University of Wyoming Study Seeks Participants

The University of Wyoming department of is holding a summer study for speech therapy research.

According to a press release, the study calls for children ages 4-5 or ages 7-8 who have difficulties making sounds such as: /r, "th" (as in "thumb"), s, z, sh, zh (as in "measure") or /l, are neurotypical and of normal hearing, and have previously received speech therapy for speech sounds or make a lot of errors in producing speech sounds.

Also noted in the release is that children who qualify for the study will receive treatment from a trained SLP during the study, and parents will be paid $10 at each testing point. Parents will also be provided with a written report from each assessment to help with future educational and clinical planning. Services will be provided in room 254 of the Health Sciences building, but meetings can be arranged at other locations in Laramie as well as the child's home.

Assistant Professor Breanna Krueger said that the children will receive treatment until they hit 90% accuracy in pronouncing their treated sound. Although the the treatment program can last up to 10 weeks (with three sessions a week, or 30 sessions altogether), Kreuger said that most patients finish well before 30 sessions.

Krueger also added that the program is "a way for us to explore how we can make treatment for this very common disorder more effective and more efficient, all while providing local children with extra support in terms of treatment."

For more information about the study, please contact Breanna Krueger, Assistant Professor by emailing bkrueger@uwyo.edu or calling 307-766-5576.