Can more frequent speech therapy sessions help children speak clearly faster?
NCT ID NCT07779759
First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether a high-intensity speech therapy program—five 30-minute sessions per week—works better than the traditional low-intensity approach of two sessions per week for children aged 4 to 12 with phonological speech sound disorders. The study will measure improvements in speech clarity, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. The goal is to provide solid evidence on the optimal therapy intensity to help children achieve understandable speech more efficiently.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- High-intensity combined phonetic-phonological speech therapy
- What this could lead to
- If high-intensity therapy proves more effective and cost-effective, it could change standard practice, helping children speak more clearly in a shorter time.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial, and results may not apply to all children. More frequent sessions could be harder for families to manage, and the therapy may not be cost-effective in real-world settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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4 to 12 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 4 and 12 years * Presence of at least one phonological speech sound disorder. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of a language disorder * Presence of hearing disorders * Presence of neurological or neuromuscular disorders * Presence of craniofacial anomalies (e.g., a cleft palate)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University Hospital Ghent
RECRUITINGGhent, 9000, Belgium
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Brain scans reveal how speech therapy rewires Kids' brains after cleft palate repair