professor leading the previously mentioned workshop told us how she hates the cliche of "I knew I wanted to be a speech pathologist when my [insert relative here] suffered a stroke / Alzheimer's / dementia / TBI / cancer / other illness, injury, or birth defect when I was age [insert young age]. Watching my [relative] go through speech therapy and seeing how regaining speech improved my [relative]'s quality of life influenced my decision to become a speech-language pathologist." Every time she sees one, she rolls her eyes and thinks, "Here we go again." (Funnily, at that workshop, another professor walked into the room as the session leader was giving this very tip. The second professor literally cringed when she heard the cliche opening line, stating, "Oh my gosh, if I EVER see another one of those tragic sob stories of how I knew I wanted to be a speech pathologist at 2 years old when my grandfather had a stroke.... I just.... just don't write it! Please! I'm sorry about your family member, but we see enough of those!")

Even if your inspiration actually is a family member going through therapy to recover from injury, illness, or trauma; phrase it in a way that makes it more interesting and more personal. What is it about that relative's struggle that stood out to you? What was it about that therapist's approach to treatment and care for your loved ones that appealed to you? Mention the illness / injury, but focus more on the therapy itself, not just the fact your family member received therapy.

If you can, showcase some of your knowledge in your essay; citing specific examples. Obviously, don't mention client names or other identifying characteristics, but you can mention circumstances of their cases. Example: "In my volunteer work, I work with patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. One patient in particular was experiencing difficulty with motor planning with regard to speech and word recall due to demyelination in those areas of his brain." If you are going mention a case, make sure you protect patient privacy. Revealing patient information- including location, age, and gender, is a great way to automatically put your application in the reject pile.

The physical appearance of what you send makes a big difference. The same workshop leader mentioned how students send her SOPs on thin paper, looseleaf, have ink splotches or faded ink, have torn edges, are crinkled, coffee stained, food-stained, etc. Get a good quality paper, quality ink, and make sure it's physically clean, with your name on each page. You can have the world's most brilliant essay, but if last night's spaghetti sauce landed on your paper, the professors will be too grossed out to even read it.

Finally, make sure your personal information is correct. Having a typo in your own name or address is not only embarrassing, it tells the committee you are careless and don't proofread your work.

midnight , queenleblanc and rcacemek

The professor leading the previously mentioned workshop told us how she hates the cliche of "I knew I wanted to be a speech pathologist when my [insert relative here] suffered a stroke / Alzheimer's / dementia / TBI / cancer / other illness, injury, or birth defect when I was age [insert young age]. Watching my [relative] go through speech therapy and seeing how regaining speech improved my [relative]'s quality of life influenced my decision to become a speech-language pathologist."

Ha, a large part of my SOP was about my mother-in-law's aphasia and acting as her caretaker over the summer! Her struggles with language have absolutely informed my decision to become an SLP.

The key is, like you said, to write well and make it personal.

katieliz456

Ha, a large part of my SOP was about my mother-in-law's aphasia and acting as her caretaker over the summer! Her struggles with language have absolutely informed my decision to become an SLP. The key is, like you said, to write well and make it personal.

I think using personal stories can go either way. I wrote ( very briefly-- like 1 sentence) about how my mom is a special ed. teacher, and I became interested in that population early on. However, rather than dwelling on the touchy-feely stuff, I went on to give concrete, logical examples of how that has played out in my life (buddies program in school, volunteering) which led in to my experiences in college and employment doing respite/hab.

I realize this is a serious thread, but every time I see it come up, I just hear "slip slop." In my head. :-)

I don't really have any advice to contribute, seeing as how I don't know if my SOP was successful or not (still waiting), but I will post my tips here when I find out!

Yeah, true. Nearly one-third of my essay was devoted to describing my mother-in-law's decline and how it significantly affected our entire family dynamic; I knew it was potentially risky, but I wanted to stress that speech disorders are far-reaching. I went on to cover all of the other important SOP topics.

Also, it's possible that I was given a bit more leeway since I'm an out-of-fielder.

I completely agree. I didn't mean to come off as saying use only personal stories. Personal stories can be a hook to get the reader's attention, but you still need to show that you have the knowledge and experiences that would make you a successful grad student and therapist. Passion is good, but you also have to have the skills to back it up.

If you know a professor on the committee hates the mushy-gushy touchy-feely sentiment; don't put it into your essay. On the other hand, if the event truly is life-altering, by all means, explain how your life changed. In short, know your target audience and package your message in a way that is appealing. Isn't that what communication is all about?

Ultimately, the school is investing in you as a future clinician / professional. The school's name is forever tied to you after you graduate. The accomplishments you make in your future career will give your institution bragging rights, potential funding, and make that school more even favorable down the road. It's your job to convince them in your SOP that you are worth that investment and they'll get something in return by choosing you (other than your tuition money).

If you know a professor on the committee hates the mushy-gushy touchy-feely sentiment; don't put it into your essay. On the other hand, if you the event truly is life-altering, by all means, explain how your life changed. In short, know your target audience and package your message in a way that is appealing. Isn't that what communication is all about?

You know, that has always been an admissions conundrum for me; adcoms tend to have pet peeves, but there's no way to know what they are unless you're somehow intimately familiar with the professors from the program or other people who participate in making the decisions (e.g., when someone's applying to an SLP grad program at her undergrad institution). And even within the same group, there may be disparate viewpoints (there's a great pinned thread about this in the sociology subforum).

It's a tough process! I mostly tried to temper my personal story with my academic and professional goals, and I tried to write as clearly and cogently as possible.

So grateful for this topic. My mom relearned how to speak and swallow after an epic brain surgery (it all but destroyed her vagus cranial nerve... and vestibulocochlear nerve, for that matter! Her abilities have improved tremendously and she's doing much better now, thanks to an excellent SLP at Appalachian State). It was so closely related that I was struggling to decide whether to include it or not, even though her brain surgery truly has very little to do with my interest in SLP. Now, it's clear that it's not necessary, and in fact, potentially harmful.

How are the writing samples judged, like what are people looking for?

So there are three kinds of personal statements. 1. The super vague: These almost always mention C. Wright Mills and a moment where someone realized they wanted to study sociology. I love CWM, but it's also something that SO many people mention that it instantly makes you forgettable. That isn't to say that if you mention him that you won't get in, but it's definitely a cliche. 2. The wildly personal: I tried to come up with a rule like "would you tell this story to a stranger on a bus", but people have different levels of sharing. If it's something you might talk about in therapy, you probably shouldn't write about it in your personal statement. You might be incredulous, but I assure you, these were COMMON. They are memorable, but also risky. Sometimes the risk pays off (you lived in a yurt in Mongolia for 4 years) and sometimes they aren't (stories about suicide, sexual abuse, etc.). 3. The just-right: A memorable anecdote that helped me remember them and a strong command of grammar, English language, etc. This might be contentious, because I'm sure some people will say "oh I'd tell a stranger that!" but you have to remember that this is your one impression on a group of people. Higher education can be slightly snobbish and some topics are just NOT discussed. None of these rules are 100% right all of the time. I'm sure we admitted someone with a vague statement and a stellar GRE score and didn't admit someone with a bad fit but an outstanding personal statement. Things I looked for in the personal statement: identification of faculty members they wanted to work with, clear definition of research interests (you don't need to state your intention to study fertility preferences among American Indians in South Dakota, but you should mention that you're interested in domestic fertility or something like that), and why they wanted to attend THIS school. Things I looked for in the writing sample: indicators of ability to do research, correctly interpreted statistics, interesting research problem

What I would have changed on my own applications: Probably my statement of purpose. I didn't tailor them as much to each school as I should/could have. I think I did a good job on explaining deficits in my application, but I basically substituted each school's name into a couple of slots and used the same SOP each time. That was clearly a mistake now, but given how many similar applications we got this year like that, it's not something that's widely understood. Part of that was because I wasn't sure why I wanted to go to graduate school, other than desiring a Ph.D. and having a lot of smart people telling me that I should go. I also think I would have done even more research than I did ahead of time. Although I checked out school's websites, I now know that that information isn't always updated frequently and doesn't have details like that imaginary department that you mentioned. There's no way to tell by looking at a department's website if the person you really want to work with wants to move closer to their family and has been looking for open spots on the East Coast. Or if a young hotshot is about to get poached from a school that can offer them more. Or if a 4th year professor failed a tenure review and is on probation. I would email DGSs, graduate students, and professors I was interested in working in to get a feel for a department before I applied. I get several of these emails/visits each year in the fall and I never mind answering questions.

^Such an important thread. I'm so grateful that FertMigMort chose to take the time to illuminate some of this process for us!

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Open access
Published: 22 March 2023

Speech therapy to overcome dyslexia in primary schoolers

Zhanar Nurseitova 1 &
Aisulu Shayakhmetova 2

Scientific Reports volume 13 , Article number: 4686 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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Human behaviour

This research was aimed to investigate changes in the reading technique and in terms of its semantic charge in primary schoolers diagnosed with dyslexia, which occur as a result of the integrated use of speech therapy techniques. The study was performed between 2016 and 2019 in 6 schools of Moscow and Almaty. It enrolled 194 and 200 children, respectively, who were examined with form I to III inclusive. The study revealed that 13% of children had reading speed disorders; they were constituted group 1. Another 11% had reading comprehension disorders; they constituted group 2. In group 1, by form III, the number of reading repetitions increased twofold. In group 2, the number of children, who read in words and phrases, increased by half; in group 1, it doubled. This research showed clear progress in children with technical dyslexia vs. those with semantic dyslexia. Based on the results, it is possible to develop a methodology for speech therapy techniques that can be suitable not only for speech therapists, but also for primary school teachers, as well as for parents of dyslectic children.

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Introduction.

