Functional Brain Activation Differences in School-Age Children With Speech Sound Errors: Speech and Print Processing

Development of reading skills has been shown to be tightly linked to phonological processing skills and to some extent to speech perception abilities. Although speech perception is also known to play a role in reading development, it is not clear which processes underlie this connection. Using event-related potentials (ERPs) we investigated the speech processing mechanisms for common and uncommon sound contrasts (/ba/-/da/-/ga/ and /ata/-/at: a/) with respect to the native language of school-age children in Finland and the US. In addition, a comprehensive behavioral test battery of reading and phonological processing was administered. ERPs revealed that the children could discriminate between the speech sound contrasts (place of articulation and phoneme length) regardless of their native language. No differences emerged between the Finnish and US children in their change detection responses. The brain responses to the phoneme length contrast, however, correlated robustly with reading scores in the US children, with larger responses being linked to poorer reading skills. Finnish children also showed correlations between the reading and phonological measures and ERP responses, but the pattern of results was not as clear as for the US children. The results indicate that speech perception is linked to reading skills and this link is more robust for uncommon speech sound contrasts.

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Differences Between School-Age Children With Apraxia of Speech and Other Speech Sound Disorders on Multisyllable Repetition

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2020_persp-19-00086 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 794-808 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nina R. Benway ◽

Jonathan L. Preston

Keyword(s):

Speech Sound ◽

Previous Literature ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Speech Sound Disorders ◽

Childhood Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Speech Corpus ◽

Word Structure ◽

Speech Features

Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate whether features of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) identified in previous literature could be replicated in a sample of school-age children. Method A literature review was conducted to identify candidate speech features that have been previously considered when differentiating CAS from other types of speech sound disorders (SSDs). The candidate features recoverable from blinded transcriptions of multisyllable word repetitions (MSWRs) were applied to a cohort of 61 children aged 7–17 years, previously classified as having CAS ( n = 21) or non-CAS SSD ( n = 40). Results One hundred and ninety-four features had been explored in previous literature to assess their ability to differentiate CAS from other SSDs. Fifteen perceptual features were selected from this list to be applied to performance on the MSWR. In this sample, children with CAS differed from children with SSD on the prevalence of voicing changes, percentage of structurally correct words, correct lexical stress, and syllable deletions within a speech corpus derived from the MSWR task. Conclusion Although previous literature points to numerous features as differentiating CAS from other SSDs, only a portion of those features were replicated in this sample of school-age children. Features of CAS that affect segmental accuracy, prosody, and word structure may be likely to persist into late childhood and early adolescence.

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Tutorial: Speech Motor Chaining Treatment for School-Age Children With Speech Sound Disorders

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/2018_lshss-18-0081 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 343-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jonathan L. Preston ◽

Megan C. Leece ◽

Jaclyn Storto

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Research Evidence ◽

Speech Sound ◽

School Age Children ◽

Evidence Based ◽

School Age ◽

Speech Sound Disorders ◽

Feedback Type ◽

Practice Variability ◽

Speech Motor

Purpose Operationalized treatments for school-age children with speech sound disorders may result in more replicable and evidence-based interventions. This tutorial describes Speech Motor Chaining (SMC) procedures, which are designed to build complex speech around core movements by incorporating several principles of motor learning. The procedures systematically manipulate factors such as feedback type and frequency, practice variability, and stimulus complexity based on the child's performance. Method The rationale and procedures for SMC are described. Examples are presented of how to design stimuli, deliver feedback, and adapt the approach. Free resources are provided to guide clinicians through implementation of the procedure. Data on fidelity of implementation and dose per session are presented. Clinical and research evidence is provided to illustrate likely outcomes with the procedure. Results SMC is a method that can result in successful acquisition of target speech patterns and generalization to untrained words. Most clinicians can implement the procedure with over 90% fidelity, and most children can achieve over 200 trials per session. Conclusion Clinicians and researchers can use or adapt the operationally defined SMC procedures to incorporate several principles of motor learning into treatment for school-age children with speech sound disorders. Supplemental Material https://osf.io/5jmf9/

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Efficacy of Electropalatography for Treating Misarticulation of /r/

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2017_ajslp-16-0122 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 1141-1158 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elaine R. Hitchcock ◽

Tara McAllister Byun ◽

Michelle Swartz ◽

Roberta Lazarus

Keyword(s):

Speech Sound ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Relative Efficacy ◽

Treatment Trials ◽

Improve Production ◽

Word Level ◽

Growing Body ◽

English Speaking ◽

Hearing Abilities

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to document the efficacy of electropalatography (EPG) for the treatment of rhotic errors in school-age children. Despite a growing body of literature using EPG for the treatment of speech sound errors, there is little systematic evidence about the relative efficacy of EPG for rhotic errors. Method Participants were 5 English-speaking children aged 6;10 to 9;10, who produced /r/ at the word level with < 30% accuracy but otherwise showed typical speech, language, and hearing abilities. Therapy was delivered in twice-weekly 30-min sessions for 8 weeks. Results Four out of 5 participants were successful in achieving perceptually and acoustically accurate /r/ productions during within-treatment trials. Two participants demonstrated generalization of /r/ productions to nontreated targets, per blinded listener ratings. Conclusions The present findings support the hypothesis that EPG can improve production accuracy in some children with rhotic errors. However, the utility of EPG is likely to remain variable across individuals. For rhotics, EPG training emphasizes one possible tongue configuration consistent with accurate rhotic production (lateral tongue contact). Although some speakers respond well to this cue, the narrow focus may limit lingual exploration of other acceptable tongue shapes known to facilitate rhotic productions.

