Visual-acoustic Intervention With Service Delivery In-person and Via Telepractice Trial (NCT06517225)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
Children with speech sound disorder show diminished intelligibility in spoken communication and may thus be perceived as less capable than peers, with negative consequences for both socioemotional and socioeconomic outcomes. New technologies have the potential to transform interventions for speech sound disorder, but there is a lack of rigorous evidence to substantiate this promise. This research will meet a public health need by systematically evaluating the efficacy of visual-acoustic biofeedback intervention delivered in-person versus via telepractice. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that treatment incorporating visual-acoustic biofeedback can be delivered via telepractice without a significant loss of efficacy. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive identical treatment either via online telepractice or in the laboratory setting. The same software for visual-acoustic biofeedback, staRt, will be used in both conditions. Participants' progress in treatment will be evaluated based on blinded listeners' perceptual ratings of probes produced before and after treatment. Pre and post treatment evaluations will be carried out in person for all participants.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (10 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (8 items).
Location: Montclair State University — Bloomfield, New Jersey
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria:
- Must not exhibit voice or fluency disorder of a severity judged likely to interfere with the ability to participate in study activities.
- Must not currently have orthodontia that crosses the palate and cannot be removed.
- Must not have history of permanent hearing loss.
- Must not have an existing diagnosis of developmental disability such as cerebral palsy or Down Syndrome.
- Must not have history of major brain injury, surgery, or stroke in the past year.
- Must not have epilepsy with active seizure incidents with in the past 6 months.
- Must not show clinically significant signs of apraxia of speech or dysarthria.
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (3 Sites)
- Montclair State University — Bloomfield, New Jersey
- New York University — New York, New York
- Syracuse University — Syracuse, New York
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.