Today's ideology boils down to the perception of dyslexia as a reading disorder, however, having normal intellectual development 1 , 2 , 3 . Despite the established set of views, at present the researchers continue looking for new ways to assess the intellectual development in dyslectic subjects, although with a greater emphasis on the structural component of dyslexia. This includes both verbal and non-verbal parts, as well as the genesis of personality associated with individual and typological characteristics 4 . Dyslectic primary schoolers differ from normal peers, above all, in terms of the level of verbal intelligence. The data characterizing this direction are specifically based on the significance of verbal components associated with the cognitive mental function 5 . According to a number of authors, the greatest pedagogical results are possible in the process of mastering reading in primary school 5 , 6 , 7 . The reading process, along with other external and internal factors, can affect the formation of children cognitive and intellectual abilities 8 . Of particular interest are data related to the research of intellectual activity in secondary schoolers, who had different levels of reading skills. One of the most pressing issues is a clarification of the causes associated with the occurrence, dynamics and mechanisms of dyslexia 9 . In addition, the studies related to identification of the most suitable conditions and methods for successful therapy, as well as speech therapy and pediatric techniques related to the correction and prevention of dyslexia, are of certain relevance 10 . Such interest is due to statistical data. In particular, it is known that, over the past two decades, the number of children diagnosed with dyslexia has increased significantly, albeit unevenly in different regions, ranging from 3 to 25% 9 , 11 . For children with true dyslexia, current methods of medicine and psychology are unable to eliminate this disorder. Moreover, dyslexia is a rather serious factor that hinders the effective assimilation of educational material by students 12 . According to some experts, dyslexia may not necessarily manifest itself only for the native language 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 . The process of reading is characterized by the complication of existing discrepancies, which are expressed in the proportion of language phonemes and graphemes. Phonetic systems based on opaque spelling are characterized by a different manifestation of one phoneme through several graphemes, or vice versa, one grapheme can be associated with different phonemes 13 . In languages such as Russian, English, German and French, dyslexia is much more common 6 . In the case when an in-depth study of foreign languages is performed in regular schools, there are specific cases of dyslexia called mixed dyslexia 14 . Mixed dyslexia is associated with a set of symptoms. Firstly, this is an insufficient development of speech itself and its components, and secondly, it is a low level of perception through vision, as well as a low level of development of judgment associated with visual and motor function. In specialized schools, students study not one, but two foreign languages at once. In most cases, dyslectic children come to such schools accidentally, not by their own choice 15 . As a rule, this is due to the lack of passing tests when entering the school. So, dyslexia is quite common among children; it is a persistent disorder that negatively affects schoolers’ academic performance. In this regard, it is necessary to develop new medical, psychological, speech therapy techniques for teaching dyslectic children. Involving parents in teaching children with dyslexia does not give quick and reliable results 16 . Another and better results can be achieved if various specialists are involved, for example, speech therapists, as well as teachers of native and foreign languages. The educational process at school is based on the concept that children learn to read quickly and understand the essence of the text they read. Therefore, the quality of the student's understanding of assignments, as well as various control and independent work, depends on how well the reading skill is developed. For school age, reading is of great importance, since it helps children to learn about the world around them, including that in their free time. Recently, social networks and mobile applications related to the global digitalization of society have played an increasingly important role in this 11 . Therefore, if dyslexia presents and progresses, the child should be expected to have not only poor academic performance, but also maladaptation in society.

Global practice in the research of dyslexia is associated with two areas. In Western countries, dyslexia is dominantly considered as a disorder resulting from improper mastery of reading technique 8 , 15 . At the same time, the main parameters of reading technique are reading speed and correctness. The disadvantage of this approach is one-sided perception of the reading technique, without taking into account the conceptual component of this process. According to this opinion, the difficulties that arise in understanding the meaning when reading are primarily related to disorders in accessing the information in the memory. Therefore, the root cause lies in the child's cognitive perception. The second approach is mainly related to the research on the territory of the former Soviet Union; it is aimed at the very perception of the word, its form and meaning. Other studies specify an isolated type of reading disorders and its semantic component 2 . At the same time, there are no detailed studies on this subject. This formed the basis for the present study. In addition, the authors proposed speech therapy techniques that can significantly improve reading performance in primary schoolers.

This research was aimed to investigate changes in reading technique and in terms of its semantic charge in primary schoolers diagnosed with dyslexia. Study objectives were as follows: (a) to track the parameters of the technical reading component over time; (b) the same for the semantic reading component; (c) to test the speech therapy techniques to improve reading performance in dyslectic children. The authors believe that the introduction of the proposed speech therapy techniques will significantly improve reading performance in children. A limitation of this study may be the application of these techniques to Russian-speaking and Kazakh-speaking children.

Materials and methods

This longitudinal study involved 194 and 200 primary schoolers attending 3 regular schools in Moscow (Russia) and Almaty (Kazakhstan, also 3 schools), respectively. The Russian population included 100 girls and 94 boys; the Kazakh one—100 boys and 100 girls. The classes were held in Russian and Kazakh. The study did not take into account gender differences. The mean age of children was 6.1 ± 1.1 years. The participants were allocated to groups after the initial examination; it is detailed in the " Results " section.

Study design

This study was complex: in addition to investigating the particularities of dyslexia in primary schoolers, we explored the results of the use of speech therapy techniques on children’s reading skill. The study enrolled children, whose parents gave written consent (signed a contract). The contract revealed the essence of the study, described in detail the possible consequences; it was proposed to try a promising new method of speech therapy for children. The study enrolled all children, whose parents had signed the contract. At baseline, dyslectic children were not identified specifically; all children, who later entered the dyslectic group, were revealed after initial testing. This formed the basis for further allocation to groups. The study consisted of two parts. The first part provided the analysis results of dyslexia over time when children studied in forms I–III of a regular school; the second part discussed the results of dyslexia course, taking into account the use of speech therapy techniques. For the Kazakh population, classes were held in Kazakh and Russian, as many children knew Russian quite well.

Ethical aspects

The study was performed in accordance with the international standards of ethics and morality. Anonymity and confidentiality of the information related to participants was observed.

The research was conducted at the same time, from 11 o'clock in the morning, when the children were not yet tired, but a considerable time had already passed after sleep. Thus, we tried to reduce the possible inhibitory effect of somnolence or fatigue on the reading process. During primary testing, children read special texts, the moments of beginning and the end of reading was recorded, due to which the accuracy needed for measurements was achieved. The definition of reading speed included the time period, in which the child read a certain text. Different reading parameters were taken into account, such as reading method, repetitions and mistakes. After testing, the children retold the text, and simultaneously such parameters as unfragmentation of the text (its integrity and connection between different parts) were evaluated. Analysis was based on results obtained for study participants vs. those in normal peers; it considered reading speed and understanding the meaning of what was read.

Statistical analysis

Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2016. For each of the studied parameters, its frequency among children was calculated as a percentage as the schoolers progressed from form I to form III inclusive. Significance of differences between parameters was determined using Student's t-test. The differences were significant at P ≤ 0.05. The tables show mean values between the groups of children from Russia and Kazakhstan, since no significant differences were found between two populations.

Ethics approval

The authors declare that the work is written with due consideration of ethical standards. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles approved by the Ethics Committee of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University and Sh. Uvalikhanov Kokshetau University (Protocol No. 76 of 13.09.2022).

Data availability

Data will be available on request by the corresponding author (Z. Nurseitova).

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Zhanar Nurseitova

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Z.N. and A.S. contributed equally to the experimentation. Z.N. and A.S. wrote and edited the article. Z.N. equally designed and conducted the experiment. A.S. studied scientific literature about the topic. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Nurseitova, Z., Shayakhmetova, A. Speech therapy to overcome dyslexia in primary schoolers. Sci Rep 13 , 4686 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31631-7

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A Systematic Review of Online Speech Therapy Systems for Intervention in Childhood Speech Communication Disorders

Associated data.

The data extraction was done with the help of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet which is freely available online Available online: https://bit.ly/3Fv7qDp (accessed on 1 November 2022).

Currently, not all children that need speech therapy have access to a therapist. With the current international shortage of speech–language pathologists (SLPs), there is a demand for online tools to support SLPs with their daily tasks. Several online speech therapy (OST) systems have been designed and proposed in the literature; however, the implementation of these systems is lacking. The technical knowledge that is needed to use these programs is a challenge for SLPs. There has been limited effort to systematically identify, analyze and report the findings of prior studies. We provide the results of an extensive literature review of OST systems for childhood speech communication disorders. We systematically review OST systems that can be used in clinical settings or from home as part of a treatment program for children with speech communication disorders. Our search strategy found 4481 papers, of which 35 were identified as focusing on speech therapy programs for speech communication disorders. The features of these programs were examined, and the main findings are extracted and presented. Our analysis indicates that most systems which are designed mainly to support the SLPs adopt and use supervised machine learning approaches that are either desktop-based or mobile-phone-based applications. Our findings reveal that speech therapy systems can provide important benefits for childhood speech. A collaboration between computer programmers and SLPs can contribute to implementing useful automated programs, leading to more children having access to good speech therapy.

1. Introduction

Young children judge each other based on their communication skills, and therefore, a communication disorder can harm someone’s social status at a young age [ 1 ]. Children enrolled in therapy before the age of five experience more positive outcomes than children that enroll after this age [ 2 ]. Even when access to a speech–language pathologist (SLP) is possible, SLPs often struggle to manage their therapy plans for each of their clients. In general, an SLP works with a client weekly and has a session with them for one hour [ 3 ]. During the session, the SLP gives the client several exercises and registers the client’s performance and progress. At the end of such a session, the therapist is supposed to generate a personalized therapy plan. Going through a routine of working with several clients a day makes it hard for the SLP to provide a personal therapy plan at the end of the session [ 3 ]. The task of an SLP is broad and does not only entail doing exercises with the patient, as is thought a lot. As the American Speech–Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) states: “Speech–language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults” [ 4 ].

