A motor learning perspective for optimizing intervention intensity

Baker (2012) has addressed the critical issue of optimizing intervention intensity in the field of speech-language pathology. While this provides a useful framework from which to examine treatment intensities across a variety of approaches, it does little to inform how certain factors (e.g., feedback frequency, practice schedules) might be manipulated to optimize learning in ways that are effective and efficient. Evidence from the speech and non-speech motor learning literature suggests that the optimal intensities for utilizing practice and feedback are dependent on interactive factors such as task variability, target complexity, and therapeutic goals. In light of the complex interactions of treatment factors, it is proposed that the principles of motor learning be used as a guide to develop precise, interactive models that describe the optimal treatment conditions for specific approaches to intervention in speech-language pathology.