The Science Behind Speech Buddies

Cutting Edge Technology

Speech Buddies were designed by a team of engineers and speech researchers out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Columbia University. This collaboration created the world’s first commercially available, specially designed tools which enable dramatic and permanent speech improvements through the tactile bio-feedback methodology.

Speech disorders often occur when children have not learned correct pronunciation through normal visual and auditory cues. The tactile bio-feedback method works by presenting a precisely located target so that children can feel correct tongue placement and movement required for speech. There is a uniquely designed Speech Buddy that uses this method for each of the most common problem sounds: R, L, S, CH, and SH.

Tactile biofeedback has been proven by several research studies to provide learning breakthroughs in speech whether a child is just starting to address it, or if they have been working on their sounds for years. Speech Buddies have been clinically proven to help children overcome speech disorders between two to four times faster than industry standards. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Speech Buddies are assembled in Californiaifornia.

Download Speech Buddies Clinical Studies Guide

Buddy design offers precise and effective feedback.

Gold Standard Evaluation of Effectiveness

The INTACT study was a randomized, controlled single blind study and it showed that children age 5-8 learn nearly twice as fast using Speech Buddies as compared to children just using traditional methods of teaching. [1]

Results after 4 hours

Speech Buddy Effectiveness In School Therapy

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an organic integration of Speech Buddies into a typical school speech therapy setting at five schools.  Substantial improvement of articulation was achieved in nearly 1/5 the number of therapy hours and at nearly 1/4 the cost of prior therapy. [4]

School Therapy Effectivness

Effectiveness with Treatment Resistant Children

Justina Heintz, MS, CCC-SLP, working on behalf of her school district, conducted this study to test Speech Buddies Tools as a cost-effective methodology in tactile biofeedback. She found strong evidence that using Speech Buddies as an intervention method improves marks.[9]

"He has been working on /r/ over 3 years, he is now producing /r/ with 80% accuracy."

Over 50% Mean Accuracy Improvement on Treatment Resistant Children

R Speech Buddy Effectiveness Study

This study shows how Speech Buddies used to treat the R sound can generate outcomes that are more than four times faster than the best industry standards. [2]

Time in therapy

Study of Parent Effectiveness with Speech Buddies at Home

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of trained parents in administering speech remediation using Speech Buddies. Results show remediation after only 8 hours, far below the industry standards. [6]

Professional results in 8 hours

Scientific Advisory Board & Clinical Advisors

Dr. Dennis Ruscello, Ph.D

Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Professor, West Virginia University

Dr. Jessica Galgano, Ph.D, CCC-SLP

Director, Open Lines Speech and Communication

Donna Orloff, M.S., CCC-SLP

Director, Full Potential Resource Center

More Research

Peer Reviewed Research on Speech Buddies in Speech Therapy

[1] “Examining the Clinical Application of Intra-Oral Tactile Biofeedback in Short-Duration Therapy”, Gordy Rogers  and Megan Chesin, PSHA Jornal, 4 (2013): 4-18

[2] “Hand-Held Tactile Biofeedback as a Cuing Mechanism to Elicit and Generalize Correct /R/”, Gordy Rogers, Ohio Journal of Speech Language and Audiology (2014): 39-55

[3] Evaluating the Efficacy of Treating Misarticulated /s/ with Tactile Biofeedback - San Diego, American Speech and Hearing Association, 2011, Gordy Rogers and Jessica Galgano.

[4] Examining the Effectiveness of Tactile Biofeedback in Charter Schools- Atlanta, American Speech and Hearing Association, 2012, Gordy Rogers, Julia Lee, Elise Parmentier.

[5] Treating Misarticulated /r/ with Speech Buddies, Philadelphia, American Speech and Hearing Association, 2010, Gordy Rogers.

[6] Parent Effectiveness in Treating Speech Sound Disorders Through Tactile Biofeedback - San Diego, American Speech and Hearing Association, 2011, Gordy Rogers.