Previous research mentions the positive impact that the usage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can offer during therapy [ 5 ]. Children in developed countries are coming in contact with digitalization more frequently and quickly embrace the online process [ 6 ]. Additionally, in interventions for children with communication impairments, the use of ICT is increasing, and telepractice is a rapidly evolving field, which is resulting in the development of several online speech therapy (OST) systems [ 6 ]. The appeal of digital technology to children is seen as one of its benefits, together with the accessibility it provides in simplifying the process of matching clients with clinical expertise [ 6 ].

Currently, there is a worldwide shortage of SLPs [ 7 ]. This results in approximately 70% of the SLPs having waiting lists, including in developed countries, such as The Netherlands [ 7 , 8 ]. Currently, not all children that need intervention for their communication impairment have access to a therapist. However, with software systems’ availability in developed countries, speech therapy can be accessible to all without physical contact. This paper aims to provide a systematic literature review (SLR) to systematically identify, analyze and describe the state-of-the-art advances in OST systems for communication disorders. This study evaluates the current state of the art regarding OST systems for children with communication disorders which have assessment and/or an intervention functions or assist the SLP in another tailored way.

The rest of this article is organized as follows: Section 2 provides some brief background information on communication disorders, OST, speech recognition, machine learning (ML), and related works. Section 3 explains the SLR methodology. Section 4 presents the results of the SLR on OST Systems. Section 5 covers the discussion. Finally, Section 6 presents the conclusions.

2. Background and Related Works

2.1. communication disorders.

According to the American Speech–Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), a communication disorder is “an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems. A communication disorder may be evident in the processes of hearing, language, and/or speech” [ 4 ]. Among communication disorders, the ASHA distinguishes between four variations, namely, (a) speech disorders affecting processing or production of the sounds of a language (phonology and motor planning and executive); (b) language disorders affecting the comprehension or production of semantics, morpho-syntax or discourse; (c) hearing disorders; and (d) central auditory processing disorders. A speech disorder is a problem with fluency, voice and how a person says speech/sounds [ 2 ]. A speech disorder is also referred to as a phonological disorder or a speech sound disorder (SSD). A SSD should not be confused with a communication disorder. Speech disorders are communication disorders that disrupt everyday speech [ 9 ]. The ASHA states that this can be due to an impairment in the articulation of speech sounds, fluency and/or voice [ 4 ].

2.2. Telepractice and OST

The ASHA defines telepractice as the application of telecommunications technology to the delivery of Speech–Language pathology and professional audiology services at a distance by linking clinician to client or clinician for assessment, intervention and consultation [ 4 ]. Throughout the years, several interactive tools have been set up to reduce the time required from the SLP [ 10 ]. However, the term telecommunications technology is rather broad, and the boundaries are not always clear. Computers in speech therapy are also referred to as computer-based speech therapy (CBST) [ 7 ]. The following definition of computer-based speech therapy is given by Furlong et al. [ 7 ] (p. 51): “A CBST program is a software offering predefined therapy tasks inclusive of instructional features (e.g., an animated talking tutor, the use of synthesized speech to provide models or instructions), motivational features (e.g., the use of animations, game-based activities) and quantitative features (e.g., the tracking of performance within and across therapy sessions), operating from a personal computer”. According to Furlong and colleagues [ 7 ], this does not entail mobile applications and wireless devices, such as tablets. However, as mentioned in Section 1 , one of the advantages of telepratice is accessibility [ 6 ]; as a result, some of the developed OST systems are focused on mobile phones and tablets, as they can quickly provide access through mobile connectivity; therefore, this review also considers these systems. Chen et al. [ 11 ] referred to an interactive speech therapy computer program with the term virtual speech therapist (VST). Programs are designed to help learn a non-native language or developed to help people whose speech abilities are already in the normal range, and thus, they were not considered to be VST programs by Chen et al. [ 11 ].

2.3. Speech Recognition

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) has been a hot topic in research for more than half a century [ 12 ]. ASR can be described as the transformation of the acoustic microstructure of a speech signal into its implicit phonetic macro-structure. In other words, it is speech-to-text conversion where the output is digital text corresponding with the recognized speech [ 13 ]. The general architecture of a speech recognition system was provided by Padmanabhan and Premkumar [ 14 ]. When the speech recognition system receives the input signal, it gets pre-processed by the front end, sending spectral-like features to the decoder. The decoder contains a phone likelihood estimator, which scores each phone’s likelihood [ 14 ]. Ghai and Singh [ 13 ] distinguished four different ASR approaches, of which the first one is the acoustic-phonetic approach. According to this approach, discovered by Hemdal and Hughes in 1967, there is a fixed number of phonetic units that can be distinguished in each language. Each unit has its own components, which can be recognized by its properties, such as nasality. A second approach, the connectionist approach, looks at patterns of units instead of individual units. The dominant approach in ASR is the so-called pattern recognition approach [ 13 ], which is executed with a mathematical framework. The final approach, the knowledge-based approach, can be seen as a mix of acoustic–phonetic and pattern recognition approaches. In general, an ASR system has two phases: the training phase and the recognition phase [ 13 ].

2.4. Machine Learning

Machine learning (ML) is defined as the study of computer algorithms that improve automatically through experience and by the use of data. Three types of machine learning can be distinguished: supervised learning, unsupervised learning and reinforcement learning. In supervised ML, the ML algorithm is trained with a labeled dataset, and an output response or class for each input data vector is given. With unsupervised ML, the ML algorithm is expected to learn the patterns in the unlabeled input dataset by itself without any feedback, for example, from an speech language pathologist (SLP) [ 14 ]. Finally, in reinforcement learning, an agent learns the best actions possible in an interactive environment in order to attain the defined goals.

Back in 1970, a wide variety of different architectures and approaches were tried for speech recognition. Many of these were relatively informal and weak and were feasible for only a few specially selected cases. In recent years, approaches based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) have become more dominant [ 15 ]. Hidden Markov models are based on a rather complex mathematical theory and are commonly generated by training a large corpus of actual speech data. Another popular method is neural networks. Neural networks consist of units connected by links [ 15 ]. In artificial neural networks (ANN), units are trained using input–output datasets presented to the network. After the training procedure, the network generates proper outcomes when tested with parallel datasets, which means that the network recognizes the patterns it was trained with during the training process [ 16 ].

2.5. Related Work

Chen et al. [ 11 ] published a systematic review on computer-based speech therapy systems focused on speech disorders, including hearing impairments and aphasia. The review mainly focused on the technological details of CBSTs. The results suggest that such systems can result in a higher engagement from the clients throughout the therapy. A challenge of this study is the heterogeneity of several critical aspects addressed in the review, such as types of disorders, outcome measures, and study design types [ 17 ]. Furthermore, Furlong et al. [ 7 ] conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the efficacy of CBST for children with an SSD. The preliminary conclusion from the study is that CBST can benefit children with dysarthria, articulation impairment, phonological impairment, and SSDs associated with hearing impairment [ 7 ]. For their study, they only included 14 studies, and all the included studies were from 2008 or before, which led to the exclusion of any relevant studies after 2008. Additionally, speech recognition technologies such as ML used in some of these systems have not yet been discussed [ 7 ]. We provide a more up-to-date and extensive literature review that also takes conference papers into consideration, thereby providing us with many OST systems that otherwise would be overlooked. Seven out of the 20 studies reviewed in Chen et al. [ 11 ] and six out of the 14 studies reviewed by Furlong et al. [ 7 ] reported on OST systems designed to provide speech production feedback to the user. Such feedback was provided mainly in the form of visual feedback. Noteworthy is that neither one of the reviews included mobile technology [ 18 ].

3. Research Methodology

We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR), a well-defined method to identify, evaluate and interpret all relevant studies regarding a particular topic [ 19 ]. This method helps summarize existing evidence concerning a technology, in our case, already existing or proposed OST systems. The review protocol defines the research questions, search strategy to identify relevant literature, study selection criteria, quality assessment and methodology for extracting and synthesizing information from relevant papers [ 19 ]. We provide more details on the review protocol in the remainder of this section.

3.1. Research Questions

As stated before, no systematic review is provided in the literature on how automated speech therapy systems support SLPs and the challenges and obstacles of designing and adopting OST systems. Thus, our main goal was to summarize the evidence related to how OST systems are designed and evaluated. Hence, we answer the following two main questions with their respective sub-questions:

RQ1 : What are the existing OST systems?

RQ1.1: For which goals/context have OST Systems been developed?
RQ1.2: What are the features of the OST systems?
RQ1.3: For which target groups have OST systems been used?
RQ1.4: What are the adopted architecture designs of the OST systems?
RQ1.5: What are the adopted ML approaches in these OST systems?
RQ1.6: What are the properties of the software used for these systems?

RQ2 : How efficacious are OST systems?

RQ2.1: Which evaluation approaches have been used to assess the efficacy of the OST systems?
RQ2.2: Which performance metrics have been used to gauge the efficacy of the OST systems?

3.2. Search Strategy

A systematic selection process involving the scanning of titles, abstracts and full texts was completed. Articles and conference papers written in English reporting a trial of an OST program for SSD treatment in children were included.

A flowchart of the search strategy can be seen in Figure 1 .

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Flowchart search strategy.

3.2.1. Search Scope

We limited our search to two dimensions: the publication period and electronic data sources. We limited our search to papers published from January 2005 to February 2021. The start date of January 2005 was due to a rapid change in technology, as there was a risk that articles published before this date would no longer be relevant. The databases used for the search were Scopus; Web of Science; IEEE; and ACM. Papers were selected based on their titles and abstracts. Papers considered during this search process were journal papers and conference papers. Table 1 shows the number of papers obtained from each electronic data source.

