scholarly journals Using ultrasound tongue imaging to support the phonetic transcription of childhood speech sound disorders

Author(s):  
Eleanor Sugden ◽  
Joanne Cleland
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Sugden ◽  
Joanne Cleland

Purpose: This study aims to determine whether adding an additional modality (ultrasound tongue imaging) improves the inter-rater reliability of phonetic transcription in childhood speech sound disorders (SSDs) and whether it enables the identification of different or additional errors in children’s speech.Method: Twenty-three English speaking children aged 5–13 years with SSDs of unknown origin were recorded producing repetitions of /aCa/ for all places of articulation with simultaneous audio recording and probe-stabilized ultrasound. Two types of transcriptions were undertaken off-line: (1) ultrasound-aided transcription by two ultrasound-trained speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and (2) traditional phonetic transcription from audio recordings, completed by the same two SLPs and additionally by two different SSD specialist SLPs. We classified transcriptions and errors into ten different subcategories and compared: the number of consonants identified as in error by each transcriber; the inter-rater reliability; and the relative frequencies of error types identified by the different types of transcriber.Results: Error-detection rates were significantly different across the transcription types, with the ultrasound-aided transcribers identifying more errors (χ2(2) = 9.388, p = 0.009). Analysis revealed that these additional errors were identified on the dynamic ultrasound image despite being phonetically transcribed as correct, suggestive of subtle motor errors being present. Interrater reliability for classifying the type of error was substantial (κ = 0.72) for the ultrasound-aided transcribers and ranged from fair to moderate for the audio-only transcribers (κ = 0.38 to 0.52). Ultrasound-aided transcribers were more likely to identify covert errors such as increased variability and abnormal timing than the audio-only transcribers.Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that using ultrasound tongue imaging in the assessment phase of the clinical management of childhood SSDs is useful for improving transcription reliability and detecting subtle covert errors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-616
Author(s):  
Kenn Apel ◽  
Victoria S. Henbest

Purpose Morphological awareness is the ability to consciously manipulate the smallest units of meaning in language. Morphological awareness contributes to success with literacy skills for children with typical language and those with language impairment. However, little research has focused on the morphological awareness skills of children with speech sound disorders (SSD), who may be at risk for literacy impairments. No researcher has examined the morphological awareness skills of children with SSD and compared their skills to children with typical speech using tasks representing a comprehensive definition of morphological awareness, which was the main purpose of this study. Method Thirty second- and third-grade students with SSD and 30 with typical speech skills, matched on age and receptive vocabulary, completed four morphological awareness tasks and measures of receptive vocabulary, real-word reading, pseudoword reading, and word-level spelling. Results Results indicated there was no difference between the morphological awareness skills of students with and without SSD. Although morphological awareness was moderately to strongly related to the students' literacy skills, performance on the morphological awareness tasks contributed little to no additional variance to the children's real-word reading and spelling skills beyond what was accounted for by pseudoword reading. Conclusions Findings suggest that early elementary-age students with SSD may not present with concomitant morphological awareness difficulties and that the morphological awareness skills of these students may not play a unique role in their word-level literacy skills. Limitations and suggestions for future research on the morphological awareness skills of children with SSD are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1987-1996
Author(s):  
Sherine R. Tambyraja

Purpose This study investigated the extent to which speech-language pathologists (SLPs) facilitate parents' completion of homework activities for children with speech sound disorder (SSD). In addition, this study explored factors related to more consistent communication about homework completion and strategies considered particularly effective for supporting this element of parental involvement. Method Licensed SLPs serving at least one child with SSD were invited to participate in an online survey. Questions relevant to this study gathered information regarding (a) frequency of communication about homework distribution and follow-up, (b) demographic and workplace characteristics, and (c) an open-ended question about the specific strategies used to support parental involvement and completion of homework activities. Results Descriptive results indicated considerable variability with respect to how frequently SLPs engaged in communication about homework completion, but that school-based SLPs were significantly less likely to engage in this type of follow-up. Strategies considered effective, however, were similar across therapy contexts. Conclusion These results suggest potentially important differences between school-based services and therapy in other contexts with respect to this particular aspect of service provision for children with SSD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Farquharson

Speech sound disorders are a complex and often persistent disorder in young children. For many children, therapy results in successful remediation of the errored productions as well as age-appropriate literacy and academic progress. However, for some children, while they may attain age-appropriate speech production skills, they later have academic difficulties. For SLPs in the public schools, these children present as challenging in terms of both continuing treatment as well as in terms of caseload management. What happens after dismissal? Have these children truly acquired adequate speech production skills? Do they have lingering language, literacy, and cognitive deficits? The purpose of this article is to describe the language, literacy, and cognitive features of a small group of children with remediated speech sound disorders compared to their typically developing peers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-40
Author(s):  
Alice Lee ◽  
Niamh Moore

Objective: To collect information on the usage of nonspeech oral motor exercises (NSOMEs) by speech and language therapists (SLTs) for treating speech sound disorders (SSDs) in children in the Republic of Ireland. Method: SLTs who had worked with children with SSDs were invited to complete an online questionnaire adapted from a previous survey conducted in the US by Lof and Watson (2008). Main results:: 22/39 (56%) of the respondents reported using NSOMEs. Information from a colleague about the usefulness of NSOMEs, continuing education, and literature influenced the respondents the most to use NSOMEs. Most respondents used NSOMEs as a “warm up”, mainly with children with childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria, and Down Syndrome. Conclusion: NSOMEs are used by over half of the respondents despite the lack of evidence that supports this treatment approach. Continuous effort to encourage the application of evidence-based practice in clinics is warranted.


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