[7] Phonemic and Tactile Cueing for Remediation of American English /r/ - Chicago, American Speech and Hearing Association, 2013, Nanette Cote

[8] Using Tactile Biofeedback, In The Form of Speech Buddies, For Treatment of Therapy Resistant Students Who Misarticulate /r/.  San Francisco, California Speech and Hearing Association, 2014, Jennifer Rasore

[9] Buddy Feedback - San Antonio, Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2015, Justina Heintz, MS CCC-SLP

Speech Buddies Scientific Resources

[10] Gordy Rogers, MS, CCC-SLP Chicago, American Speech and Hearing Association, 2013: Evidence-Based Application of Device Technology in Speech Sound Disorders: A Clinical Workshop

[11] Speech Buddies and Intra-Oral Tactile Biofeedback: An Efficacy Study - Review of a single blind, randomized controlled trial.  Gordy Rogers, Jessica Galgano

[12] Effectiveness of Cleaning Speech Buddies with Wipes.  Alexey Salamini, Jennifer Kilty, David Penake

[13] A Five School Study of Effectiveness and Cost Savings from the Adoption of Speech Buddies.  Gordy Rogers, Julia Lee, Elyse Parmentier

Research on Intra-Oral Tactile Biofeedback in Speech Therapy

[14] Charlene Clark, Ilsa Schwartz & Robert Blakeley, "The Removable R-Appliance as a Practice Device to Facilitate the Correct Production of /r/” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 2 (1993): 84-92.

[15] Dennis Ruscello, "Speech Appliances in the Treatment of Phonological Disorders” Journal of Communication Disorders 28 (1995): 331-53.

Research on Parent Intervention in Speech Therapy

[16] James Law, Zoe Garrett & Chad Nye, "The Efficacy of Treatment for Children with Developmental Speech and Language Delay/Disorder” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 47 (2004): 924-43.

[17] Hugh Catts, "Speech Production/Phonological Deficits in Reading Disordered Children” Journal of Learning Disabilities19 (1986): 504–8.

Research on Sensory Biofeedback for Speech Therapy, Oral Anatomy and Physiology

[18] MB Bernhardt et al, "Ultrasound as Visual Feedback in Speech Habilitation” Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics 22 (2008): 149-62.

[19] Penny Carter & Susan Edwards "EPG Therapy for Children with Long-Standing Speech Disorders: Predictions and Outcomes” Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics 18 (2004): 359-72.

[20] William Katz, Sneha Bharadwaj & Burkhard Carstens "Electromagnetic Articulography Treatment for an Adult with Broca’s Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech” Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research 42 (1999): 1355-66.

[21] Patricia Lohman et al "Tactile awareness in children and adults during the production of isolated syllables of English” Perceptual Motor Skills 93(2001): 859-66.

[22] Sazzad Nasir & David Ostry "Somatosensory Precision in Speech Production” Current Biology, 16(2006): 1918-23.

[23] Karen Zur, Eric Genden & Mark Urken "Sensory Topography of the Oral Cavity and the Impact of Free Flap Reconstruction: A Preliminary Study” Journal of Head and Neck 10(2004): 884-89.

Research on Social and Academic Ramifications of Speech Disorders

[24] Barbara Crowe Hall "Attitudes of Fourth and Sixth Graders Toward Peers with Mild Articulation Disorders” Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools 22(1991): 334-40.

[25] Megan Overby, Thomas Carrell & John Bernthal "Teachers’ Perceptions of Students with Speech Sound Disorders: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis” Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools 38(2007): 327–41.

Additional References

[26] Gregory Jacoby et al., "The Number of Individual Treatment Units Necessary to Facilitate Functional Communication Improvements in the Speech and Language of Young Children,” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 11 (2002): 370-80.

[27] "National Outcome Measurement System Pre-Kindergarten Report,” American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 2009, 15.