Process of paper selection.

Source	Before	After Abstract Screening	After Applying the Selection Criteria	After Quality Assessment
IEEE	930	130	10	9
Scopus	2704	160	18	16
Web of Science	619	90	6	6
ACM	228	19	5	4
	4481	399	39	35

3.2.2. Search Method

We used an automatic search as our search method and used the following search string:

("speech and language assessment" OR "speech therapy" OR "speech sound disorder*" OR "voice disorder*" OR "speech and language disorder*" OR "speech disorder" OR "speech delay" AND "tool*" OR "information system*" OR "software" OR "expert system*" OR "artificial intelligence" OR "online system" OR "computer-based")

The query was tested first with an extra compartment, namely: AND "child*". However, it was noticed that some critical papers would not be selected when this was added to the query.

3.3. Study Selection Criteria

Study selection criteria were set up to determine which studies should be excluded from the review. The overall study selection criteria that we used are displayed in ( Table 2 ):

Study selection criteria.

No.	Criteria
1	The full text is unavailable.
2	The duplicate publication is already found in a different repository.
3.	Article language is not in English.
4.	The article is not relevant or related to child speech therapy.
5.	The article is not a primary study.
6.	The article is not peer-reviewed.
7.	The article only focuses on speech recognition techniques and not on therapy.

Following the application of the selection criteria, 39 articles were kept and considered for quality assessment.

3.4. Study Quality Assessment

In addition to the study selection criteria, the primary studies’ quality was assessed with the criteria set up by Kitchenham and Charters [ 19 ]. Table 3 presents the quality checklist. We used a three-point scale to assign scores (yes = 2, somewhat = 1, no = 0) to each criterion. An overview of the score of each paper can be found in Appendix A . The maximum score a paper could obtain was 14. Papers with a score of 7 or lower were left out.

Evaluation standards. The answer to each question scores the quality of the paper.

Nr.	Criteria	Yes (2)	Partial (1)	No (0)
1	Are the aims of the study clearly stated?
2	Are the scope and context of the study clearly defined?
3	Is the proposed solution clearly explained and validated by an empirical study?
4	Are the variables used in the study likely to be valid and reliable?
5	Is the research process documented adequately?
6	Are all study questions answered?
7	Are the negative findings presented?

3.5. Data Extraction and Monitoring

To extract data, the full texts of the 35 selected studies were read. A data extraction form was created to collect all the information needed to address the research questions and the study quality criteria. This form can be found in Appendix B . The data extraction was done with the help of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet which is freely available online: https://bit.ly/3Fv7qDp (accessed on 1 November 2022). Data from the included studies were extracted by two authors and verified by the third author.

3.6. Data Synthesis and Reporting

When performing an SLR, the extracted data should be synthesized in a manner suitable for answering the questions that an SLR seeks to answer [ 19 ]. After the quality assessment, 35 of the 39 articles made it to the final literature selection; these articles are shown in Table 4 below.

Final articles selected.

Nr.	Reference	Title
A	[ ]	Tingog: Reading and Speech Application for Children with Repaired Cleft Palate
B	[ ]	A serious game for speech disorder children therapy
C	[ ]	The BioVisualSpeech Corpus of Words with Sibilants for Speech Therapy Games Development
D	[ ]	Advanced Information Technology—Support of Improved Personalized Therapy of Speech Disorders
E	[ ]	TERAPERS -Intelligent Solution for Personalized Therapy of Speech Disorders
F	[ ]	An automated speech-language therapy tool with interactive virtual agent and peer-to-peer feedback
G	[ ]	Android based Receptive Language Tracking Tool for Toddlers.
H	[ ]	Towards a speech therapy support system based on phonological processes early detection.
I	[ ]	Assessing comprehension of spoken language in nonspeaking children with cerebral palsy: Application of a newly developed computer-based instrument
J	[ ]	AppVox: An Application to Assist People with Speech Impairments in Their Speech Therapy Sessions
K	[ ]	Apraxia world: A Speech Therapy Game for Children with Speech Sound Disorders
L	[ ]	Speak App: A Development of Mobile Application Guide for Filipino People with Motor Speech Disorder
M	[ ]	Speech technologies in a computer-aided speech therapy system
N	[ ]	ChilDiBu—A Mobile Application for Bulgarian Children with Special Educational Needs
O	[ ]	Audiovisual Tools for Phonetic and Articulatory Visualization in Computer-Aided Pronunciation Training
P	[ ]	Building on Mobile towards Better Stuttering Awareness to Improve Speech Therapy
Q	[ ]	Pictogram Tablet: A Speech Generating Device Focused on Language Learning
R	[ ]	Measuring performance of children with speech and language disorders using a serious game
S	[ ]	A robotic assistant to support the development of communication skills of children with disabilities
T	[ ]	Evaluating a multi-avatar game for speech therapy applications
U	[ ]	Secure telemonitoring system for delivering telerehabilitation therapy to enhance children’s communication function to home
V	[ ]	Architecture of an automated therapy tool for childhood apraxia of speech
W	[ ]	Translation of the Speech Therapy Programs in the Logomon Assisted Therapy System.
X	[ ]	An educational platform based on expert systems, speech recognition, and ludic activities to support the lexical and semantic development in children from 2 to 3 years.
Y	[ ]	SPELTA: An expert system to generate therapy plans for speech and language disorders.
Z	[ ]	SPELTA-Miner: An expert system based on data mining and multilabel classification to design therapy plans for communication disorders.
AA	[ ]	The AppVox mobile application, a tool for speech and language training sessions
BB	[ ]	A prelingual tool for the education of altered voices
CC	[ ]	A Game Application to assist Speech Language Pathologists in the Assessment of Children with Speech Disorders
DD	[ ]	End-User Recommendations on LOGOMON - a Computer Based Speech Therapy System for Romanian Language
EE	[ ]	Multimodal Speech Capture System for Speech Rehabilitation and Learning
FF	[ ]	Tabby Talks: An automated tool for the assessment of childhood apraxia of speech
GG	[ ]	AACVOX: mobile application for augmentative alternative communication to help people with speech disorder and motor impairment
HH	[ ]	An Online Expert System for Diagnostic Assessment Procedures on Young Children’s Oral Speech and Language
II	[ ]	E-inclusion technologies for the speech handicapped

In this section, we synthesize the SLR results and provide the answers to the identified research questions. In total, the selected papers ( Table 4 ) discussed 35 systems. Study AA was a further improvement of the system set up in study J. Study DD was a further improvement of the system set up in study W. Study AA and study DD provided further experimental validation of their previous studies. Given that both studies AA and DD also introduced new elements, we considered them in the primary studies.

4.1. For Which Goals/Context Have OST Systems Been Developed?

Figure 2 shows the distribution of the intervention goals of each study. The categorization of intervention goal for each study can be tricky, as some of the indicated intervention goals can overlap. For example, a study that uses automatic classification of speech errors can also be developed to support the SLP. The following classification is based on what each paper mentions as main intervention goal for the development of the system. The majority of the OST systems’ main goal was to support the SLP in his/her current activities (66%). The majority of the reviewed studies discussed developing a system intending to assist the SLP with their work and at the same time provide clients with the possibility to continue their practice without the constant need for an SLP present. Studies G, I, L, N, GG and II (17%) focused on building an application suitable for a specific target group, such as children with cerebral paresis. Studies C, EE and FF (8%) developed a system to automatically classify speech errors in clients’ spoken text. One could argue that this falls under the category of "Support the SLP", but in reality, diagnosing a client often happens in the first session and support is mainly needed during the follow-up sessions, which is why these three papers got their categorization "automatic classification of speech errors". Studies Q and T (6%) tried to set up a system specifically focused on maintaining the child’s attention during the therapy session. Finally, study B (3%) aimed to increase accessibility by setting up a game environment. Increasing accessibility was also mentioned in other studies, but rather as a consequence rather than as a study’s primary goal.

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Intervention goal OST systems.

Four of the thirty-five studies described “people” as their target group. However, these studies (i.e., F, J, P and II) included both adults and children. Thus, these studies were also considered and not removed from the list, as the systems discussed might also be beneficial for children. The distribution of the target language of the reviewed systems is portrayed in Figure 3 . It is evident from the figure that most systems were designed with a focus on the English language. Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian were the next most common languages apart from English.

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Overview of target languages of OST Systems.

4.2. What Are the Features of the OST Systems?

To fully understand the functionality of OST systems, it is essential to know which features they have. Features can be defined as user-visible characteristics. In total, 14 common features among the 35 studies were identified. The explanations of the features are described below based on the explanations given in the primary studies.

Audio feedback is audio output from a system that informs the user whether he or she is performing well.
Emotion screening: The system considers the client’s emotions throughout the session, for example, by measuring the facial expressions with a face tracker or the system asking the child how he or she feels or to rate the child’s feelings.
Error detection: Identification of errors made through speech analysis algorithms by analyzing produced vowels and consonants individually (Parnandi et al., 2013 [ 39 ]).
Peer-to-peer feedback is a feature that enables multiple clients to participate with each other in an exercise. Peers can provide feedback to each other’s performance in terms of understandability, the volume of sound and so on, depending on the exercise’s context and scope.
Speech recognition, also known as speech-to-text or automatic speech recognition, is a feature that enables a program to convert human speech into a written format.
Recommendation strategy: A feature that provides suggestions for helpful follow-up exercises and activities that can be undertaken by the SLP based on the correctness of pronunciation (Franciscatto et al., 2021 [ 1 ]).
Reporting: Providing statistical reports about the child’s progress and the level of performance during the session.
Text-to-speech: A feature that can read digital text on a digital device aloud.
Textual feedback is textual output from a system that shows the user whether he performs well. For example, when the word is pronounced correctly, the text “Correct Answer” appears, whereas if the word is mispronounced, the text “Incorrect Answer” appears, possibly with an explanation of why it is incorrect.
User data management: Everything that has to do with keeping track of the personal data of clients, such as account names and age.
User voice recorder: A feature that provides the option to record the spoken text by the clients. The recorded voice can be played back by, for example, the client, the SLP or other actors such as a teacher or parent.
A virtual 3D model aids in viewing the correct positioning of the lips, language and teeth for each sound (Danubianu, 2016).

