Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations for the Administration of the Sequential Motion Rates Task

Abstract

The sequential motion rates (SMR) task, that involves rapid and accurate repetitions of a syllable sequence, /pataka/, is a commonly used evaluation tool for oro-motor abilities. Although the SMR is a well-known tool, some aspects of its administration protocol are unspecified. We address the following factors and their role in the SMR protocol: (a) selecting the appropriate stimulus for the client—nonword, real word or both, (b) the necessity of a practice round, (c) using visual feedback, (d) using language-specific performance rate norms, and (e) the implications for using different measurements (time-based, rate-based). We also provide rate norms for Hebrew-speaking clients and a pair of simple equations for transforming data from time-based units (seconds) to rate-based units (syllables/s). These recommendations can be considered in the clinical assessment process and may be integrated into the speech-language pathologists’ practice, allowing for a more accurate and cost-effective evaluation procedure.