Improving practice through clinical research: using single case experimental design to answer a clinical question

It is becoming increasingly achievable for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to conduct research in a clinical context to inform practice. This clinical insights paper describes and reflects upon the collaborative processes taken by a clinician to conduct research to answer a clinical intervention question, within an E3BP framework, using single case experimental design (SCED). A recently completed project which used SCED to explore the treatment of grammar difficulties in early school-aged children with developmental language disorder, is referred to as a case example. A time log of the project is also discussed. These data suggested although time spent adding research tasks to clinical tasks may seem time consuming initially, it adds value to professional development. This is especially the case when there is the possibility to contribute to the current evidence-base. Advancements in our understanding of E3BP, intervention study design, and collaborative approaches, supports SLPs capacity and confidence in conducting research to inform clinical practice.