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IEP goals for school-age children with speech sound disorders

Journal of Communication Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.jcomdis.2014.09.005 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

pp. 184-195 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kelly Farquharson ◽

Sherine R. Tambyraja ◽

Laura M. Justice ◽

Erin E. Redle

Keyword(s):

Speech Sound ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Speech Sound Disorders

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A Comprehensive Treatment Approach to Address Speech Production and Literacy Skills in School-Age Children with Speech Sound Disorders

Seminars in Speech and Language ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1723840 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (02) ◽

pp. 136-146

Author(s):

Chenell Loudermill ◽

Tamar Greenwell ◽

Françoise Brosseau-Lapré

Keyword(s):

Service Delivery ◽

Speech Production ◽

Speech Sound ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

School Age Children ◽

Comprehensive Treatment ◽

School Age ◽

Speech Sound Disorders ◽

School Based ◽

Production Accuracy

AbstractChildren with speech sound disorders (SSDs) represent a large proportion of clients served by school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). While considerable evidence is available regarding the identification of SSD in school-age children, there is a paucity of information regarding service delivery aspects of school-based speech therapy, such as frequency of sessions, number of trials, distribution of sessions over time, and format (individual or group intervention) that impacts the ability of SLPs to effectively treat SSD in the schools. School-age children with SSD are at risk for later literacy deficits, and strategically addressing their language and emerging literacy needs in addition to speech production accuracy may lead to increased intelligibility and better educational outcomes. In this article, we discuss the heterogeneity of school-age children with SSD with regard to weaknesses in phonological processing skills and language skills. We summarize the information currently available regarding the aspects of service delivery that contribute to gains in speech production accuracy. We conclude by sharing an example of how school-based SLPs could target speech production, phonological awareness, and morphological awareness in the same session with a child with SSD to maximize gains in speech and literacy skills.

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Speech-Sound Discrimination in School-Age Children

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jslhr.4205.1042 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 42 (5) ◽

pp. 1042-1060 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Nina Kraus ◽

Dawn Burton Koch ◽

Therese J. McGee ◽

Trent G. Nicol ◽

Jenna Cunningham

Keyword(s):

Auditory Processing ◽

Speech Sound ◽

Learning Problems ◽

School Age Children ◽

Central Auditory Processing ◽

School Age ◽

Transition Duration ◽

Developmental Effects ◽

Sound Discrimination ◽

Latency Duration

This study measured behavioral speech-sound discrimination and a neurophysiologic correlate of discrimination in normal school-age children (ages 6 to 15) to determine if developmental effects exist. Just noticeable differences (JNDs) and mismatch responses (MMNs) were assessed for synthetic syllables that differed in third-formant onset frequency (/da-ga/) and formant transition duration (/ba-wa/). These stimuli were selected because children with learning problems often find it difficult to discriminate rapid spectrotemporal changes like /da-ga/, whereas the ability to distinguish /ba-wa/ is relatively unimpaired. Results indicate that JNDs for /da-ga/ show no developmental effects and that JNDs for /ba-wa/ decrease slightly with age (although likely for task-related reasons). MMNs elicited by two /da-ga/ stimulus pairs (onset frequency differences=20 Hz, 280 Hz) and three /ba-wa/ stimulus pairs (transition duration differences=3, 5, 15 ms) showed no systematic or significant differences for onset latency, duration, or area as a function of age. Normative JND and MMN data are provided. These norms provide a metric against which children with suspected central auditory processing difficulties or auditory-based language disorders can be compared.

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A Pilot Investigation of Speech Sound Disorder Intervention Delivered by Telehealth to School-Age Children

International Journal of Telerehabilitation ◽

10.5195/ijt.2011.6064 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Sue Grogan-Johnson ◽

Rodney M. Gabel ◽

Jacquelyn Taylor ◽

Lynne E. Rowan ◽

Robin Alvares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Service Delivery ◽

Sound Production ◽

Speech Therapy ◽

School Setting ◽

Speech Sound ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Speech Sound Disorders ◽

Speech Sound Disorder ◽

Post Intervention

This article describes a school-based telehealth service delivery model and reports outcomes made by school-age students with speech sound disorders in a rural Ohio school district. Speech therapy using computer-based speech sound intervention materials was provided either by live interactive videoconferencing (telehealth), or conventional side-by-side intervention. Progress was measured using pre- and post-intervention scores on the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation-2 (Goldman & Fristoe, 2002). Students in both service delivery models made significant improvements in speech sound production, with students in the telehealth condition demonstrating greater mastery of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals. Live interactive videoconferencing thus appears to be a viable method for delivering intervention for speech sound disorders to children in a rural, public school setting. Keywords: Telehealth, telerehabilitation, videoconferencing, speech sound disorder, speech therapy, speech-language pathology; E-Helper

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