Biofeedback Speech Therapy Accelerates Improvement in Children with Residual Speech Sound Disorders

Recent research indicates that children undergoing biofeedback-based speech therapy demonstrate significantly faster progress in correcting persistent speech errors, particularly with the pronunciation of the 'r' sound, compared to traditional therapy methods. The study, conducted by experts at New York University and published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, involved 108 children aged 9 to 15 diagnosed with residual speech sound disorder (RSSD). Participants were divided into three groups receiving different treatments: ultrasound biofeedback, visual-acoustic biofeedback (which visualizes speech waves on a screen), and conventional motor-based therapy.

Over a period of 10 weeks, the children participated in regular therapy sessions, and researchers closely monitored their rate of improvement, specifically measuring the accuracy of their pronunciation through acoustic analysis. Findings revealed that children receiving biofeedback therapy improved approximately 2.4 times faster in producing correct 'r' sounds than those in the motor-based treatment group. Interestingly, no significant differences were observed between the two types of biofeedback used.

Traditional speech therapy typically involves modeling and verbal coaching, where clinicians demonstrate correct pronunciation styles for children to imitate. In contrast, biofeedback sessions incorporate real-time visual displays—such as ultrasound imaging of the tongue or graphical representations of speech waves—allowing children to see their speech in action. This visual approach helps children recognize and adjust their articulatory movements more effectively, reducing frustration and enhancing learning.

According to lead researcher Tara McAllister, biofeedback offers a clearer way for children to differentiate between correct and incorrect sounds, making therapy more efficient. She emphasizes that this evidence provides a 'gold-standard' validation for incorporating biofeedback into standard treatment protocols, potentially alleviating the bottleneck faced by speech-language pathologists due to a growing caseload.

The results highlight the practical benefits of biofeedback technology in speech therapy, especially for children who struggle with pronunciation errors that persist beyond childhood. By accelerating progress and making therapy more engaging, biofeedback can improve outcomes for children with speech sound disorders, easing the workload for practitioners and reducing frustration for young learners.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-children-biofeedback-speech-therapy-faster.html