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Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing to Increase Vocalizations in Children with Language Delays: a Review

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Abstract

Stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) is a procedure used to increase vocalizations in children with significant language delays. However, results from studies that have examined the effectiveness of SSP have been discrepant. The following review of the literature summarizes the results from 13 experiments published between 1996 and 2014 that used this procedure with children with language delays. Studies were analyzed across various participant and procedural variables, and an effect size estimate (nonoverlap of all pairs) was calculated for a portion of the participants in the studies reviewed. Results indicated an overall moderate intervention effect for SSP of speech sounds. Recommendations are provided for future researchers about information to report and potential avenues for future studies.

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Acknowledgments

Some of the data included in this paper were used to meet the requirements for the second author’s Clinical Research Project in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology. The authors would like to thank Courtney McCracken for her assistance with statistical analysis, as well as the therapists and research assistants who implemented treatment procedures and helped collect data used in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA

    M. Alice Shillingsburg, Rachel N. Yosick & Crystal Bowen

  2. Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    M. Alice Shillingsburg

  3. Georgia Neurobehavioral Associates, Canton, GA, USA

    Diane L. Hollander

  4. Georgia School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Lori R. Muskat

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  1. M. Alice Shillingsburg
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  2. Diane L. Hollander
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  3. Rachel N. Yosick
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  4. Crystal Bowen
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  5. Lori R. Muskat
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Correspondence to M. Alice Shillingsburg.

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Shillingsburg, M.A., Hollander, D.L., Yosick, R.N. et al. Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing to Increase Vocalizations in Children with Language Delays: a Review. Analysis Verbal Behav 31, 215–235 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-015-0042-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-015-0042-2

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