[28] Jennifer Taps, "RTI Services for Children with Mild Articulation Needs: Four Years of Data,” ASHA Perspectives on School-Based Issues 9 (2008): 104-110.

[29] James Law, Zoe Garrett & Chad Nye, "The Efficacy of Treatment for Children with Developmental Speech and Language Delay/Disorder” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 47 (2004): 924-43.

[30] SLP Technology Survey, 2008, D Penake, A Salamini

Instruction Manuals

Cheetah Instruction Manual

Lion Instruction Manual

Rabbit Instruction Manual

Professional Set Instruction Manual

Seal Instruction Manual

Shark Instruction Manual

Expert Review

Parent"The Speech Buddy made the impossible happen."

- Lisa C.

Provider Program

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Terms of Use:

Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using the services offered by Speech Buddies, Inc.

Summary of Service

Speech Buddies Connect and Speech Buddies Games allow users to communicate with other users on the platform. We define users as “speech-language pathologists,” or “speech therapists,” and “parents.” The intention of Speech Buddies Connect is to allow parents looking for speech therapy services for their children to contact and communicate with licensed Speech-Language Pathologists who provide speech services. Speech Buddies Games allows students to practice online exercises that can help improve their speech and articulation. Speech Buddies Games can be used by Students, Parents, and Speech-Language Pathologists.

By using this service you agree that:

  • You are licensed in your state or country to provide speech services as a Speech Language Pathologist, Speech Language Pathologist Assistant, Speech and Language Therapist, or other health professional.
  • You have necessary permission from the student and parent, if necessary, to provide speech services.
  • You have permission to perform lessons and exercises with a given student.
  • You will not solicit members of Speech Buddies Connect for purposes other than providing private speech and language therapy services.
  • You will maintain respectful and professional communication during communication with any and all members of the Speech Buddies community.

Speech Buddies’ Privacy Policy

  • Speech Buddies, Inc. takes reasonable steps to protect your personally identifiable information as you transmit your information from your computer to our site and to protect such information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet transmission is ever totally secure or error-free. In particular, email sent to or from this site may not be secure, and you should therefore take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. uses the information you provide or that we collect to operate, maintain, enhance, and provide all of the features, information and services found on the Websites. We will use your email address, without further consent, for administrative purposes, for customer service purposes, to address intellectual property infringement, rights of privacy, or defamation issues.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. uses all of the information that we collect to understand and analyze the usage trends and preferences of visitors to the Websites, to improve the way the Websites works and looks, and to create new features and functionality.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. may use “automatically collected” information and “cookies” information to: (a) remember your information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the Websites; and (b) monitor aggregate site usage metrics such as total number of visitors and pages viewed.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. does not sell, trade, rent or share your personally identifiable information with other organizations for their marketing or promotional uses without your express consent.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. may disclose automatically collected and other aggregate non-personally-identifiable information with interested third parties to assist such parties in understanding the usage, viewing, and demographic patterns for certain programs, content, services, advertisements, promotions, and/or functionality on the Websites.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. works with some authorized service providers to provide website hosting and maintenance as well as other services for us. Speech Buddies, Inc. requires these services providers to safeguard personally identifiable information you provide to us. To the extent it is necessary for these service providers to complete their contractual obligations to Speech Buddies, Inc.; these third parties may have access to or process your personally identifiable information. Speech Buddies, Inc. generally limits their use of your personally identifiable information to the purpose for which it was shared.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. may also disclose User information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with state and federal laws or respond to a court order, judicial or other government subpoena, or warrant. In some cases, we may make such disclosures without first providing notice to Users.
  • Speech Buddies, Inc. also reserves the right to disclose User information that we believe, in good faith, is appropriate or necessary to take precautions against liability; protect Speech Buddies, Inc. from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful uses; to investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations; to assist government enforcement agencies; to protect the security or integrity of the Websites; or to protect the rights, property, or personal safety of Speech Buddies, Inc., our Users, or others.
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