Core Vocabulary intervention was initially developed for children with Inconsistent Speech Disorder, a severe speech sound disorder where the same word is pronounced differently each time. However, it has since been applied to patients with speech sound disorders who benefit from increased consistency in word production. In this approach, the child, family, and clinician select 50 or so personally relevant “core” words (e.g., names, everyday items) and systematically practice consistent pronunciation of 10 of these words per week. For SLPs, this approach improves intelligibility in patients who produce unpredictable speech errors, ensuring they can reliably say important words in their daily life.
Sharyn E. Crosbie, Barbara Dodd et al., “Intervention for Children with Severe Speech Disorder: A Comparison of Two Approaches,” International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders 40, no. 4 (2005).
Caroline Bowen, “Core Vocabulary Therapy and Inconsistent Speech Disorder,” (2019).
