Short speech sessions may help kids master the /s/ sound
NCT ID NCT07214480
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new approach to help children ages 7 to 11 who have trouble saying the /s/ sound (like in "snake"). Participants will do very short 10-minute speech lessons over video chat four times a week for eight weeks. The goal is to see if these brief, frequent sessions improve how clearly they say /s/ sounds. The study involves up to 24 children and includes recording their speech to track progress.
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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 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 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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7 to 11 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: 1. Age: Participants must be between the ages of 7;0 and 11;11. 2. /s/ Errors: Participants must experience difficulty on /s/. 3. English Language Status: Participants must speak English as a dominant language and must have begun learning English before age 3 4. Hearing Status: Participants must have no reported hearing loss. 5. Neurodevelopmental Status: Participants must have no reported neurodevelopmental diagnosis. A reported diagnosis of ADHD/ADD is admissible if participants meet all other inclusionary criteria. 6. Technology Access: Participants must have access to a Windows or Apple computer with the ability to join a Zoom session. Additionally, participants must have wired broadband internet connection at home. 7. Location: Participants must reside in the United States or Canada. 8. Orthodontic Appliances: Participants must have no orthodontic retainers or appliances that would prevent them from touching the roof of their mouth with their tongue. 9. Prescreener Recordings: Participants must accurately produce at least 3 items on the /s/ prescreener probe list. Additionally, participants must accurately produce no more than 36 items on the /s/ prescreener probe list. 10. Dynamic Assessment Probes: Participants must accurately produce at least 5 out of 45 /s/ syllables correctly and must accurately produce no more than 60% of 75 /s/ words correctly. Additionally, participants must produce at least 75% of /s/ errors as dental or lateral distortion errors. 11. Oral Mechanism Examination: Participants must demonstrate adequate range of motion of the tongue during a brief oral mechanism examination. 12. Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation - 3rd Edition (GFTA-3): Participants must score below the 7th percentile on the GFTA-3 and must not demonstrate errors on more than two sounds other than /s/ and /z/ on the GFTA-3. 13. Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS): Must receive a scaled score of at least 5 on the Listening Comprehension and Story Retelling subtests of the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS). 14. Linguisystems Articulation Test (LAT) Inconsistency Screener: Participants must produce less than three inconsistencies on the LAT Inconsistency Screener. 15. Syllable Repetition Task (SRT): Participants must produce less than four additions on the SRT. 16. Recording: Consent/assent to recording of assessment and treatment sessions. 17. General consent/assent: Consent/assent provided for study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. Age: Participants less than 7;0 or greater than 11;11. 2. /s/ Errors: Participants who do not experience difficulty on /s/. 3. English Language Status: Participants who do not speak English as a dominant language and/or who began learning English prior to age 3 4. Hearing Status: Participants who have reported hearing loss, per parent report. 5\. Neurodevelopmental Status: Participants who have a reported neurodevelopmental diagnosis. A reported diagnosis of ADHD/ADD is admissible if participants meet all other inclusionary criteria. 6\. Technology Access: Participants who do not have access to a Windows or Apple computer with the ability to join a Zoom session. Additionally, participants who do not have wired broadband internet connection at home. 7\. Location: Participants who do not reside in the United States or Canada. 8. Orthodontic Appliances: Participants who have orthodontic retainers or appliances that would prevent them from touching the roof of their mouth with their tongue. 9\. Prescreener Recordings: Participants who accurately produce less than 3 items on the /s/ prescreener probe list. Additionally, participants who accurately produce more than 36 items on the /s/ prescreener probe list. 10\. Dynamic Assessment Probes: Participants who accurately produce less than 5 out of 45 /s/ syllables correctly and/or who accurately produce more than 60% of 75 /s/ words correctly. Additionally, participants who produce less than 75% of /s/ errors as dental or lateral distortion errors. 11\. Oral Mechanism Examination: Participants who do not demonstrate adequate range of motion of the tongue during a brief oral mechanism examination. 12\. Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation - 3rd Edition (GFTA-3): Participants who score above the 7th percentile on the GFTA-3 and/or who demonstrate errors on more than two sounds other than /s/ and /z/ on the GFTA-3. 13\. Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS): Participants who receive a scaled score below 5 on the Listening Comprehension and Story Retelling subtests. 14\. Linguisystems Articulation Test (LAT) Inconsistency Screener: Participants who produce greater than three inconsistencies on the LAT Inconsistency Screener. 15\. Syllable Repetition Task (SRT): Participants who produce greater than four additions on the SRT. 16\. Recording: No consent/assent provided to recording of assessment and treatment sessions. 17\. General consent/assent: No consent/assent provided for study procedures.
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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
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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
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A doctor treating you
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Contacts and locations
Locations
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Syracuse University
RECRUITINGSyracuse, New York, 13244, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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