Sound Contrasts in

Phonology (SCIP)
Evidence Treatment Program
A Book Review

Author: A. Lynn Williams,

Ph.D.

About the Author

A. Lynn Williams is a professor in the Department of
Communicative Disorders at East Tennessee State University
in Johnson City, Tennessee. Her extensive clinical
background serves as a foundation for her work with children
who have speech disorders. Her research and practice have
focused on developing assessment and intervention models
that use linguistic methodology and principles to describe
disordered sound-systems and to facilitate sound learning. Dr.
Williams also currently serves as the Associate Editor of
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in the School.

 The

Sound Contrasts in Phonology (SCIP) was developed to

close the gap between clinical research and clinical practice
of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs).
New developments in phonological intervention models
demonstrates promise of increased treatment efficacy.
However, due to time constraints, large caseload sizes, and
third party reimbursement limitations, many SLPs must rely
on older, articulatory models of intervention.
This is where SCIP can help.
SCIP significantly reduces the time, confusion, hassle and
expense of implementing newer techniques, and saves SLPs
time with features like automatic stimulus selection and
electronic tracking, scoring and graphing of client progress.

 SCIP is

based on over a decade of clinical research by a

number of researchers who have examined models of
contrastive phonological intervention, including Minimal
Pairs, Multiple Oppositions, Maximal Oppositions and
Treatment of the Empty Set.
All contrastive approaches are based on the construct of
minimal pairs, which are word pairs that differ by a single
sound and result in different meanings.
For example, the words pat and bat make a minimal pair that
differs by only one sound, and that difference in sounds makes
a difference in meaning.

Goals of SCIP
The primary goal of SCIP is to provide a comprehensive collection of contrastive
sound pairs that will allow SLPs to develop individualized treatment materials
for children with Sound-System Disorders.
As part of this primary goal, the SCIP program provides flexibility to SLPs in
choosing the treatment approach(es) that meet the diverse needs of their
caseloads.
SCIP has a database of over 2,000 illustrated words and over 6,000 nonsense
words that can be used with a number of different intervention approaches,
including contrastive phonological and traditional articulation formats such as:

Minimal Pairs
Multiple Oppositions
Treatment of the Empty Set
Vowel Contrasts
Articulation

Goals (continued)
A secondary

goal of SCIP is to use technology to increase clinical efficiency and

accuracy. The following features facilitate clinicians development and presentation
of stimulus materials, recording of child responses, and reporting of child progress:

The individual treatment materials are in an electronic database and have the flexibility to
be used for intervention at the computer, or printed out for use away from the computer.
The treatment materials are stored in individual client files and are readily available when
saved to a hard drive and/or disk so they may be transferred from one computer to another.
The automatic tracking, scoring, and graphing of client progress can be printed and shared
with clients, educators, and families.
Options and tools for entering data collected while working away from the computer are
provided.
Outcome data for any number of clients at any number of locations can displayed.
Graphs can be exported into clinical reports.

Goals (continued)
A final

goal of SCIP is to promote clinicians use of newer

treatment models. The following extensive training and
support materials are provided in the SCIP program:

The Just in Time (JIT) clinical assistance system that answers

frequently asked questions related to each screen.
A User Manual that provides an Intervention Guide section.
A Video Tutorial that demonstrates four contrastive treatment
approaches.
An interactive Self-Assessment that evaluates users
knowledge of the treatment approaches.

Target Users
SCIP is designed for SLPs to use the with preschool and school-age
children who have functional Sound-System Disorder. The program is
appropriate for use across a wide spectrum of Sound-System
Disorders, ranging from mild to profound Sound-System Disorders.
SCIP is designed particularly for use with Phonological SoundSystem Disorders.
A Phonological Disorder is a specific term used to describe error
patterns of speech that reflect a linguistic (i.e. phonological) speech
disorders in which speech difficulties arise from differences in
developmental rules and in the organization of the individual childs
sound-system relative to the adult or target speech community.

