scholarly journals Effects of Rate Manipulation on Intelligibility in Children With Cerebral Palsy

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Sakash ◽  
Tristan J. Mahr ◽  
Phoebe E. M. Natzke ◽  
Katherine C. Hustad
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Severe Group ◽  
Rate Of Speech ◽  
Intelligibility Ratings ◽  
Slow Speech ◽  
Speech Condition

Purpose We evaluated the effects of a speech supplementation strategy to reduce rate and improve intelligibility in children with cerebral palsy. Method Twenty-five children with cerebral palsy ( M age = 12.08 years) completed a structured speaking task in 2 speech conditions: habitual speech and slow speech. Fifteen children had mild intelligibility deficits; 10 had moderate–severe intelligibility deficits. In each condition, children repeated utterances of 2–7 words in length. In the habitual speech condition, children used their natural and unaltered speaking rate. In the slow speech condition, children were cued to insert pauses between words. Intelligibility ratings were obtained from orthographic transcriptions by unfamiliar adult listeners ( n = 100). Speech rate, in words per minute, was measured for each utterance. Results All children, regardless of severity group, were able to reduce their rate of speech when implementing the slow speech strategy. Only children in the moderate–severe group showed an improvement in intelligibility when implementing the slow speech strategy. Although there was considerable individual variability, there was a greater improvement in intelligibility for longer utterances compared to shorter ones. Conclusion A slow speech strategy may be beneficial for children with moderate–severe intelligibility deficits who speak in longer utterances. Future studies should seek to further examine the clinical feasibility of slow speech for children with reduced intelligibility.

scholarly journals Acoustic and Perceptual Consequences of Speech Cues for Children With Dysarthria

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (6S) ◽  
pp. 1766-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika S. Levy ◽  
Younghwa M. Chang ◽  
Joséphine A. Ancelle ◽  
Megan J. McAuliffe
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Clear Speech ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Speech Styles ◽  
Working Space ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Speech Cues ◽  
Vocal Intensity ◽  
Intelligibility Ratings

Purpose Reductions in articulatory working space and vocal intensity have been linked to intelligibility deficits in children with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy. However, few studies have examined the outcomes of behavioral treatments aimed at these underlying impairments or investigated which treatment cues might best facilitate improved intelligibility. This study assessed the effects of cues targeting clear speech (i.e., “Speak with your big mouth”) and greater vocal intensity (i.e., “Speak with your strong voice”) on acoustic measures of speech production and intelligibility. Method Eight children with spastic dysarthria due to cerebral palsy repeated sentence- and word-level stimuli across habitual, big mouth, and strong voice conditions. Acoustic analyses were conducted, and 48 listeners completed orthographic transcription and scaled intelligibility ratings. Results Both cues resulted in significant changes to vocal intensity and speech rate although the degree of change varied by condition. In a similar manner, perceptual analysis revealed significant improvements to intelligibility with both cues; however, at the single-word level, big mouth outperformed strong voice. Conclusion Children with dysarthria are capable of changing their speech styles differentially in response to cueing. Both the big mouth and strong voice cues hold promise as intervention strategies to improve intelligibility in this population. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5116843

Contribution of Speech Rate to Speech Perception in Multichannel Cochlear Implant Users

2002 ◽  
Vol 111 (8) ◽  
pp. 718-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Iwasaki ◽  
Mitsuyoshi Nagura ◽  
Shuji Ocho ◽  
Tomoyuki Hoshino
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Test Score ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Percentage Score ◽  
Word Test ◽  
Rate Of Speech ◽  
Slow Speech

This study describes the effect of speech rate (fast, 11 syllables per second; medium, 9 syllables per second; slow, 6 syllables per second) on speech perception in 10 cochlear implant users. The speech perception performance was evaluated on the basis of the percentage score of syllables that were correctly recalled in sentences composed of 4 to 6 words. The percentage scores at the fast, medium, and slow speech rates were 15.7%, 39.0%, and 56.0%, respectively. The effect of speech rate slowing was significant (p < .0001). Variations in the effect of speech rate slowing were observed in the cochlear implant users. The improvement of speech perception by speech rate slowing was significantly (p < .005) related to the word test score and the score at the fast speech rate. The results reveal that the rate of speech is an important factor in improving the speech perception of cochlear implant users.

Vocal Fold Paresis in Shy-Drager Syndrome

1983 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Hanson ◽  
Christy L. Ludlow ◽  
Celia J. Bassich
Keyword(s):  
Orthostatic Hypotension ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Vocal Fold ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Voice Quality ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Vocal Fold Paresis ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Slow Speech ◽  
Laryngeal Stridor

Twelve patients with Shy-Drager syndrome (SDS) presenting symptoms of multiple nervous system atrophy and orthostatic hypotension were examined for laryngeal movement disorders and vocal impairment in speech. Vocal fold abductor paresis was found in 11 patients and was bilateral in 10. Speech task performance was recorded in SDS patients, Parkinson patients and age- and sex-matched controls. Trained listeners with inter-rated reliability ≥ .85 judged each recording on 20 attributes while blind to speaker identity. SDS patients had a breathy and strained voice quality, reduced loudness, monopitch and monoloudness, imprecise consonants, variations in rate and rate-slowing, suggesting a flaccid type of dysarthria. In comparison with Parkinson patients, SDS patients had excess vocal hoarseness, intermittent glottal fry and a slow and deliberate speaking rate. Orthostatic hypotension, laryngeal stridor, hoarseness, intermittent glottal fry and slow speech rate were found to be discriminating symptoms of SDS.

