The teams are demonstrating and installing conservation practices that protect water quality and reduce soil erosion in the watershed. A new treatment model developed by an East Tennessee State University researcher is dramatically reducing the amount of time children with speech disorders typically spend in therapy. The approach is called multiple oppositions and was created by ETSU speech-language pathologist Dr. Lynn Williams. In a recent study, a group of 10 children each diagnosed as having a moderate, severe, or profound speech disorder was given the multiple oppositions treatment. Though the average time under traditional approaches is between five and seven years, these children were successfully treated and released within one to two years.
Most traditional models focus on correcting one or more sounds that are incorrect.
With multiple oppositions, emphasis is placed on the child's entire sound system. Williams says the most important part of the multiple oppositions approach is the initial assessment. This allows her to determine the rules and sounds that are part of the child's language. Children in Williams' study ranged in age from four to six years. After participating in the multiple oppositions treatment program, the average improved to 85.1 percent.