Speech-language pathologists (SLP) have been slow to adopt Telepractice as a service delivery model, although it has been approved by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA, 2013) and an evidence base is evident in the extant literature. Limited investigations exist studying phonemic awareness interventions provided via telepractice. Burgeoning evidence supports the notion that when phonemic awareness, known as the sensitivity to detect the smallest sound structure in language, is targeted in explicit, small group instruction during the preschool years, the likelihood of becoming a good reader increases (Dodd & Gillon, 2001; Koutsoftas, Harmon & Gray, 2009). However, underserved, at-risk for early literacy low SES Head Start preschoolers rarely receive these efficacious SLP interventions due to nation-wide SLP shortages. A four-participant Adapted Alternating Treatment Design investigation was completed with 4-year old Head Start preschoolers using a phonemic awareness intervention targeting CVC word initial phonemes (liquids, nasals, stops) to compare the efficacy and efficiency of Telepractice and Face-to-face models. Twice daily, 20-minute, alternating morning and afternoon sessions were conducted, with percent correct measures of matching pictures with the same initial phonemes in a CVC word within 5 seconds of a verbal antecedent. Results indicate the Telepractice magnitude of improvement matched or exceeded the Face-to-face service delivery model in this study. Thus, Telepractice is as equally efficacious and efficient as Face-to-face, when providing phonemic awareness interventions to the 4-year old Head Start preschoolers. Further research is warranted with larger groups of participants, participants with speech-language impairments and/or other disabilities, to generalize the findings to the greater preschool population.
Keywords: speech-language pathology, telepractice, early literacy, at-risk, phonemic awareness
