The effectiveness of electropalatography as an alternative therapy tool

Traditional articulation therapy includes an array of approaches, such as auditory, tactile, and visual, to elicit accurate speech productions. But even when the clinician provides more stimulation than usual, such as busting out a mirror, or gloves and a tongue depressor to manipulate tongue placement, some individuals remain resistant. In this case, traditional approaches become even less translatable for individuals who are deemed hard-to-treat or intractable. Without documentation of progress, these individuals may then be dismissed from therapy. This scenario then places the speech-language pathologist in a predicament. While it is limited, existing data appears to suggest that the integration of electropalatography in traditional speech therapy has the potential to greatly improve a speech-language pathologist's ability to evaluate and treat clients with speech sound disorders. By introducing visual models that are both accurate and objective, a speech-language pathologist can increase efficacy and reduce time spent in therapy.