Clinician Instructions
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Portland State University Angela Wilson & Christina Gildersleeve-Neumann
Who should use this Questionnaire?
This questionnaire has been designed for children
between the ages of three and five years old who have
speech sound disorders. The categories and questions
included in this questionnaire were created based on word
lists1, 3, 6, 7 and word selection tools2 for children in this
age range. The questionnaire can be used with clinicians
and families who want to create a treatment approach that
incorporates functional speech targets.
How should this Questionnaire be used?
Instruct parents to read through each question
and provide answers to the ones that are relevant to their
child. The last page is available for parents to write down
any words and/or phrases that they did not previously
include. To get a full description of a child’s language,
each section of the questionnaire should be considered.
However, the questionnaire is long and can be timeconsuming for parents. You can describe each section to
parents and check off (on the first page) the sections that
you think are most important for a particular child. Also
included on the first page is a place for you to circle the
number of words that you would like parents to mark as
the most meaningful to their particular child.
Consider administering the questionnaire every 3
months to collect new words as communication develops.
Why should this Questionnaire be used?
Use this questionnaire to gather information to
directly assist you, and families, in the selection of
treatment targets and goals for children with speech
sound disorders. The questions aim to determine which
words a child currently uses, which words are
meaningful, and which words are appropriate next targets
for the child. The answers will aid in the process of
determining words and phrases to use in therapy, which
will create a treatment approach that is functional,
meaningful, and motivating to children.
This questionnaire offers a valuable opportunity
for parents and clinicians to work together. Both
clinicians and parents have reported that parental
involvement is an essential component of intervention4, 8.
However, a family-centered model of therapy is not
always applied, and parents may feel left out of the
process8. Parents have a great amount of knowledge on
the impact of their child’s speech sound disorder and on
their child’s language use.
How should the Results be used in Treatment?
Incorporate the words that parents provided to
create a functional and meaningful treatment approach.
Here are some suggestions:
Modified Targets:
Some children who have significant speech
sound disorders may have the goal of producing
modified and consistent target words. An example of a
modified target for the word “bath” may be “bat.” Your
assessment of a child’s speech sound inventory can help
in the creation of modified target words and phrases.
Typically you will model the correct production while
also accepting the child’s modified version.
Carrier Phrases:
To increase utterance length and encourage
generalization, have the child produce the words in
carrier phrases. For example, if the word “water” is a
target, it could be taught in the phrase “I want water.”
There are many core vocabulary words that may not be
elicited in the questionnaire, but are helpful to teach in
phrases. Following is a list of some core vocabulary
words that were consistently found in preschool age
word lists1, 3, 6, 7 and word selection tools2:
I
You
No
Yes
The
Is
Want
It
A
And
Can
That
Mine
Me
I’m
My
On
In
Go
What
There
Have
Has
More
Help
Do
Done
Off
Modifiers:
As a child’s communication develops, add
modifiers to the words and phrases they are learning. For
example, when a child asks for a book, they can say, “I
want the big book” or “I want the blue book.”
How to Include Parents:
 Include the parents in the discussion of and creation
of modified targets and carrier phrases. Parents
should understand what these terms mean and why
they are being incorporated into their child’s
treatment.
 Invite parents to participate in treatment sessions and
support them as they do so. This will help carryover
the treatment goals to the home environment.
 Brainstorm with parents some home routines or
activities that allow for use of the new words in
functional environments. Also consider ways for
them to practice multiple productions of targets to
support their child’s goals.
References
1.
Banajee, M., Dicarlo, C., & Stricklin, S. B. (2003). Core vocabulary determination in toddlers. Augmentative and
Alternative Communication, 19(2), 67-73.
2.
Fallon, K. A., Light, J. C., & Paige, T. K. (2001). Enhancing vocabulary selection for preschoolers who require
augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 10, 8194.
3.
Marvin, C. A., Beukelman, D. R., & Bileu, D. (1994). Vocabulary-use patterns in preschool children: Effects of context
and time sampling. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 10, 224-236.
4.
McCormack, J., Mcleod, S., Harrison, L. J., & McAllister, L. (2010). The impact of speech impairment in early
childhood: Investigating parents’ and speech language pathologists’ perspectives using the ICF-CY. Journal of
Communication Disorders, 43, 378-396.
5.
McIntosh, B. & Dodd, B. (2008). Evaluation of Core Vocabulary intervention for treatment of inconsistent phonological
disorder: Three treatment case studies. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 25(1), 9-30.
6.
Morrow, D. R., Mirenda, P., Beukelman, D. R., and Yorkston, K. M. (1993). Vocabulary selection for augmentative and
alternative communication systems: A comparison of three techniques. American Journal of Speech-Language
Pathology, 2, 19-30.
7.
Trembath, D., Baladin, S., & Togher, L. (2007). Vocabulary selection for Australian children who use augmentative and
alternative communication. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(4), 291-301.
8.
Watts Pappas, N., McLeod, S., McAllister, L., & McKinnon, D. H. (2008). Parental involvement in speech intervention:
A national survey. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, 22(4-5), 335-344.