Identifying Clinical Behaviors Using the Motor Learning Classification Framework: A Pilot Study.

Context: Although differences in clinical interactions with patients between students and experienced clinicians are well described, differences in therapeutic training behaviors have not been explored, especially in relation to motor learning principles.

Aims: This pilot study compared clinical behaviors between speech language pathology (SLP) students and experienced SLPs in a voice therapy task, using prepractice variables in the Motor Learning Classification Framework (MLCF).

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, five final-year undergraduate SLP students and four experienced SLPs with a voice therapy caseload taught a standardized patient to produce a vocal siren.

Classifying and Identifying Motor Learning Behaviors in Voice-Therapy Clinician-Client Interactions: A Proposed Motor Learning Classification Framework.

Purpose: We studied whether concepts in motor skill learning could be operationalized to identify clinical interactions and behaviors in a voice therapy setting. Our aim was to test the feasibility of measuring these behaviors in the prepractice phase so that we could eventually evaluate and apply principles of motor learning and skill acquisition to Speech-Language Pathology. Four general categories of behaviors that have been identified in the client-clinician prepractice phase were identified: motivation, modeling, verbal information, and feedback.