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Representation of visual feedback.

Voice commands are spoken words by the child that let the system act. For example, when a child says jump, the character in a game jumps.

The features and their corresponding studies are presented in Table 5 . By examining the features in the table, we can observe that reporting is the most dominant feature. This was not unexpected, since two-third of the systems were made to support the SLP. A reporting feature provides the SLP a quick overview of the child’s progress and the mistakes made, saving much time for one-on-one interaction. The most repeatedly used report types are statistical data of properly practiced words and statistical data of overall activities during the therapy session. Most of the papers (25) do not discuss any reporting feature for their systems.

OST Features.

Feature	Study	Total Number
Audio feedback	C, E, J, W, AA, BB	6
Emotion Screening	P	1
Error Detection	V, AA, CC, EE, FF, HH, II	7
Peer-to-peer feedback	F, K	2
Recommendation strategy	H, S, W, Y, Z	5
Reporting	D, S, V, W, X, Y, Z, AA, BB, CC, DD, FF, GG, HH	14
Speech Recognition	A, H, M, O, S, V, X, BB, CC, EE, II	11
Text-to-speech	A, S, GG, II	4
Textual feedback	F, J, II, CC, FF	5
User Data Management	S, X, Y, Z, DD, II	6
User Record voice	E, Q, U, V, W, CC, EE, FF, GG, II	10
Virtual 3D model	E, O, W, DD, EE	5
Visual feedback	C, EE, II	3
Voice commands	R, S	2

4.3. For Which Target Groups Have OST Systems Been Used?

An overview of the target disorders can be found in Table 6 .

Classification of communication disorders.

Classification	Study
Communication disorder	S, X, Z,
Speech disorder	A, C, D, E, H, K, L, N, P, Q, V, W, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, GG, II
Language disorder	B, F, I, J, R, T, U, Y, AA, HH
Hearing disorder	G, M, O

Table 6 presents an overview of the target communication disorders of the papers. During the literature analysis, we came across many different terms. For example, study H mentioned “speech disorder” as its target disorder, study J mentioned “speech impairments” and study P mentioned “speech impediments”. As shown in Table 6 , 19 studies mentioned “speech disorder” as their target disorder, which is the majority. However, this term is rather broad. In study B, they mention that the 3D game environment was developed to meet the specific requirements of “language disordered” children, but did not clarify the type of disorder. They tested the system on a child who had a language disorder because of hearing impairment, but they do not mention if the final system was developed for this focus group. The system of study F provides tasks for both aphasia and speech disorders; however, aphasia is a non-speech disorder. Studies in the communication disorder groups did not further define the participants’ disorders (or the target disorder) regarding speech, language and hearing. This may have been due in part to the developed systems being generic SLP-assistance OSTs designed to simply support the SLP in client management.

4.4. What Are the Adopted Architecture Designs of the OST Systems?

In this analysis, we aimed to examine the studies that presented and discussed the adopted architectural patterns used in developing the OST systems. Fifteen of the thirty-five studies did not mention or discuss any architecture approach at all. The rest of the studies did, but the extent of details discussed differed a lot per study. Table 7 provides an overview of the adopted architectural patterns of those 20 studies that did discuss them. In the subsections below, we discuss each architecture found in the studies.

Overview of architectures of OST systems.

Adopted Architecture Approach	Study
client–server system	D, F, H, L, P, U, V, DD, HH, II
Repository pattern	T, CC
Layered approach	S, X, Y, Z
Standalone system	A
Pipe-and-Filter Architecture	E, W, FF

4.4.1. Client–Server System

From Table 7 , the most commonly adopted architecture approach was a client–server approach. Study D used a two-tier client–server architecture in which data mining was used to derive knowledge from the data. Study H described a software architecture containing a capture module and a service module. The first collects the client’s audio data and then revises the data, which the SLP eventually double-checks after it is checked by the service module. In study F, they created a virtual therapist in the application that provides the sound/word task with audiovisual cues and articulation. The client pronounces the sound/word, and the virtual therapist then sends the client’s audio response to the system server. The system server analyses the speech and detects mispronunciation. The detected errors are sent back to the application, which sends feedback to the client. The system in study L also has one module for the therapist, namely, the assessment module. In the assessment module, the SLP can view the clients and their scores, and the practice module is used by the client to do exercises. The system described in study P has a mobile application used by the client and a server that manages all the applications’ requests. All the data are stored in a central database. An Internet connection is needed from time to time to synchronize the client’s progress in the application with the central database. The server module of study U was threefold, as it comprises a management application program, a database server and a data transfer application. When the child is playing the game, its interactions are captured by the desktop client software and stored on a local open-source database. The therapist can review these interactions and send the data to the database server with the data transfer application’s help. Through an Internet connection, the therapist then has remote access to the data of each child. The application of study V has a multi-tier client–server architecture and provides remote administration of speech therapy. Through the user interface, the SLP can remotely manage therapy for his or her clients, create exercises and organize speech recordings, as this application is also where the speech analysis can be done. The client has access to the therapy session through a mobile application. Study DD showed a detailed architecture of the speech therapy system, but no additional explanation was provided in the other studies that presented a picture of the RA. The provided pictures showed the interaction between the SLP’s computer and the client’s mobile device. The expert system on the computer of the therapist selects exercises, and if the SLP agrees to them, they are sent to the child. The mobile device collects the child’s vocal production, and the results are sent to the monitor program installed on the SLP’s computer. The design of the online expert system in study HH is based on a system that is built from smaller subsystems, including the conditions for articulation disorders, phonological disorders, fluency disorders and language disorders. Study II discussed their architecture in the style of a block diagram. The application works with only audio input and lets the user know whether the word/sentence was pronounced correctly or not.

4.4.2. Repository Pattern

The system’s interface in study T tests a client’s performance with the help of a database with correctly pronounced sounds. The game developed in study CC stores the speech input in an SQL database; the study mainly discusses the pre-processing, feature extraction and automatic speech recognition, but does not go into deep detail regarding the RA.

4.4.3. Layered Approach

The system proposed in study S relies on a user interface, an expert system and a domain knowledge layer. Each layer interacts with the other and provides different services. The UI and services layer provide several functionalities for helping SLPs. The expert-system layer relies on two modules for performing the processes to interact with users and support the decision making of SLPs. The domain knowledge is managed in the last layer through ontologies, databases for monitoring and activities, standardized vocabularies and a clinical data repository. The interaction layer of the system in study X has two applications, one that the therapist can use to manage the exercises of the client and one to perform administrative tasks. The information captured in the interaction layer is sent to the expert system in the service layer, which contains the following modules: a web services module, a user management module, a report generation module and a module for speech recognition. The SPELTA system from study Y consists of different systems that all work with a knowledge base. The SPELTA-miner system in study Z is an expert system responsible for conducting machine learning, analyzing and generating therapy plans and educational content.

4.4.4. Standalone System

The architecture design in study A was only textually described, and no figure/image was provided. The client practices pronunciation with the help of the training module.

4.4.5. Pipe-and-Filter Architecture

In the systems from studies E and W, the modules are mainly designed for assisting the SLP. The two main components of the system are an intelligent system that is installed on the computer of the SLP and a mobile system used by the client. Between the SLP and the client itself, there is a personal relationship, and they can see each other through the home monitor program. The intelligent system contains a 3D model that analyses the client’s words, and these can be reviewed by the SLP. The data are transferred to the expert system, and it can offer suggestions regarding which exercises are most suitable for the child. It is a fuzzy expert system that is rule-based, which makes it easier for the SLP to understand. The proposed system in study FF consists of a tablet-based mobile application that records the child’s speech when he is talking during the exercises. The spoken words are assessed by the voice activity detector (VAD) in the speech recognition engine, which provides the assessment results to the SLP at the interface. At this interface, the SLP can also create and assign new exercises to clients and obtain an overview of each child’s progress.

4.5. What Are the Adopted Machine Learning Approaches in These OST Systems

The majority of the papers did not discuss the usage of machine learning (ML). Only 13 of the 35 primary studies discussed which ML approach they used to develop the system. In all cases, the ML types could be broken down into either supervised or unsupervised. Semi-supervised and reinforcement learning were not mentioned in the papers. Figure 5 shows the distribution of the ML types.

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The proportion of ML types in the literature.

Supervised learning is more commonly used than unsupervised learning because more clustering tasks are applied in OST Systems. The proportions of ML types are shown in Figure 5 .

Figure 6 shows the number of times each algorithm appeared in the final literature. The algorithms that each paper used are presented in Table 8 . Study A used automatic speech recognition (ASR) as a tool to transfer the speech signal into a string of words. The words spoken by the client in the microphone are processed by a computer program that first extracts the spoken text features. These extracted features are then compared with the trained patterns. Natural language processing was used for the text-to-speech system. The text that is given as input comes out as synthetic voice output.

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The number of times each algorithm appeared in the final literature.

Overview of adopted ML approaches.