Unique Features of SCIP

SCIP incorporates a large database of illustrations that can be

used with a variety of intervention models and focuses
primarily on productive performance, rather than phonemic
perception.

While SCIP has many unique features, the most significant is its
efficiency in developing individualized contrastive intervention
materials unique to a particular child. SCIP is not limited to
common phonological processes, such as fronting, stopping, and
cluster reduction. With SCIP, even the most idiosyncratic error
patterns typical of children with severe phonological disorders are
just as fast and easy to sort as are the most common error patterns.

Unique Features of SCIP

(continued)
A second unique feature is the flexibility of SCIP to be used with a number of
contrastive intervention approaches, such as Multiple Oppositions, Minimal Pairs,
Maximal Oppositions and Treatment of Empty Set.
In SCIP, automatic development and presentation of treatment stimuli is provided for
each contrastive approach, allowing clinicians to use the most appropriate approach at
any point in the treatment process and to maintain consistent record keeping.
A third unique feature is that SCIP may also be used to address vowel errors using
Vowel Contrasts within the Multiple Oppositions approach. Vowel Contrasts can be
used for children with Sound-System Disorders that include vowel errors, or for
speakers with accented English, or English language learners.
A fourth unique feature of SCIP is how it collects and graphs performance data during
each treatment session. Responses are graphed and saved so that clinicians can readily
see each clients performance over time. The record keeping system also allows SLPs
to record individualized progress notes for each session.

Unique Features of SCIP

(continued)
A fifth

unique feature involves the 100% accuracy that SCIP

provides SLPs in selecting treatment stimuli and in data
calculations. SCIP computerized calculations eliminate
mathematical or graphing errors that may occur in clinicians or
progress charting done by hand.
A sixth unique feature involves the many aspects of flexibility of
SCIP. Clinicians can work with children directly at the computer or
may print out the pictures for work with children at any location and
for home practice activities.
The seventh unique feature of SCIP is its extensive and integrated
support and training materials, conveniently incorporated within the
SCIP program for self-guided instruction.

Contrastive Phonological
Treatment Approach
Consonant Contrast-Although Minimal Pairs intervention has the longest history and is
the most widely used of the contrastive approaches, there are several more recent
variations of this approach. These include: Maximal Oppositions (Gierut, 1989, 1990);
Treatment of Empty Set (Gierut, 1992); and Multiple Oppositions (Williams, 1990,
2000a, 2000b). These approaches differ with regard to the number of contrasts that are
practiced at one time and the type of contrastive pairs that are constructed.
Intervention is based on teaching the child a rule and not simply the articulatory
placement. These contrastive treatment approaches address the function and use of
contrastive sounds in the target language.
Vowel Contrasts-In addition to the four contrastive phonological approaches that
address consonant errors, SCIP includes a fifth treatment option that addresses vowel
errors. Vowel Contrasts involve contrastive word sets used to treat vowel errors that
may occur in addition to consonant errors. The childs vowel error production can be
contrasted with 1, 2, 3 or 4 target vowels using the Multiple Oppositions approach.

Approach

Minimal Pairs (Weiner, 1981)

Maximal Oppositions (Geirut,

1989, 1990)

Treatment of the Empty Set

(Gierut, 1992)

Multiple Oppositions
(Williams, 1990, 2000a,
2000b)

Description

Single contrastive pairings of

childs error with target sound
(known-unknown)

Single contrastive pairings of

maximally distinct comparison
sound with target sound
(known-unknown)

Single contrastive pairings of 2

target sounds (unknownunknown)

Multiple contrastive pairings of

childs error with several target
sounds from across rule set
(known-2-4 unknown)

Example

g-d/#____

m-d/#____

r-d/#____

g-d, r, ch, st

Treatment Set

go-doe
gate-date
gown-down

moo-dew
more-door
mate-date

row-doe
ray-day
rye-dye

goo-dew, fu, chew, stew

1.

Adult-based categories
(e.g. backing) are the basis
for the childs error and
sound organizations.
Child will fill in the gap
between what is trained
and what still needs to be
learned across the rule set.

1.

