Which statement about maximal oppositions approach is true?

• A. It uses two sounds that are maximally different in their distinctive feature components and has two phases: imitation and spontaneous production
• B. It uses single-word contrasts only
• C. It relies on non-contrastive cycles
• D. It excludes any imitation phase

Answer: (A)

Maximal oppositions therapy centers on pairing a misarticulated sound with a target sound that differ as much as possible in their distinctive features. By choosing two sounds that are maximally different, the child experiences a clear, salient contrast that helps learn the correct phoneme and supports generalization to other contexts. The approach typically has two phases: first imitation, where the clinician models the target and the child repeats, and then spontaneous production, where the child uses the contrast more freely in natural speech. This emphasis on a strong, contrastive pair and a two-phase practice sequence is what makes this option true. It’s not limited to single-word contrasts, and it relies on an imitation phase rather than excluding it; it’s also a contrastive method, not a non-contrastive cycle.