The effectiveness of electropalatography as a clinical therapy tool

Articulation therapy, as it is practiced in most clinics, is a decidedly low-tech endeavor. The speech language pathologist relies on mirrors, flash cards, rhymes, and a trove of behavioral and linguistic theory, all in search of an effective means to remediate an /s /, / t / or the elusive /r/. Often these efforts are met with success. Not always. There are also cases we deem, "intractable." Could we be doing more?" Furthermore, is there a high tech solution? The purpose of this writing is to attempt to address both of those questions by examining the possibility of introducing a biofeedback technology called electropalatography into clinical practice. This writing serves to evaluate the efficacy of combining traditional treatments with this budding form of instrumental therapy. While it is limited, existing data appears to suggest that the addition of electropalatography to traditional speech therapy has the potential to greatly improve a Speech Language Pathologist's ability to evaluate and treat clients with speech sound disorders. This potential remains untapped, however, due to a marketplace riddled with obstacles. These too will be explored.