Phonemic distinctiveness
(i.e. salience) of
comparison will facilitate
learning.
Child will fill in the gap of
missing phonemic features
(i.e. frication, voicing,
coronal) based on
distinctiveness of
contrastive pairing.

1.

Phonemic distinctiveness
(i.e. salience) of 2 target
sounds will facilitate
learning.
Child will fill in the
inventory gap based on
distinctiveness of
contrastive pairings and
learning 2 new sounds
simultaneously.

1.

Predicts that target

contrast will create system
wide change on basis of
child filling in phonemic
gaps.

1.

Predicts that target

contrast will create system
wide change on basis of
child filling in phonemic
gaps.

1.

Predicts that target

contrast will create greater
system wide change on
basis of child filling in
phonemic gaps and
learning more than one
phoneme at a time.

1.

Overview of Contrastive Phonological Approach

Assumptions

2.

Rationale

1.

2.

2.

gore-door, four, chore, store

2.

The size and nature of

linguistic chunks
presented to child will
facilitate learning
(learning of the whole is
greater than the sum of its
parts).
Learning is a dynamic
interaction between childs
unique sound system and
intervention.
Predicts learning will be
generalized across a rule
set.

Error Patterns
The identification and treatment of error patterns is the hallmark of phonological
approaches to assessment and intervention. Phonological approaches describe the
relationship among error sounds in terms of error patterns. Error patterns are referred
to as phonological rules and constraints, when viewed from the perspectives of
generative phonology and nonlinear phonology. Error patterns are discussed from a
natural phonology perspective and thus referred to as phonological processes.
Phonological Processes-Phonological processes are labels used to describe differences
between the childs production and the target sound. Phonological processes can be
categorized three ways: Substitution processes, deletion processes, or assimilation
processes. For substitution processes, phonological processes generally describe
production differences within a single aspect of production (i.e. place, manner or
voice) and include stopping (i.e. t/s), gliding (i.e. w/r), fronting (i.e. t/k) and
deaffrication (i.e. t/ch). Common deletion processes include final consonant deletions,
cluster reductions, and weak syllable deletions. Common assimilation processes
include velar assimilation, nasal assimilation and labial assimilation.

Error Patterns

Idiosyncratic Error Patterns-Children with

phonological impairments often exhibit idiosyncratic
error patterns that cannot be described by one of the
common phonological processes listed on the previous
slide. An idiosyncratic error pattern is an unusual or
atypical error pattern produced by a child. An example
of an idiosyncratic error pattern is the childs
production of /l/ for /s/, sh, w/, which results in the
child producing lip for each of the words sip,
ship and whip.

Error Patterns
Phoneme

Collapse-A phoneme collapse is the

childs production of one sound for several
different target sounds and target clusters. A
phoneme collapse could also involve the deletion
of several different target sounds in one position.
For example, a child may produce /t/ for /k, ch, s,
sh, tr, st/ speech sounds.

Selecting Treatment Targets

and Exemplars
There

are several factors clinicians may wish to consider when

choosing treatment targets, including phonological complexity,
markedness, and distance metrics.
Phonological Complexity-New approaches to selecting target
phonemes examine the role that phonological complexity has
on treatment outcomes. Such approaches suggest that SLPs
consider the following issues when selecting treatment targets:

Stimulable or nonstimuble sounds?

Early or later developing sounds?
Inconsistently correct or absent sounds?
One target sound or more than one target sound?
Targets from the same or different classes?
Clusters or singletons?

Selecting Treatment Targets

and Exemplars
Markedness-Markedness

refers to the presence of

a particular feature in a language. A marked
feature in a given language necessarily implies the
occurrence of a related feature. Marked classes of
sounds include the following:

Fricatives imply stops

Voiced sounds imply voiceless sounds
Affricates imply fricatives and stops
Cluster imply singletons

Selecting Treatment Targets

and Exemplars

Distance Metric-Williams (2000a, 2000b, 2005)

introduced a systemic approach to target-sound
selection as part of the Multiple Oppositions approach
to phonological intervention. The system approach is
based on the function of the sound in the childs rule
set and that functions potential for having the greatest
impact on phonological restructuring. This approach
posits the importance of target sounds as being
broader than the characteristics of the sound itself.

