Side Gadgets

Pardon our dust!

We're diligently updating our website's privacy settings to improve your experience. While we work, some elements may be temporarily in flux.

Making Data Meaningful in Speech Therapy: How Often, When & Why

Posted at
Share

Line graph on a rainbow background depicting progress in speech therapy over time. The x-axis represents therapy sessions, while the y-axis represents improvement on speech goal. The upward slope of the line indicates positive progress towards achieving the goal.

Data is a powerful tool in every SLP's toolbox. It helps us track progress, measure effectiveness, and ultimately guide our therapy decisions. But with busy caseloads, the questions arise: how often should we take data, and how can we ensure it truly reflects a student's abilities?

Less is More: Spacing Out Data Points

Data collection shouldn't dominate every therapy session. Think of it as a progress report, not a live feed. Leave room for teaching and practicing new skills before measuring performance.

Consistency is Key: Setting the Stage for Meaningful Data

A swirl of colorful game cards with pictures and words on a black background. These cards represent engaging activities used in speech therapy data collection, making the process interactive and motivating for students.
Data only tells a story if it's collected under similar circumstances. Here's how to ensure your data paints an accurate picture:
  • Baseline Before Takeoff: Always collect data at the beginning of a session, before any specific training takes place. This establishes a baseline of the student's current skills.
  • Data Probes: Your Unsung Heroes: Develop consistent data probes for each goal. These probes should directly assess the specific skill you're working on and be age-appropriate for the student.

Crafting Powerful Probes: What to Consider

Here are some key elements to consider when developing effective data probes:
  • Target the Goal: Ensure your probe directly assesses the specific skill you're working on
    increasing.     Don't phrase it in terms of decreasing a deficit.
    • For example, instead of saying "Decrease the phonological process of stopping" a more positive phrasing would be "Increase the student's ability to produce fricatives."  I've gotten some worried phone calls from parents who see the graph rapidly decreasing!!
  • Age Appropriateness: Consider the student's age and developmental level. A picture card probe might be appropriate for younger children working on articulation of /b/, while older students practicing narrative skills might handle a written story prompt better.
  • Multiple Forms: If possible, develop probes in multiple formats (pictures, written words, real-life scenarios) to assess a skill from different angles and reduce the chance of memorization affecting results. For example, a student working on vocabulary might be shown a picture of a banana and asked to name it, then later describe it using simple adjectives in a sentence.
    Close-up image of a clipboard holding a checklist titled "Speech Probe". The checklist outlines specific tasks or questions used to assess a student's speech skills in therapy. Additional papers are visible beneath the clipboard.
  • Error Analysis: Design probes that allow you to analyze the types of errors a student makes. This can provide valuable insights into their specific challenges and areas for intervention. For instance, a probe assessing a student's ability to follow two-step directions might involve asking them to "Touch your elbow and then hop on one foot." Observing if they complete both steps in the correct order or struggle with a specific part helps tailor future therapy sessions.

Examples of Goal-Probe Partnerships:

Let's see how these principles translate into practice:
  • Goal: Improve articulation of the /p/ sound in single words.
  • Probe: A list of 10 words containing the /p/ sound at the beginning (e.g., "pan," "pig"), middle (e.g., "apple," "happy"), and end (e.g., "cup," "hop") of words. Note the number of correct productions and any specific errors made (e.g., substitutions, omissions).
  • Goal: Increase expressive language skills by using synonyms in sentences.
  • Probe: Provide the student with a sentence with a blank space (e.g., "The dog is very _____ today"). Offer a list of synonyms for the missing word (e.g., happy, joyful, excited) and see if they can choose and use the appropriate synonym in the sentence.

A blue chart titled "Rubric" with a shadow background. The chart has three rows: "Criteria" (labeled 1, 2, and 3) representing different aspects of a complex speech therapy goal. The columns are labeled 0 (Needs Improvement), 1 (Approaching Mastery), and 2 (Mastery). This visual depicts a rubric used to assess progress in a multifaceted speech therapy goal, allowing for a nuanced evaluation beyond simple pass/fail data.
Embrace the Nuance: Moving Beyond Pass/Fail

Data shouldn't be a simple yes or no. When possible, use rubrics or detailed observations to capture the nuances of a student's progress. This provides a richer picture of their strengths and areas for development. For example, instead of just marking articulation attempts as correct or incorrect, note if the sound was produced accurately for the first time, required multiple tries, or needed specific prompting.

Feeling overwhelmed by creating rubrics? Don't worry! In our next blog post, we'll delve into the world of rubrics, providing step-by-step instructions and helpful examples to make crafting these powerful tools a breeze. Stay tuned!

Let's Chat!

Have questions or success stories about data collection in speech therapy? Share them in the comments below!

Mrs. Speech
Post a Comment
Labels, , , , , ,
Hey there! I'm Mrs. Speech, your friendly SLP. Since 2000, I've been rocking the school scene across three different states, but in 2020, I took the leap into teletherapy, changing lives one click at a time. Oh, and digital materials? Been there, done that since 2013—always on the hunt for niche gems to make learning a blast. With two daughters—one a teen, the other adult—I've mastered the art of juggling. So whether you're a fellow SLP, a teletherapy newbie, or just love cool materials, stick around! Let's make learning fun together!

Comments

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment here:

Mailerlite Contact me

Archive