Cycles Approach
Cycles Approach
Cycles Approach is a phonological remediation approach. It is best suited for children with moderate to severe speech sound disorders. It is most appropriate for use with children who exhibit three or more phonological patterns and are perceived as highly unintelligible during connected speech. Cycles is appropriately named for the cyclical way in which it addresses patterns in blocks within larger cycles. Cycles approach is a high intensity intervention as it requires 60-minute sessions, 3 times a week.
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This approach is targeted in blocks within a cycle, with each block focusing on one pattern (up to four blocks per cycle). The clinician should target about half of the phonemes affected by a specific pattern, and each phoneme should be targeted for 60 minutes. Once those 60 minutes are completed, the clinician should move on to the next block within the cycle (regardless of progress). After two cycles, the clinician should retest everything, and adjust for the next cycle depending on the client's progress (90% accuracy or more drop pattern, below 90% keep patter, add new patterns if available).
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Each session should begin and end with an auditory bombardment/active listening for five minutes. During those five minutes, the clinician should read aloud sentences that include the target words for that session. Sessions are recommended to be one-on-one, as this is an intense approach. A speech language pathologist is required for this approach. It is important to note that if the child is no longer in the moderate-severe range, targeting a different approach is more appropriate.
References:
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Arabi A, Jalilevand N, Marefati A. A Review on Evidence-based Treatment in Phonological Interventions With Emphasis on Cycles Approach. Journal of Modern Rehabilitation. 2017; 11(4): 195-200.
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Hodson B. W., & Paden, E. P., (1991). Basic remediation concepts and procedures. Targeting Intelligible Speech, 2. 75-113.
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Wendt, O., & Rudolph, J. M. (2014, January 3). The efficacy of the cycles approach: A multiple baseline design. Journal of Communication Disorders, 47, 1-16. Doi https: doi.org 10.1016j.jcombs.2013.12.003.