The SATPAC Approach and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors in an RTI Context: A Replication

Abstract

Purpose: This retrospective study was intended to replicate findings from Sacks et al. (2013) regarding the efficacy of using the SATPAC (Systematic Articulation Training Program Accessing Computers) approach for remediating speech sound errors in a Tier 3 response to intervention (RTI) context. Method: Nine children aged 7;7 (years;months) to 9;11 (eight boys, one girl) previously treated using the SATPAC approach within an RTI context who had exhibited consistent errors on one or two speech sounds were identified. Three others served as delayed-treatment controls. Eleven of the 12 children spoke another language in addition to English. Baseline data were available from a recording of Contextual Probes of Articulation Competence words and sentences. Treatment occurred once weekly for 15 min and was terminated either upon successful completion of the program or at the end of the school year. Each student received 1.25–7.75 total hours of treatment per speech sound target. Generalization to conversational speech was also measured. Results: Seven of nine students achieved at least 90% target accuracy in single words at the end of the treatment period. Six of the nine achieved at least 90% target accuracy in conversational speech at follow-up. The three delayed-treatment controls failed to complete the treatment program but exhibited greater and faster improvement during 8–9 weeks of treatment than during the 6-month no-treatment period. This suggested that the change observed for the majority of the participants was the result of the treatment provided. Conclusions: Consistent with Sacks et al. (2013), the SATPAC approach appeared to be efficacious for remediating single speech sound errors within an RTI context. It did so with a relatively brief amount (i.e., less than 5 hr on average) of treatment. Thus, it appears to represent a viable option for application to RTI.