Drs. Kelly Farquharson and Christopher Constantino, professors in the School of Communication Science and Disorders (SCSD), along with Florida State University (FSU) SCSD alumna Paige Lovell, recently published their manuscript in Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics titled “Targeted speech sounds and their association to children’s grade level and therapy dosage.”  

This study explores which speech sounds are most targeted in children’s speech therapy and how those targets relate to students’ grade level and therapy intensity. By examining patterns in real therapy sessions, their research focused on how clinical decisions are made and how to best support children’s communication success in school settings.  

“We are really interested in better understanding the myriad of factors that contribute to children’s progress in therapy,” Farquharson said. “We have a specific focus on school-based settings as this is where most children can access free services in the US.” The research team’s main goal is to improve access, effectiveness, and long-term outcomes for students receiving speech-language services through public education systems. 

Although Constantino’s primary research focuses on stuttering treatment, he focused on a new area within this project. He contributes his expertise in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), while Farquharson contributes her background in speech sound disorders. Together, they used ESM to capture real-time insights into what speech language pathologists (SLPs) are doing during therapy sessions. Their methods allowed them to collect time-sensitive information reflecting real clinical practices, rather than relying solely on surveys or retrospective data. 

“I believe this is a strong approach for examining in-the-moment insights from participants,” said Farquharson. “In this study, we were able to capture what SLPs were doing in therapy within an hour of it happening. Although surveys can also be a robust source of data, the ESM has time sensitivity on its side.”  

Their findings revealed that certain sounds, such as the “r” sound, stood out as both highly important and challenging to treat. Due to its difficulty, the researchers highlighted the importance of addressing it early to improve children’s speech across different settings and support long-term outcomes. These findings provide insight that may help clinicians make informed decisions when planning therapy targets and determining treatment for students at different grade levels. 

“I found this project was thought-provoking. I am encouraged to borrow some of these concepts to better study how stuttering therapy works,” Constantino said. 

This publication originated as Paige Lovell’s Honors in the Major thesis at Florida State University. Lovell, who also earned her master’s degree from FSU, now works as a speech-language pathologist in Orlando, Florida.  

“It is really rewarding to see that the research she did as an undergraduate at FSU has been published in a scientific journal,” Farquharson said. 

This project reflects the School of Communication Science and Disorders ongoing commitment to advancing research that improves clinical practice and supports children and families.