The aim of the clinician is to bring the client to the point where listeners stop focusing on accent. We want people to be able to make their point and get the point others are making. SLPs are particularly suited to work in the area of accent modification, believes Sikorski, because they possess a wealth of information on speech, even to knowing how to distinguish normal from disordered speech. Sikorski emphasizes that the impetus for accent modification comes from the client. This is not a casual commitment.
Accent modification is a difficult process.
Clients who desire accent modification, according to Sikorski, are mostly working professionals whose companies fund the treatment. From their point of view, it's a smart professional investment. It avoids the very expensive price of employee turnover, which requires much higher costs in orientation and time for new workers to reach the point on the learning curve necessary for maximum job function.