This advice-column-style blog for SLPs was authored by Pam Marshalla from 2006 to 2015, the archives of which can be explored here. Use the extensive keywords list found in the right-hand column (on mobile: at the bottom of the page) to browse specific topics, or use the search feature to locate specific words or phrases throughout the entire blog.
The Cycles Approach to Therapy
By Pam Marshalla
Q: Can you explain the “cycles approach”?
To work in cycles means to work only one week at a time on target phonemes or phonological processes. Therapy progresses through the weeks regardless of whether the client masters the target.
For example, the client may have trouble maintaining /s/ in the clusters Sp, St, Sk, Sm, Sn, Sl, Sw, Str, Spr, and so forth. Using cycles, therapy would address one cluster per week.
For more information, read the original authors. Look on-line for used copies. You should be able to get it very cheep; either edition is fine. This book is written very simply — even some parents can read it.
Hodson, B. W., & Paden, E. P. (1983, 1991) Targeting Intelligible Speech