THE SPEECH RATE OF PEOPLE AT AN ADVANCED OLD AGE

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-175
Author(s):  
Mirosław Michalik ◽  
Katarzyna Kaczorowska-Bray ◽  
Stanisław Milewski ◽  
Anna Solak
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Articulation Rate ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Rate Of Speech

The aim of the article was to evaluate the rate of speech of people at an advanced old age and without any demential illnesses when compared to the control group of 9-years-old children without any developmental disorders. Because of the fact that the control group consisted of children, we have also made references to the notion of elderspeak – a phenomenon similar to the baby-talk – but related to the way younger people talk to senior citizens. We tested the rate of speech in 32 subjects: the experimental group comprising 16 healthy people of an advanced old age without any neurodevelopmental illnesses (the average age: 83.1) and the control group, which included 16 children without any developmental disorders (the average age: 9.0) in order to achieve a correlation in terms of the male/female ratio for the comparative analysis. The analysed parameters included: the speaking rate, the articulation rate, the numer of pauses, and the ratio of pauses within the speech samples. The estimative quantitative analysis showed insignificant differences in the parameters that influence the rate of speech in both groups. The statistical analysis also showed that there were no significant differences in the main research parameters – the speaking rate, the articulation rate, the number of pauses, and the ratio of pauses. The research hypotheses regarding the differences in the speech rate of those at an advanced old age and of the children at the age of 9 were negated by the results of the ana lyses. It has been proven that the rate of speech of the elderly who age physiologically does not differ from the rate of speech production by the children.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Speech Rate in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Longitudinal Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 2502-2515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Darling-White ◽  
Ashley Sakash ◽  
Katherine C. Hustad
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Sentence Length ◽  
Articulation Rate ◽  
Control Factors ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽  
First Time ◽  
Speech Motor

Purpose The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the effect of time and sentence length on speech rate and its characteristics, articulation rate and pauses, within 2 groups of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method Thirty-four children with CP, 18 with no speech motor involvement and 16 with speech motor involvement, produced sentences of varying lengths at 3 time points that were 1 year apart (mean age = 56 months at first time point). Dependent measures included speech rate, articulation rate, proportion of time spent pausing, and average number and duration of pauses. Results There were no significant effects of time. For children with no speech motor involvement, speech rate increased with longer sentences due to increased articulation rate. For children with speech motor involvement, speech rate did not change with sentence length due to significant increases in the proportion of time spent pausing and average number of pauses in longer sentences. Conclusions There were no significant age-related differences in speech rate in children with CP regardless of group membership. Sentence length differentially impacted speech rate and its characteristics in both groups of children with CP. This may be due to cognitive–linguistic and/or speech motor control factors.

Prevalence of Speech Problems and the Use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Registry-Based Study in Norway

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guro Andersen ◽  
Tone R. Mjøen ◽  
Torstein Vik
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Gross Motor ◽  
Gross Motor Function ◽  
Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Communicative Abilities ◽  
Normal Speech

Abstract This study describes the prevalence of speech problems and the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Norway. Information on the communicative abilities of 564 children with CP born 1996–2003, recorded in the Norwegian CP Registry, was collected. A total of 270 children (48%) had normal speech, 90 (16%) had slightly indistinct speech, 52 (9%) had indistinct speech, 35 (6%) had very indistinct speech, 110 children (19%) had no speech, and 7 (1%) were unknown. Speech problems were most common in children with dyskinetic CP (92 %), in children with the most severe gross motor function impairments and among children being totally dependent on assistance in feeding or tube-fed children. A higher proportion of children born at term had speech problems when compared with children born before 32 weeks of gestational age 32 (p > 0.001). Among the 197 children with speech problems only, 106 (54%) used AAC in some form. Approximately 20% of children had no verbal speech, whereas ~15% had significant speech problems. Among children with either significant speech problems or no speech, only 54% used AAC in any form.

Temporal Characteristics of Speech in Simultaneous Communication

1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1014-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Whitehead ◽  
Nicholas Schiavetti ◽  
Brenda H. Whitehead ◽  
Dale Evan Metz
Keyword(s):  
Pause Duration ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Vowel Perception ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Temporal Features ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Word Duration ◽  
Rate Of Speech ◽  
Speech Condition

The purpose of this investigation was twofold: (a) to determine if there are changes in specific temporal characteristics of speech that occur during simultaneous communication, and (b) to determine if known temporal rules of spoken English are disrupted during simultaneous communication. Ten speakers uttered sentences consisting of a carrier phrase and experimental CVC words under conditions of: (a) speech, (b) speech combined with signed English, and (c) speech combined with signed English for every word except the CVC word that was fingerspelled. The temporal features investigated included: (a) sentence duration, (b) experimental CVC word duration, (c) vowel duration in experimental CVC words, (d) pause duration before and after experimental CVC words, and (e) consonantal effects on vowel duration. Results indicated that for all durational measures, the speech/sign/fingerspelling condition was longest, followed by the speech/sign condition, with the speech condition being shortest. It was also found that for all three speaking conditions, vowels were longer in duration when preceding voiced consonants than vowels preceding their voiceless cognates, and that a low vowel was longer in duration than a high vowel. These findings indicate that speakers consistently reduced their rate of speech when using simultaneous communication, but did not violate these specific temporal rules of English important for consonant and vowel perception.

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