Retention of articulation skills after speech therapy: a literature review Authors: Natalie Baldinelli and Caroline Sheehan also Suzanne Boyce, Sarah Dugan, Caroline Spencer

By Caroline Sheehan, Communication Sciences and Disorders; Natalie Baldinelli, Communication Sciences and Disorders Advisor: Sarah Dugan Presentation ID: AM_C15 Abstract: Individuals with speech sound disorders (SSDs) misarticulate speech sounds due to phonological and/or motor skill deficits. Motor learning may contribute to these deficits and can be defined as the process of learning a motor skill through practice, leading to long-term change. "Retention" is a measurement of motor learning after a period of non-practice and is assessed during a follow-up session. The aim of this literature review is to investigate current follow-up practices, examine how researchers document retention, and suggest the best practice for follow-up period. Our literature search focused on current research on the treatment of SSDs (including apraxia) in individuals with phonological and motor skill impairment. We found that approximately 33% of the articles that we reviewed on the treatment of SSDs did not provide information on a follow-up period. Based on motor learning principles, performance during practice is not an indicator of learning. Implementing a follow-up period into the intervention plan is needed to test for retention and generalization of a skill. Future research in this area should include a follow-up period so that retention of progress made through motor learning may be better understood.