Utilizing the Complexity Approach in Speech Therapy
The complexity approach is a method of choosing treatment targets to make therapy more efficient by promoting system-wide change or phonological learning on a broader scale. It is used to treat phonological disorders.
The complexity approach requires understanding how to choose the right targets at the right time “with the treatment target serving merely as a trigger to induce broad phonological learning.”1
The targets of the complexity approach include “late-acquired, marked (based on implicational universals), low-accuracy, or nonstimulable targets,” which, when treated, “can trigger broad, system-wide change in phonology.”2
As with everything, early intervention is key. Children reach learning plateaus where they are less likely to pick up on information as quickly. These plateaus occur form 6-7 years of age, and anything over 8.5 years old.3 Targeting children in the ages prior to these natural plateaus is beneficial for phonological learning, especially to get the child caught up to their normal-developing peers.
Choosing Targets
As stated earlier, the targets to aim for are late-acquired, marked, low-accuracy, and non-stimulable targets. Consonant clusters are also great targets to choose.
Late-acquired targets are those targets that are late to develop in the child, at least a year beyond when they are meant to develop.
Marked targets are those such as fricatives that cannot occur alone and are more complex phonologically and motorically when compared to unmarked targets, such as stops, or those that can occur alone.[4] Stops involve a complete blocking of air to produce sound, while fricatives require partial blocking, making them more difficult. Consonant clusters are also more complex than singletons.
Low-accuracy targets are those that the child is less accurate with their use or knowledge of a word or sound.
Non-stimulable targets are those sounds that a child has difficulty imitating even when it is demonstrated.
Consonant Cluster are those that have two consonants together. Great choices to target would be -scr, s-blends, l-blends, r-blends
Resources
Since the complexity method requires a lot of testing upfront, supplemental materials have been made available at KU ScholarWorks under the creative commons license here.
This includes worksheets, testing, and case examples, all to help simplify the process.
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1. Storkel, p. 464.
2. Storkel, p. 480.
3. Storkel, p. 464.
4. Storkel, p. 465.
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Storkel, Holly L. “The Complexity Approach to Phonological Treatment: How to Select Treatment Targets,” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. 49, no. 3 (2018): 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_LSHSS-17-0082