Articulation testing by microcomputer

Comparison of the computer-aided articulation therapy application with printed material in children with speech sound disorders

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to develop an iPad application for computer-aided articulation therapy called the Turkish Articulation Therapy Application (TARTU), and make comparisons between the efficacy of TARTU and printed material.

METHOD

A single subject research design, adapted alternating treatments model, was used for this purpose. The study was carried out with 2 children, at the age of 5; 1 and 5; 11, both of whom have a speech sound disorder. The comparison between TARTU and printed material effectiveness was compared for three target sounds (/k/, /ʃ/ and /l/). 12 therapy sessions were carried out three times a week using the behavioural approach. One participant received therapy targeting the sound /k/ using TARTU, while printed material used for the sound /ʃ/. The targeted sounds were switched for the second participant. Sound /l/ was left without any intervention.

RESULT

The target sound met the criterion with TARTU in one participant, and with printed material in the other participant.

CONCLUSION

The presentation type of the materials did not play an important role in the success of the therapy on the participants.

A comparison between computer and tabletop delivery of phonology therapy

This paper reports on the development and evaluation of a software program aimed at assisting children with phonological impairment. An experimental approach was used whereby children's speech output was assessed pre- and post-therapy. Children were randomly assigned to a computer, a tabletop or a no therapy group. Those children receiving the computer therapy were exposed to an experimental software program that mirrored the tabletop activities using interactive computer games. The results showed no significant difference between any of the three groups with regard to change in speech output. These results may relate to the amount and frequency of therapy given and also to the heterogeneous nature of children included in the study. There was considerable variation in individual performance across all three groups and the data were therefore analysed to look for patterns that might predict performance. Stimulability and gender were identified as possible predictors. Female children and those who were able to produce a greater number of consonant speech sounds in isolation were more likely to make progress in their speech output. Future research might use a similar methodology to compare the therapy conditions but with a more homogenous group in terms of stimulability and using a greater intensity of intervention.

Treatment efficacy: functional phonological disorders in children

This report addresses the efficacy of treatment for functional phonological disorders in children. The definition of phonological disorders and their incidence and prevalence are first presented. The impact of this disorder on the lives of children and the role that speech-language pathologists play in treating this disorder are then discussed. Evidence of the positive outcome of phonological treatment is reviewed, with particular emphasis on treatment procedures that have been deemed effective, the specific effects of these treatments on improving intelligibility, and comparisons between treatments in facilitating improved sound production.

Not Using a Computer in Language Assessment/Intervention

Clinicians who are not yet making direct use of computer applications with their school-age clients may have good reasons. Factors that hinder the clinical use of computers by school clinicians include limited access to computer resources, lack of training, concern that students will be intimidated by the computer, worry over the amount of time necessary to teach students to use the computer, and doubts regarding the efficacy of computer activities. On the other hand, some computer applications offer benefits that are compelling enough to cause clinicians to overcome these barriers. Clinicians are encouraged to explore such applications, which include use of the computer as a context for conversation, a tool for learning, a tool for linguistic and phonological analysis, a tool for treatment data collection, a treatment materials generator, and a biofeedback device.

Developmental phonological disorders. I: A clinical profile

Detailed information on the speech, language, prosody, and voice characteristics of children with developmental phonological disorders is central to diverse research questions. The present study provides a clinical profile of 178 children with developmental phonological disorders. It includes information from prior reports (Shriberg & Kwiatkowski, 1982a; Shriberg, Kwiatkowski, Best, Hengst, & Terselic-Weber, 1986) and from several new measures on a sample of 64 children. The speech, prosody-voice, and causal-correlates profiles for the most recent sample are consistent with prior findings, providing a descriptive profile for forthcoming subgroup research and companion studies addressing short-term (Shriberg, Kwiatkowski, & Gruber, 1994) and long-term (Shriberg, Gruber, & Kwiatkowski, 1994) speech-sound normalization.

Using Conventional Articulation Tests With Highly Unintelligible Children

This study explored whether or not standard administration and scoring of conventional articulation tests accurately identified children as phonologically disordered and whether or not information from these tests established severity level and programming needs. Results of standard scoring procedures from the Assessment of Phonological Processes-Revised, the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, the Photo Articulation Test, and the Weiss Comprehensive Articulation Test were compared for 20 phonologically impaired children. All tests identified the children as phonologically delayed/disordered, but the conventional tests failed to clearly and consistently differentiate varying severity levels. Conventional test results also showed limitations in error sensitivity, ease of computation for scoring procedures, and implications for remediation programming. The use of some type of rule-based analysis for phonologically impaired children is highly recommended.

Speech and prosody characteristics of adults with mental retardation

Audio-recorded continuous speech samples from forty 20-50-year-old noninstitutionalized persons with mental retardation were selected from a database of 192 samples. Descriptive data on segmental and suprasegmental characteristics were obtained using close phonetic transcription as input to linguistic analyses software. For this sample of adults with mental retardation, speech and prosody status were not statistically associated with gender or gross level of mental retardation, but were associated with estimated probability of independent living. Speech and prosody analyses and content analyses of transcribers' comments yielded diacritic-level profiles of these speakers' linguistic and paralinguistic behaviors in continuous speech. Additional analyses of the error data tested alternative sources of processing involvement within a four-stage speech production model. A cognitive capacity constraint, which limits the speaker's ability to allocate resources to phonological encoding, is proposed as a sufficient explanation for the obtained pattern of token-to-token inconsistency of articulation. An additional sociolinguistic constraint is hypothesized to account for reduced prosodic and paralinguistic competence in continuous discourse. Both constraints are amenable to intervention programming. Findings fail to support the view that the potential for long-term speech prosody competence in individuals with mental retardation is limited by speech-motor constraints. Discussion includes intervention considerations in the context of current trends in special education.