The

 new  era  of  Articulation  Therapy:

using  convenient   technology
 to  facilitate  
learning  and  
by Barbara Fernandes, M.S;CCC-SLP
engagement.
I  can  still  remember   access   “7lashcards”   easily   while   being   able   to   tally  
m y   d a y s   a s   a   productions   immediately.   The   7irst   articulation  
graduate   student,   application,   idealized  by  me   was  released  in  January  
going   to   the   of   2010.   Now,   with   over   14   applications   for  
library   to   articulation   on   the   app   store,   developed   by   several  
check   out   different   speech   therapists,  we  have   the   opportunity  
a   speci7ic   to   deliver   more   entertaining   articulation   sessions  
d e c k   o f   that   provide   automatic   feedback  to   us  as   clinicians.   I  
7lashcards   7inally  get   the  feeling  my  profession  is  joining  the  rest  
to   use  with  a   of   the   world   by   accepting   the   potential   technology  
client.   No   matter   how   organized   the   library   was,   has,  not  only   for  making   therapy   more  engaging,  but  
every  time  I  checked  out  a  deck  of  7lashcards  I  had  to   also   for   saving   costs   and   time   for   all   of   speech  
go  though  the  deck,   select  the   words  I  wanted  to   use,   therapists   who   like   me,   7lipped   through   decks   of  
separate   them   by   position   in   the   word,   and   even   cards  to  make  sure  they  were  all  facing  up.
make  sure  they  were  all  facing  the  same   direction  in  
order   to   be   ready   for   therapy.   This   process   would   Now,  with  the  iPhone   and  the   iPad,   speech  therapists  
consume   about   15   minutes   of   my   day   every   time   I   have   the   ability   to   combine   these   devices   with  
had  one  session.   When  I  was  ready  for  therapy,  I  had   articulation   applications   to   deliver   articulation  
to  make  sure  that  in  order  to   keep  track  of  the  data   I   therapy.   Articulation   applications   range   from   basic  
had  to  have  two  things:  a  voice  recorder  or   paper  and   memory   games   to   more   complex   apps   that   were  
pen  to   tally   each  production.   Besides   the   fact   that   I   designed   to   analyze   and   determine   patterns   in  
had  to   be  highly  pro7icient   in  keeping  tabs  while  still   speech  errors.    Exploring  the  features   and   functions  
maintaining   the   attention  of   the   student,   after   each   of  these  apps  is  the  purpose  of  this  article.  
session   I   would   have   to   look   at   my   messy   paper,  
count  the  total  number  of  marks   and  divide  in  order   T h e   7 i r s t   A r t i c u l a t i o n  
to   keep   track   of   therapy   progress   over   time.     It   is   application   to   be   released  
hard   to  believe  that   I   was  still  doing  this  in  2007.  We   on   the   market   was   called  
all   expected   that   by   2007   we   would   have   robots   Mobile   Articulation   Probes,  
walking   around  and  here  I   was  counting  dots  on  my   also   known   as   MAP   on  
papers  one  by  one. January   of   2010.   Mobile  
Articulation   Probes   gives  
In   2008   I   7inally   purchased   my   7irst   iPhone;   during   access   to   one   thousand  
the   process  of  realizing  the  potential  of  this   amazing   “7lashcards”   organized   into  
piece   of   technological   advancement,   I   started   to     three   categories:  Phonemes,   phonological   processes,  
envision   the   power   this   device   would   have   in     the   and  manner  of  articulation.  
future  of  speech  therapy.   On  december  of  2009,   I  was  
able   to   envision   the   possibility   of   making   an  
application   that   would   allow   speech   therapists   to  

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One  year   ago,   this   application  was   Hangman   are   also   games   for   the   www.geekslp.com   or   download   her   free  
a   revolution   because   it   provided   iDevices   that   provide   a   more   Geek  SLP  app  on  iTunes.
the  ability  to   tally  productions  live   entertaining  session.
by   pressing   two   buttons:   correct   One  other   category   of  articulation  
or   incorrect.   In   the   end   of   the   a p p s   f o r   t h e   i D e v i c e s   i s  
session,   speech   therapists   are   assessment   applications.   The   only  
g u i d e d   t o   r e v i e w   a   t o t a l   application   available   is   called   the  
percentage  of  accuracy  and   which   Sunny   Articulation   Test   and   it  
words   were   produced   correctly.   allows   for   automatic   analysis   of  
Mobile   Articulation   Probes   served   speech   errors.   This   is   not   a  
as   inspiration   to   all   the   other   standardized   test,   but   it   is   a   very  
applications   for   articulation   handy   resource   for   establishing  
a v a i l a b l e   therapy  targets.
today.   These   While  applications   provide  a   more  
applications   practical   and   contextualized  
r a n g e   i n   therapy   session   it   also   has   its  
features  and   pitfalls:   lack   of   evidence   based  
prices.   You   research  and  the   attractiveness   of  
m a y   7 i n d   forgetting   that   you   are   still   the  
y o u r s e l f   therapist.  
with   one   or   Innovation   in   any   7ield   will   7irst  
several   of   these   applications   on   face   the  lack  of   research.   They  are  
your  iDevice. almost   in   opposite   sides   of   the  
 Today,  two  of  the  most  prominent   spectrum.   However,   as   more  
applications   that   serve   as   the   therapists   use   it,   keep   data,   and  
electronic  7lashcards  are  Articulate   explore   its   potential   we  will   soon  
it!  and  ArtikPix.  They   both  serve  as     be  able   to   deliver   evidence  based,  
substitutes   for   7lashcards.   What   researched   therapy   of   the   new  
makes   these  two   apps   different   is   millennium.  
the  fact  that  while   ArtikPix  offers   a   The   attractiveness   of   the   iPhone  
built   in   matching  game,   Articulate   and   the   iPad   and   the   features   of  
it!  offers  the  ability  to  set  up  group   the   applications  make  it   very   easy  
therapy  by  assigning  speci7ic  goals   for   therapists   to   forget   that   they  
to   each   students.   Both   of   these   still  need  to   plan  their  therapy,  use    
applications   include   a   built   in   reinforcers,   and   guide   student  
voice   recorder   that   allows   you   to   learning   just   like   with   any   other  
record   the   voice   of   the   student,   boring   tool.   The   apps   may   have  
play   back   and   promote   self   one   million   features,   but   it   will  
awareness  of  speech  errors. never   replace  your  knowledge  and    
One  other  area  of  articulation  apps   skills   as   a   speech   and   language  
is  games.  Games  provide  a  fun  way   pathologist.
to   target   speci7ic   goals.   All   About  
S o u n d s   a n d   M a t c h 2 S a y   a re    
matching  games   that   allow   you  to   About   the   Author:   Barbara   Fernandes;  
select   speci7ic   sounds,   play  with  it   M.S;  CCC-­SLP  is  a  blogger  and   the  host   of  a  
video  podcast   Geek  SLP.  She  has  developed  
while  the  student   is  exposed  to  the  
over  21   applications   for   speech   therapists.  
phonemes   at   the   word   level.   Fore   more   information   on   apps   for   SLPs  
S p e e c h   S q u a r e s   a n d   S p e e c h   y o u   c a n   v i s i t   h e r   w e b s i t e   a t  

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