Errors in speech sound production can negatively impact children’s development across academic, social, and psycho-emotional domains (Hitchcock, Harel, & McAllister Byun, 2015). Of particular concern are atypical speech patterns that persist past the age of 9, termed residual speech errors (RSE; Shriberg, 2010). Recent evidence suggests that some cases of RSE that do not respond to conventional methods may be eliminated through treatment enhanced with visual biofeedback technologies (e.g., McAllister Byun & Campbell, 2016; Preston et al., 2019).
Despite the growing evidence base, multiple factors have severely limited the number of clinicians adopting biofeedback methods for speech treatment. A major barrier is the cost of the required equipment, which significantly exceeds the operating budget of a typical speech-language pathologist (SLP). A second barrier is the fact that previous studies of biofeedback intervention for RSE have been small in scope, which limits the strength of the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the efficacy of biofeedback.
Speech Therapist’s App for /r/ Treatment (staRt) is an iOS app developed at New York University that aims to increase the number of SLPs using visual-acoustic biofeedback to augment treatment for residual rhotic errors. The staRt project also aims to obtain higher-quality evidence on the efficacy of biofeedback intervention by inviting SLPs and clients who use the app to act as data collection partners in a novel clinician-research collaboration.
