Why would my SLP not like LiPS, FastForWord, etc?

[MicheleB]

My boys (ages 9 and 10) both failed the Barton screening (all parts). I was looking into LiPS and since it said to ask your SLP if she uses the program, I did. She doesn't and she's not a big fan (her words) of those programs.

Any ideas why? We are not currently using her as we're in limbo right now. I'm setting them up for auditory processing disorder evaluations.

I didn't want to get into it with her about "why". I like her very much but haven't been satisfied with the level of therapy dss have received there. Second opinions have pretty much verified *my* gut feelings so I think we'll be moving on to the people who gave us the second opinions.

Anyway, any thoughts?

[Sonshine]

As an OT who works with Speech Pathologists, I notice that they don't seem knowledgeable in general about some of the branded programs out there.
I would be curious about what a home school mom who is a Speech Pathologist would say.

[JenSMP]

I am a homeschooling mom and SLP. While I am no expert on Fast ForWord or LiPS, here's what I understand about Fast ForWord. While it can be beneficial, there is very little to no evidence that it improves reading skills in any group of children. There is even less validity and reliability data available for children with dyslexia and/or processing disorders. There is some evidence that it helps improve spoken English with ESOL (English as a second or other language) students. It does help speech impaired children more than those with unimpaired speech, however there is no evidence of long term carryover. This refers to speech, not reading or language skills. In other words, the clinician (SLP?) might see some improvement in the clinical setting but those skills will not likely be carried over into other settings, like home, school, etc. Or, look two years down the road (after stopping the program) and the skills have been lost. I think the idea is that words and language are not presented in a natural way, so they do not transfer to natural use. There are many programs, especially newer ones, out there that have not been sufficiently reserched and there's no statistical data of effectiveness. However, there are some therapists, parents, teachers, etc. who use the programs and have seen success. They aren't researchers so they don't publish their data, and they are not doing controlled studies. That doesn't mean they don't work.

Now, Fast ForWord has been studied, and I have yet to find any real great evidence that it works. I also haven't met an SLP who has found it to be effective over time. Again, I haven't used it myself, so I can't make any personal claims to its effectiveness. SLPs in general have a hard time buying into programs if they aren't tried and true and proven to be useful. There are so many out there that are worthless, and you (and we) don't want to get sucked into a great sales pitch without anything to back it up.

If it works for your children, definitely use it! It's tough though because all of these programs get expensive, and you don't want to waste your money. I'll see if I can come up with any good recommendations for you. Maybe I'll be able to find some newer info on Fast ForWord or LiPS (not familiar with that one).

I'm sorry you are having difficulty with your current SLP, but I'm glad you are getting a second opinion. Speech-language pathology has a very wide scope of practice, and different therapists specialize in different areas. I'd make sure the therapist you choose is knowledgeable about reading disorders. I can tell you just about anything you want to know about geriatric cognition and stroke therapy, but when it comes to learning disabilities and their effects on language and speech development, I'm out of my element. Just being an SLP isn't enough; he/she needs to be an expert in the area where you need help. Hope I didn't ramble too much, and I hope this helps a little.

[LizzyBee]

Our audiologist recommends Earobics rather than FastForWord. She says the studies so far show that Earobics is just as effective as FFW. Earobics is a fraction of the cost and can be done at home. I think she got tired of parents spending $3k and not seeing results. (Some do, some don't.) If you spend $70 on Earobics and don't see results, you won't be nearly as unhappy.

Since your boys seem to have both auditory and visual processing issues, I would think LiPS might be helpful since it adds the oral-motor component. I only used the first couple sections of LiPS with my 8 yo, but I've used it indirectly since then just by personally being more aware of how sounds are made. When she makes an error, I am better equipped to help her correct it. I did a lot of internet searching before buying LiPS, and I found NO bad reviews. I didn't find many reviews at all, but everything I found was positive. We occasionally get together for lunch with the SLP that Katie had from age 3 to 6, and I mentioned LiPS to her once. She is not trained to use LiPS, but she seemed to think it is a good program.

[MomofC&A]

Both of the SLPs that my kids see have seen recommended Earobics.

[MicheleB]

Thanks for all the info! I appreciate it. It's helped me in continuing to look at the entire picture.

Our former SLP left a message here that LiPS is very expensive and that's why no one uses it. However, 'expense' is different to me than 'I don't like those programs.' KWIM? So I'm not exactly sure what her view is on the programs at this point, but I know she doesn't use them. We are going to a new SLP anyway, so I will talk with her.

:)

[Dobela]

Expensive is often a "corporate" excuse, meaning the center/agency they work for will not buy it. And often 'they' only buy programs that are on a State recommended list. Or it may be that finding training for that program is too expenisive or inconvenient for the center/therapist to justify. I couldn't find anyone here that had ever used it, but I did find a therapist who was willing to research it and try to find something similar to use with my son.

[training5]

Umm...my son used FastForword and another program whose name escapes me at his private school for Lang. Disablities and it did wonders. I think, like most things, it just depends on the child.

[LizzyBee]

Umm...my son used FastForword and another program whose name escapes me at his private school for Lang. Disablities and it did wonders. I think, like most things, it just depends on the child.

That is so true. No matter which labels apply, no two kids are the same, and finding what works is often a matter of trial and error. For now, I am trying to stick with therapies that are covered by my dd's insurance and seem to have overwhelmingly positive reviews from parents of kids who are similar to mine. I'm keeping other therapies on the back burner for now.

[JenSMP]

I agree with the Earobics! I know several people who have had great success with this program, and a pediatric SLP friend of mine loves it. HTH

[MicheleB]

Thanks, everyone! :)

I am going to look into Earobics. Maybe the clinic we are now going to uses it.