Nr.	ML Types	ML Tasks	Algorithms	Application	Adopted Dataset
A	Unsupervised	Clustering	Not mentioned	Speech Recognition	Not mentioned
C	Supervised	Classification	Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) Hidden-Markov Model	Speech Recognition	The database contains reading aloud recordings of 284 children. The corpus contains reading aloud recordings from 510 children.
E	Unsupervised	Clustering	Not mentioned	Generate a therapy plan	Not mentioned
F	Unsupervised	Clustering	Hidden Markov Model	Time prediction	Not mentioned
H	Supervised	Classification	Decision Tree Neural Network Support Vector Machine k-Nearest Neighbor Random Forest	Speech classification	A Phonological Knowledge Base containing speech samples collected from 1114 evaluations performed with 84 Portuguese words.
M	Supervised	Classification	Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)	Speech recognition	The authors refer to a large speech database, but no further details are given.
W	Unsupervised	Clustering	Not mentioned	Generate a therapy plan	Not mentioned
Y	Supervised	Classification	Decision Tree Artificial Neural networks	Generate a therapy plan	Not mentioned
Z	Supervised	Classification	Artificial Neural Networks	Generate a therapy plan	Database of thousands of therapy strategies.
CC	Supervised	Classification	Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN)	Speech to Text	TORGO Dataset that contains audio data of people with dysarthria and people without dysarthria.
DD	Unsupervised	Clustering	Not Mentioned	Emotion recognition	Not applicable
FF	Supervised	Classification	Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Logistic regression Support Vector Machine	Speech recognition	A dataset with correctly-pronounced utterances from 670 speakers.
HH	Supervised	Classification	Neural Networks	Detect disorder	Not mentioned

In study C, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to recognize the child’s words during the gameplay. The authors also tried other classification models for speech recognition, such as support vector machines and artificial neural networks. However, using the CNN model gave the lowest number of false negatives compared to the other models. In comparison with the other studies, the explanation was very extensive. The study also showed a representation of the 1D CNN architecture. To evaluate the children’s pronunciations, study E discussed the use of a fuzzy logic algorithm that assigns weight to the level of the speech disorder. The tool discussed in study F detects errors in a voice with the help of a hidden Markov model (HMM). The spoken phonemes by the client are compared with the target phoneme voice. The model can detect insertion, deletion and substitution. They also described a face tracker used to analyze the client’s nonverbal behavior by coordinating their eyes. Study H used a decision tree (DT) classifier for evaluating the correctness of speech samples. With this method, they managed to reach correct classification of the pronunciation of almost 93%. The authors then used this information to extend their phonological database. Other classifiers, such as KNN, random forest classifier and Adam’s neural network reached lower accuracy than 93%. Study M applied a three-layer ANN for speech recognition. Study W created a system that can suggest a helpful therapeutic plan for each client with fuzzy logic. The fuzzy expert system can recommend the needed follow-up actions, such as some exercises needed for a client based on several parameters. Study Y and Z used an ANN to generate a therapy plan, for which they used a multilayer perceptron. Study CC used CNN, which breaks the words into pieces and then analyses them. Study DD used a fuzzy logic algorithm to answer how frequent the therapy sessions should be, how long they should take and what types of exercises should be included. Study FF used three types of classifiers to enable speech recognition, namely, a multi-layer perceptron, an SVM and a logistic regression model with the help of MATLAB Toolboxes. Study HH used neural networks to detect the severity of the disorder.

Figure 7 shows the relationships between ML approaches and the OST goals. The figure shows that ML was only used for two of the five intervention goals, namely, “support the SLP” and “automatic classification of speech errors”. Not surprisingly, the two studies C and FF that had automatic classification as a goal only had classification as a ML task. For the intervention goal of supporting the SLP, both classification and clustering were used.

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Bubblechart of ML approaches and OST goals.

4.6. What Are the Properties of the Software Used for These Systems?

We describe the delivery type and indicate whether it is designed for desktops, mobile phones, browsers or multiple formats. The supported platform for each piece of software can affect the number of users and its accessibility. If the software supports different platforms, the range of users might be many and more exhaustive. Our review shows that most of the systems are desktop-based, followed by mobile-based. Figure 8 shows the distribution of delivery types in numbers. Desktop only is the most popular one, with 34%, followed by mobile-only, with 29%.

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OST delivery types of primary studies.

4.7. Which Evaluation Approaches Have Been Used to Assess the Efficacy of the OST Systems?

Table 9 shows the evaluation approach that each of the studies used to evaluate its OST system. Overall, five main evaluation approaches were observed across all studies; the case study approach was more prevalent than the others. None of the studies adopted two or more approaches. Each evaluation approach is discussed below.

Approaches to evaluation of the literature.

Evaluation Approach	Study
Case Study	C, G, K, L, M, O, P, R, S, U, V, X, Y, Z, AA, GG
Experimental	E, I, Q, T, BB, DD
Not evaluated	F, N, W, HH
Observational	B, J
Simulation-based	A, D, H, CC, EE, FF, II

4.7.1. Case Study

Sixteen studies tested the discussed OST system with a case study. All sixteen stated the sample size (see Appendix C ), apart from study U. Study U mentioned that pilot tests with children with disabilities and typically developing children were done, but not the sample size. Study C first did a screening activity for six months with 356 5- to 9-year-old children. During this screening period, SLPs were asked to fill in individual reports for every child about the screening results. Children were assessed individually in a quiet room in their school setting by an SLP or an SLP graduate student. Each child had two different screening moments. Study G’s system evaluation was done throughout therapy sessions in seven weeks, with five 2- to 6-year-old children. Throughout the sessions, the SLP made notes about the improved receptive vocabulary of the children. The authors of study K tested their system with a within-subject study where children played two versions of the game. During the game, the children were asked to fill in surveys. The authors analyzed meta-data to identify differences in versions in the amount of speech practice completed. Study L consulted a technical evaluation by asking 30 IT professionals to fill in an evaluation form and rate the developed mobile application. In study M, the software was used for five months in the therapy at a school for the hearing impaired to improve the number of correctly pronounced vowels before and after five months of therapy. The tool from study O was evaluated in the therapy of speech disorders by performing a sensitivity test. The SLP noted that when the target sound was reached or not during the therapy, and there was a statistically significant improvement after therapy. A preliminary user study was done in study P to evaluate whether people would understand the concept of the OST application. As can be seen in Appendix C , only one of the five participants could be considered as a minor. However, the authors indicated that their OST system can also be used by young people; thus, we did not exclude it from our analysis. Study R tested their game with a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old and checked their test results. The drawback of this study was that apart from age, no additional information about the two children was given. After using the application, the participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire anonymously. The authors of study S conducted a pilot experiment consisting of two stages: a first one consisting of laboratory tests to determine the robot’s performance and a second stage to analyze the client’s response to the robot’s appearance. Study U evaluated the system in four families with one or more children with disabilities who were currently receiving speech therapy. The system in study V was validated through a pilot study with children diagnosed with apraxia of speech, together with their parents and SLPs. After a session of ten minutes, the children were asked several questions, and the SLP and parents were asked to fill in questionnaires. A similar procedure was conducted for the system in study X, where a pilot experiment was conducted. However, in this study, only the SLPs were asked to fill in the survey. Similarly, for study Y and study Z, a pilot experiment was conducted, during which SLPs were asked to execute evaluations with the help of an online tool. Study AA used three different methods of assessment. First, they asked SLPs to provide feedback on the application. Secondly, they asked three usability experts, such as a professor in computer engineering, to perform a heuristic evaluation. Finally, they performed user tests with a group of children with speech disorders and a group without. In study GG, twenty participants used the developed application and filled in a questionnaire to rate the usability afterward.

4.7.2. Experimental

Five studies validated the discussed OST system with an experiment. The participants’ characteristics can be found in Appendix C . Study E evaluated the performances of the system with the help of forty 5- to 6-year-old children. Twenty children attended classical therapy sessions, and the other 20 used the developed system. Statistical tests were done to compare the difference between groups after 24 meetings. For investigating the performance of the system in study I, participants were asked to carry out tasks under the supervision of an SLP in a quiet room. During the experiment, responses were recorded by observation and video. For quantitative analysis, the total number of correct responses was calculated with the help of a language assessment tool. Additionally, the researchers asked the speech therapist whether they agreed with the performance score that was assigned by each tool to each participant. In study Q, one-to-one, 45 min sessions were performed with the participants and the SLP. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both therapist and parents. Each session was examined by an observer who noted the interaction between the child and the SLP with conversational analysis. Study T administered the gaze targets of an experimental group and the control group. Based on the time interval for which the child was looking at the robot, the level of engagement was estimated. To test the effectiveness of the tool of study BB, an experiment was conducted in two schools for special education, considering objective measurements from the statistical analysis of the results stored by the tool and the subjective measurements from a therapy evaluation form for each user proposed by the therapist.

4.7.3. Observational

Study B tested the system with two 5-year-old children. The researchers observed both sessions of the children with the SLP and gave a description of what they saw in the paper. The participants of study J were observed while executing a task with the systems. Usability tests were executed to evaluate the interaction of the participants while working directly with the system. Both studies mentioned the characteristics of their participants ( Appendix C ).

4.7.4. Simulation-Based

The usability of the proposed application of study A was validated with a software test. Study D tested its modules on target datasets. Study H adopted and implemented the most extensive evaluation amongst all selected studies. The researchers evaluated the proposed system with a database that consisted of speech samples collected from 1114 evaluations with 1077 children, resulting in a database containing 93,576 audio samples. The game application of study CC was tested by using a Torgo Dataset that contained audio data of people with and without dysarthria. Study FF evaluated the performances of their trained algorithms using three experiments. For study EE, a proof-of-concept prototype was set up, which seemed to work fine but needs further clinical evaluation.

4.7.5. Not Evaluated

Study F mentioned in the discussion that they are planning in the future to evaluate the proposed system. Likewise, study N explained at the end that their proposed application would be tested later. In study W, they mentioned that their system has been validated experimentally, but the authors did not provide further explanations on the experiment. Noteworthy for study HH is that the authors mentioned the procedures that are part of a testing stage but did not explain any further.