Research Comparing Traditional and Nontraditional

Approaches to Selecting Treatment Targets
Target Selection Factor

Traditional Approach

Nontraditional Approach

Stimulability

Select Sounds that are stimulable

Select sounds that are not stimulable.

Rationale: Sounds that are stimulable are

easier to learn (Hodson & Paden, 1991;
Winitz, 1975)

Rationale: Stimulable sounds will

emerge without direct intervention
(Miccio, Elbert & Forrest, 1999).

Select early developing sounds.

Select later developing sounds.

Rationale: Early developing sounds are

acquired first, and therefore, may be
easier to learn (Khan & Lewis, 1990;
Shriberg & Kwiatkowski, 1982).

Rationale: Targeting later developing

sounds will result in greater system wide
change (Gierut, Morrisette, Hughes &
Rowland, 1996)

Select sounds that are inconsistently

produced in error.

Select sounds that are consistent error

productions.

Rationale: Variability may be an

important indicator of flexibility, change,
and potential growth (Forrest, Weismer,
Dinnsen, & Elbert, 1994; Tyler &
Saxman, 1991).

Rationale: Consistent errors represent

stable underlying representations, which
will result in greater system wide change
(Forest, Elbert, & Dinnen, 2000).

Select sounds for which the child has

most knowledge.

Select sounds for which the child has

least knowledge.

Rationale: Sounds for which the child has

some knowledge will be easier to learn
(Rvachew & Nowak, 2011).

Rationale: Targeting sounds of least

knowledge results in greater system wide
change (Gierut, Elbert & Dinnsen, 1987).

Developmental Norms

Consistency

Knowledge

Treatment Target Selection Factors and

Example
Target Selection Factor

Summary and Examples

Traditional Approach

Minimal Pairs: p-f

Stimulable
Early Developing
Most Knowledge (i.e. produced correctly
sometimes)

Nontraditional Approach: Phonological

Complexity

Minimal Pairs: w-r

Maximal Oppositions: b-r
Empty Set: r-z
Multiple Oppositions: w-r, l
Nonstimulable
Later Developing
Least Knowledge (i.e. absent)

Nontraditional Approach: Markedess

Minimal Pairs
Maximal Oppositions: m-z
Multiple Oppositions
Fricatives imply stops
Voiced implies voiceless
Affricates imply stops and fricatives

Nontraditional Approach: Distance Metric

Multiple Oppositions: g-d, f, ch, st

Maximal distinction and maximal
classification

Treatment Paradigm
After analyzing a childs system and selecting
treatment targets, clinicians need to use a paradigm
to implement their chosen intervention approach.
The paradigm is a framework for determining
advancement and generalization criterion levels and
the criterion for treatment discontinuation on a goal.
Williams (2003a) describes a four-phrase treatment
paradigm that can be used with word-based
contrastive intervention approaches.

Treatment Paradigm
Phase

1: Familiarization + Production of Contrasts

Step 1: Familiarization of the rule being trained

Step 2: Familiarization of the vocabulary and
pictured stimuli
Step 3: Production of the contrasts

Treatment Paradigm
Phase

2: Contrasts + Interactive Play

Step 1: Imitative production of the contrasts

Step 2: Spontaneous production of the contrasts

Treatment Paradigm
Phase

3: Contrasts with Communicative Contexts

Play a variation on Go Fish with rhyming sets

Play Teacher by having the child tell you to point to
the card that he or she names
Play Concentration
Play Whats Missing?

Treatment Paradigm
Phase

4: Conversational Recasts

Performing Craft Activities

Have adventure hunts
Make lunch or browning
Play in a sandbox or at a water table
Plant flowers or vegetable seeds

Conclusion
SCIP is

designed for SLPs to use with preschool

and school-age children who have functional
speech sound disorders.
SCIP is designed particularly for use with
phonological speech sound disorders.