The Effectiveness of Paraprofessionals and a Speech Clinician as Agents of Articulation Intervention Using Programmed Instruction

Abstract

Abstract Fifteen elementary-school children with functional θ/s substitutions were randomly divided into three experimental groups. All three groups received articulation intervention via Mowrer’s (1968) S-Pack program for correction of the frontal lisp. Five women were trained as paraprofessionals to administer the program to two groups of children. One group received videotaped instruction, the second group received audiotaped instruction, and the third group was administered the program live-voice by a professional speech clinician. Comparison of the results achieved by the paraprofessionals and the professional speech clinician revealed no significant differences. All of the children learned correct /s/ production equally well and rapidly. The implications of these results for the use of paraprofessionals and programmed instruction are discussed.