Literacy-Based Intervention for Children With Speech Sound Disorders: A Review of the Literature

Children with speech sound disorder (SSD) are at known risk for literacy deficits. The purpose of this study was to review the available literature for intervention approaches that simultaneously target the development of literacy and speech sound production skills in children with SSD. In this review, we examined the available evidence for intervention frameworks that support literacy skill development, specifically within the context of SSD intervention. A total of 13 articles met inclusion criteria, reporting both speech sound production and literacy outcomes for children with SSD receiving speech sound therapy that incorporated literacy skills to support literacy development. The most common literacy focus for children receiving SSD intervention centered on the development of phonological awareness skills. Findings revealed that, on average, SSD intervention embedded into phonological awareness intervention improved both speech sound production accuracy and literacy skills in children with SSD. Children who received speech sound therapy only had reduced literacy skills as compared to their peers. Follow-up studies showed that children with SSD who had received phonological intervention exhibited literacy skills on par with their typically developing peers, well after treatment ended. Speech-language pathologists have the opportunity to support both literacy skill and speech sound production development in children with SSD. The majority of reviewed research included preschool-aged and early elementary–aged children. Future research is needed to investigate how to support literacy development in older children with SSD.