Most participants provided assessments that met federal guidelines to qualify children for special education services; however, additional assessment may be needed to create comprehensive treatment plans for their clients. These results provide a unique perspective on the assessment of children suspected of having SSD and should be helpful to SLPs as they examine their own assessment practices.

There are theoretical and research data that challenge both the use of NSOMEs and the efficacy of such exercises in resolving speech sound problems. SLPs need to follow the concepts of evidence-based practice in order to determine if these exercises are actually effective in bringing about changes in speech productions.

Application of this "toolbox" of strategies should enable speech-language pathologists to address the prevention and intervention of literacy deficits within multiple environments during book and play activities. Additionally, clinicians will have techniques to share with parents, child care providers, and preschool teachers for evidence-based literacy instruction within all settings during typical daily activities.

The instructors reported that they taught their students a variety of intervention techniques for children with SSD, although most did not teach the use of NSOMEs. These results contrast with previous research indicating that many speech-language pathologists use NSOMEs to improve children's speech (G.L. Lof & M.M. Watson, 2008).

The purpose of this investigation was to describe changes in whole-word productions in the speech of children as they aged from 24 to 36 months. Spontaneous language samples were obtained from 12 participants during parent-child interactions every 3 months, beginning with each participant's second birthday. Fifty different words from each sample were analysed to determine changes in a variety of whole-word measures including phonological mean length of utterance (PMLU) for target words and words produced, proportion of whole-word proximity (PWP), and proportion of words produced correctly (PWC). Significant changes in whole-word measures were evidenced by the participants over the course of the investigation, and those scores did not show stabilization by the age of 36 months.