4.8. Which Evaluation Metrics Have Been Used to Gauge the Efficacy of the OST Systems?

The evaluation metrics that were encountered in the literature are displayed in Figure 9 . Five articles did not evaluate the performances of their models, whereas some articles used multiple metrics. Table 10 provides an overview of the metrics found in the articles. The metrics that were used the most were accuracy and efficiency, which are explained in the next paragraph. The metrics used by the studies differed, as studies tested different aspects of their systems. Two main categories evaluation metrics were used, namely, machine learning-based (ML) and general evaluation metrics. Below, we discuss the metrics under the two main categories.

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The evaluation metrics adopted by the selected articles.

Evaluation metrics used in the selected literature.

Metrics	Study

Accuracy	H, M, Z, CC, FF
Recall	H, FF
F1-Score/ F1-Measure	H, FF
Precision	FF
Pearson’s r	I
RMSE	H, EE
Kappa	I
Error	H, FF, II

Usability	A, L, GG
Satisfaction	AA, GG
Efficiency	L, AA, DD, GG
Effectiveness	J, AA
Reliability	L, T
Sensitivity	O
Coherence	X
Completeness	X
Relevance	X
Ease of learning memorization	GG

ML Evaluation Metrics:

Accuracy describes the percentage of correctly predicted values.
Recall is the proportion of all true positives predicted by the model divided by the total number of predicted values [ 15 ]. R e c a l l = T P T P + F N . TP = true positives. FN = false negatives.
F1-score is a summary of both recall and precision (Russell and Norvig, 2010). F 1 − S c o r e = 2 ∗ P r e c i s i o n * R e c a l l P r e c i s i o n + R e c a l l .
Precision calculates the proportion of correctly identified positives (Russell and Norvig, 2010). P r e c i s i o n = T P T P + F P . TP = true positives. FP = false positives.
Pearson’s r is a statistical method that calculates the correlation between two variables.
Root-mean-square deviation (RMSE) calculates the difference between the predicted values and the observed values.
R M S E = ∑ i = 1 N ( P r e d i c t e d i − A c t u a l i ) 2 N .
Kappa is a method that compares the observed and expected values.
Error refers to the average error of the system regarding its measures.

General Evaluation Metrics:

Usability refers to the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction together [ 27 ].
Satisfaction refers to how pleasant or comfortable the use of the application is [ 43 , 47 ].
Efficiency refers to the resources spent to achieve effectiveness, such as time to complete the task, the mistakes made and difficulties encountered [ 27 ].
Effectiveness refers to the number of users that can complete the tasks without quitting [ 27 ].
Reliability refers to the level at which the application responds correctly and consistently regarding its purpose [ 29 ].
Sensitivity is the level at which the tool can discriminate the proper pronunciations from the wrong ones [ 32 ].
Coherence specifies whether the exercises selected by the system are appropriate for the child, according to their abilities and disabilities [ 41 ].
Completeness determines if the plans recommended by the expert system are complete and takes into account the areas in which the child should be trained to develop specific skills (according to the child’s profile) [ 41 ].
Relevance determines if each exercise’s specificity is appropriate for the child [ 41 ].
Ease of learning memorization looks at how easy it is for the user to perform simple tasks using the interface for the first time [ 47 ].

5. Discussion and Limitations of the Review

The review included studies that looked at various types of disorders, outcome measures and levels of evidence. There seems to be a need for authors that are both experts in the communication disorders field and in the software engineering field. However, no publication has been found that addresses both of these concerns clearly. Even though papers and definitions were checked by a certified SLP, the different categorization systems and broad variety of disorders make it difficult to put all the systems in a clear group that everybody would agree with. Thus, one of the challenging aspects of this review was the high heterogeneity among the discussed papers, as in the study from Chen et al. [ 11 ], making it challenging to draw general conclusions. The studies showed broad variations in study designs and methodological quality. Some experimental studies had small sample sizes—for example, only five participants—making it risky to draw any overall conclusions on the systems, as the OST Systems were proposed for various communication disorders. The classification of communication disorders is somewhat complex and versatile, and although we provided a brief summary in the background ( Section 2 ), it is essential to realize that each communication disorder has its own therapy approach. Some of the developed systems were targeted at SSDs, which is a rather broad category. We also found that many papers lacked sufficient details about the architecture used, which can be useful for researchers as inspiration for building their own systems. The findings from this study could have suffered from some limitations, which should be acknowledged when interpreting the results. A common threat to the validity of an SLR can be the so-called publication bias. We tried to minimize this limitation by developing a research protocol and writing down our methodology on a detailed level. Even though the search query used to perform the SLR was rather extensive, there is always a risk that some relevant literature is overlooked. In an ideal case, all the 4481 articles found within the query would be scanned more thoroughly, and not just their titles and abstracts. However, this would have been not feasible regarding the given time for this research. The data extraction was conducted as objectively as possible, yet there is a chance that some details were overlooked. To validate the extraction process, the second and third author did random cross-checks. Future research could look at how many of the researched OST systems are being used. Some of the studies reported that the discussed systems were also introduced to the market. However, it would be interesting to see if some of the systems are still being used. We also acknowledge that other evaluation metrics which are useful were not reported in our study. Metrics that could discern if the child’s speech has improved are not used by researchers who developed tools and these kind of metrics were missing from our study. It would be interesting to examine or propose more practical metrics that assesses the performances of children who use these developed tools.

6. Conclusions

Speech therapy is a very essential procedure for children with communication disorders. However, not all children with communication disorders have access to the limited number of speech–language pathologists (SLP). Fortunately, several online speech therapy (OST) systems have been designed and proposed. Previous systematic reviews on OST systems for children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) are limited and discuss a wide variety of features. Through a systematic literature review, this paper examined currently existing automated speech therapy programs that have been discussed in prior literature. Eight research questions were set up to obtain further information on the existing OST systems and to obtain a deeper understanding of the current challenges of the OST systems. Out of the 4481 papers found by our search strategy, 35 of the papers primarily focused on OST systems for children with speech disorders. Our analysis shows that there is a wide variety of systems that have already been developed. The main goal of most designed OST systems was to support the SLP in their tasks. Systems are available in different languages and for different target disorders. It is challenging to understand how some of these OST systems are set up, as most studies did not describe a reference architecture (RA). The studies that mainly did used a client–server approach, which provides the clients with speech therapy services with the help of a database. Additionally, the number of studies that adopted and used machine learning techniques was lower than the number that did not. This finding explains why there are so many OST systems designs, yet only a few are eventually developed and implemented for practical use.

Appendix A. Quality Assessment Form

Quality assessment score.

Reference	Q1. Are the Aims of the Study Clearly Stated?	Q2. Are the Scope and Context of the Study Clearly Defined?	Q3. Is the Proposed Solution Clearly Explained and Validated by an Empirical Study?	Q4. Are the Variables Used in the Study Likely to Be Valid and Reliable?	Q5. Is the Research Process Documented Adequately?	Q6. Are All Study Questions Answered?	Q7. Are the Negative Findings Presented?	TOTAL SCORE
[ ]	1	2	2	2	2	2	1	12
[ ]	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	8
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	13
[ ]	2	2	0	2	1	2	2	11
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	1	2	0	1	1	1	2	8
[ ]	1	1	2	1	1	2	0	8
[ ]	1	2	2	2	2	2	1	12
[ ]	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	13
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	13
[ ]	1	2	0	1	1	1	1	7
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	1	2	2	2	1	1	1	10
[ ]	1	2	2	1	1	2	1	10
[ ]	1	2	0	2	2	1	2	10
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	5
[ ]	2	2	1	1	1	2	2	11
[ ]	1	1	2	2	2	1	2	11
[ ]	2	2	1	1	1	2	2	11
[ ]	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	10
[ ]	2	1	2	2	2	1	2	12
[ ]	1	2	0	1	2	2	2	10
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	2	2	1	2	2	1	0	10
[ ]	1	2	2	2	2	1	0	10
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	2	1	1	1	2	2	2	11
[ , ]	2	1	0	1	2	2	2	10
[ ]	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	14
[ ]	2	2	2	1	1	1	2	11
[ ]	2	2	0	1	2	2	0	9
[ ]	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	10
[ ]	2	1	0	1	0	2	0	6
[ ]	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6

Appendix B. Data Extraction Form

Data extraction form.

#	Extraction Element	Contents

1	ID
2	Reference
3	SLR Category	Include vs Exclude
4	Title	The full title of the article
5	Year	The publication year
6	Repository	ACM, IEEE, Scopus, Web of Science
7	Type	Journal vs article

8	Intervention target
9	Disorder (Target group)
10	Target language
11	Sample Size
12	Participant characteristics
13	Evaluation
14	Outcome measure

15	OST Name
16	System objective
17	Architecture design
18	ML approach
19	OST Technology details

Appendix C. Sample Size Characteristics of Experimental Studies

Sample size characteristics of experimental studies.

Author	Sample Size	Participant Characteristics
B	2	(1M, 1F): One 5-year-old Turkish speaking boy with no language/speech problem and one 5-year-old Turkish speaking girl with a language disorder because of hearing impairment.
C	356	5 to 9 years old Portuguese speaking children
E	40	5 to 6 years old Romanian speaking children, boys and girls with difficulties in pronunciation of R and S sounds.
G	5	2 to 6 years old English speaking children with hearing impairment.
H	1077	3 to 8 years old Portuguese speaking children.
I	60	(22M, 20F): 42 14 to 60 years old Dutch-speaking children and adults without disabilities. (9M, 9F): 18 19 to 75 months old. Dutch-speaking children with severe cerebral palsy.
J	4	(2M, 2F): 8 to 10 years old Portuguese speaking children
K	21	(13M, 1F): fourteen 4 to 12 year old with diagnosed SSDs ranging from mild to severe (7 motor-speech and 7 phonological impairments). (4M, 3F): seven 5 to 12 years old children typically developing
L	30	IT professionals
M	10	Deaf, hard of hearing, implanted children and those who had a speech impediment.
O	11	(6M, 5F): 5,2 to 6,9 years old German-speaking children suffering from a specific articulation disorder, i.e., [s]-misarticulation
P	5	Portuguese speaking. 2 females (30 and 46 years) and 3 males (ages: 13, 33, 36). The younger participant is the only one doing speech therapy.
Q	18	16 boys and 2 girls were recruited from three psychology offices. Their mean age was 10.54 years (range 2–16; std 4.34).
R	1	A 4-year-old and a 6-year-old.
S	32	Children of regular schools
T	12	Italian speaking children
U	Unknown	Children with disabilities and typically developing children.
V	8	(3M, 1F): 3 to 7 years old children clinically diagnosed with apraxia of speech.
X	22	2-year-old children
Y	53	Children with different types of disabilities and cognitive ages from 0 to 7 years
Z	53	Children with different types of disabilities and cognitive ages from 0 to 7 years
AA	35	(13M, 7F): 20 7 to 10 years old children with no speech or language impairments (9M, 6F): 15 7 to 9 year old with speech and language impairments
BB	27	11 to 34 years old children and adults with mild to severe mental delay or a communication disorder.
DD	143	43 parents and 100 teachers (kindergarten and primary school
FF	Unknown	Children and adults with different levels of dysarthria.
GG	20	(11M, 9F): 15 to 55 years old CP volunteers with speech difficulties and motor impairment.
II	14	(7M, 7F): 11 to 21 years old children and adults with physical and psychical handicaps like cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and similar impairments.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, G.A.A. and B.T.; methodology, G.A.A.; validation, G.A.A., K.E.B. and B.T.; writing—original draft preparation, G.A.A. and K.E.B.; writing—review and editing, G.A.A., K.E.B. and B.T.; supervision, K.E.B. and B.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Speech therapy to overcome dyslexia in primary schoolers

Affiliations.

1 Department of Special Pedagogy, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan. [email protected].
2 Department of Social and Pedagogy, Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau University, Kokshetau, Kazakhstan.
PMID: 36949067
PMCID: PMC10033923
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31631-7

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Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose + Examples!
Below is a list of topics I talked about in my essay, in order! This is obviously very personalized to me, and my life, but will hopefully help in deciding how and where to start! 1) Intro: I began with a personal story about my brother, what originally sparked my interest in speech-language pathology. 2) Paragraph 2: My work experience during ...
Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary
Description of the condition. Speech and/or language disorders are amongst the most common developmental difficulties in childhood. Such difficulties are termed 'primary' if they have no known aetiology, and 'secondary' if they are caused by another condition such as autism, hearing impairment, general developmental difficulties, behavioural or emotional difficulties or neurological impairment ...
SLP Grad School Personal Statements: The Ultimate Guide
In each folder, create a copy of your "base draft" of the essay. In a new word document, put that school's specific essay requirements at the top. Into the document, paste chunks of your "base essay" together and start tweaking it. One thing to help customize your essay is simply to mention the school's name.
Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose: Examples & Tips
Speech pathology statement of purpose examples #1: "My passion for helping others communicate more effectively, combined with my academic background in linguistics, makes me a strong candidate for this program. Ever since I assisted in a local school where children with speech difficulties were often left behind, I realized the profound ...
Talking about speech impediments on a college essay?
29 days ago. Sure, your speech impediment can make for a compelling topic for your college essay. You want to show colleges parts of your identity that don't necessarily appear elsewhere in your application, and your experience with a speech impediment can fall under that. The critical part is how you draw connections between your speech ...
How young children learn language and speech: Implications of theory
Speech-language therapy has been shown to be useful for some though not all disorders of language and speech disorders (53, 57). Nonetheless, based on this research, clinical consensus is that children should be referred for language and/or speech therapy, either in isolation or as part of an early intervention or special education program.
Speech Development and Disorder
Introduction. Speech development disorders are common problems or difficulties people have when communicating. They are grouped into two broad types namely: Congenital and acquired. Congenital disorders normally are present from birth meaning that a child is born with it. In most cases, mothers who have problems during the delivery process do ...
Speech-Language Pathology Forum
Program:Speech-Language Pathology. Posted March 22, 2013. On 3/22/2013 at 12:23 PM, midnight streetlight said: Ha, a large part of my SOP was about my mother-in-law's aphasia and acting as her caretaker over the summer! Her struggles with language have absolutely informed my decision to become an SLP.
Reflective practice across speech and language therapy and education: a
speech therapy OR speech and language therapy OR speech pathology OR speech and language pathology OR speech ... The final papers will be read in-depth several times by the first author (JM) to facilitate initial data extraction. The date of the study, author(s) as well as the sample population or context will be extracted from all included ...
Clinical Topics and Disorders in Speech-Language Pathology
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2200 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850 Members: 800-498-2071 Non-Member: 800-638-8255. MORE WAYS TO CONNECT
Where to Start When Writing an Essay
I specialize in providing speech therapy to help children, teens, and young adults to improve language, reading, writing, and executive functioning skills. Now offering in-person sessions in Chicago! Learn more about me on my About Hollis page. Whether you are writing an essay for your high school class or college course, you need to look at ...
Speech Language Pathology Essay Examples
Speech Language Pathology Essay Examples. 734 Words3 Pages. The profession of Speech Language Pathology enables others to be heard and gives them the ability to have a voice. As a Communication Disorders major, I found my voice through education and personal experiences. During my undergraduate career, I have balanced extracurricular activities ...
Narrative Intervention: Principles to Practice
Narrative intervention uses an authentic, functional context, which entails the formation of a genuine connection between adult and child, where meaningful information is conveyed, and language processing, pragmatics, and social-emotional learning are integrated (Brinton & Fujiki, 2019).
Treating Childhood Speech Sound Disorders: Current Approaches to
Participants in the study by Hegarty et al. (2020) tended to use long-standing approaches such as minimal pairs and speech discrimination therapy, despite recognizing that newer and more complex approaches could be more appropriate for specific presentations (Hegarty et al., 2020). These combined findings raise questions around how information ...
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
Social Communication and Parent Verbal Responsiveness Across Interaction Contexts in Toddlers on the Autism Spectrum. Abigail Delehanty, Ciera M. Lorio, Mollie Romano, Jennifer A. Brown, Juliann J. Woods and. Amy M. Wetherby. American Journal of Speech-Language PathologyResearch Article1 May 2024.
Ethics in Speech-Language Pathology: Beyond the Codes and Canons
Four principles of. clinical ethics may guide ethical decision-making in speech-language pathology: (1) autonomy; (2) beneficence; (3) nonmaleficence; and (4) justice. Ethical decisions require ...
Speech therapy to overcome dyslexia in primary schoolers
Abstract. This research was aimed to investigate changes in the reading technique and in terms of its semantic charge in primary schoolers diagnosed with dyslexia, which occur as a result of the ...
How to Apply
New York University (NYU) Application Processing Center. Speech@NYU. PO Box 30096 010-003. College Station, TX 77842. To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution (s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution.
A Systematic Review of Online Speech Therapy Systems for Intervention
1. Introduction. Young children judge each other based on their communication skills, and therefore, a communication disorder can harm someone's social status at a young age [].Children enrolled in therapy before the age of five experience more positive outcomes than children that enroll after this age [].Even when access to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is possible, SLPs often ...
Speech therapy to overcome dyslexia in primary schoolers
Speech. Speech Therapy*. This research was aimed to investigate changes in the reading technique and in terms of its semantic charge in primary schoolers diagnosed with dyslexia, which occur as a result of the integrated use of speech therapy techniques. The study was performed between 2016 and 2019 in 6 schools of Moscow a ….
Therapy Solutions
Find Out More Information. We are happy to answer questions and share personal experiences about the services we provide. 208-883-1522. Gritman therapists offer solutions for a variety of therapy needs. Care through therapy is essential for proper healing, injury relief and recovery.
What Is Clinical Evidence in Speech-Language Pathology? A Scoping
Recommendations from the preeminent models of evidence-based practice (EBP) in speech-language pathology (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], n.d.-a, 2004a, 2004b; Dollaghan, 2007) suggest that clinicians should identify and critically appraise evidence from research, clinical, and patient sources, and then integrate these to ...
Pediatric Therapy
Gritman Therapy Solutions is proud to offer comprehensive, evidence-based, multidisciplinary treatment for children from birth to 18 years of age. Our expertly trained pediatric therapists work closely with a child's family to build a personalized treatment plan to address each child's individual needs. We provide occupational, physical and ...

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SLP Grad School Personal Statements: The Ultimate Guide

SLP personal statements defined:

Other names for a personal statement

How to Write SLP Grad School Personal Statements

My experience on the topic

Two Types of SLP Personal Statements for Graduate School

Steps to Writing the Best SLP Personal Statements for Grad School

2. Brainstorming & Introspection

Sample pre-writing activity from the book, SLP To Be.

Step 3: Word Vomit Everything

Step 4: Writing Your SLP Personal Statement

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Step 4: Revising Your Personal Statement

Step 5: Get some help

My advice for selecting a mentor:

Step 6: Tweaking & Customizing

Step 7: Revise Revise Revise

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Speech Pathology Statement of Purpose: Examples & Tips

What is a statement of purpose?

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Conduct some preliminary research

Why choose speech pathology?

Highlight your qualifications

Share your passion

Showcase research interests

Discuss Your Career Goals

Connect Your Goals with the School’s Offerings

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Ethics in Speech-Language Pathology: Beyond the Codes and Canons

Speech therapy to overcome dyslexia in primary schoolers