bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediating Literacy Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children With Special Needs
Authors: Gutierrez-Clellen Vera F.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this article is to: (a) describe sources of variability in reading and spelling performance of children learning English as a second language, with a specific emphasis on Spanish-speaking children; (b) encourage teachers and clinicians to consider these differences when developing intervention plans; and (c) suggest specific intervention procedures that might facilitate development of reading and spelling skills of Spanish-speaking children with language difficulties and limited English proficiency. An integrated approach to intervention is highlighted that addresses reading and spelling as reciprocal processes. Implementation of this approach is presented using various contexts for learning and strategies specific to developing second-language reading and writing skills.
Practice Makes Perfect
Authors: Kamhi Alan G.
Published: August 2014

In this article, the possibility is raised that some children may implicitly view the therapy situation as one in which new sounds and language forms are learned and practiced. In contrast, the primary purpose of talking outside of therapy is meaningful communication. Inherent in this view of therapy and non-therapy is the incompatibility or inconsistency between practicing speech and communicating effectively. What led me to recognize this inconsistency and consider its potential clinical implications was the way in which my daughter Franne dealt with her phonological disorder.
The Quality of Life of Young Adults With Histories of Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Records Nancy L. , Tomblin J. Bruce , Freese Paula R.
Published: August 2014

When a child is diagnosed as having a language disorder, parents may ask the speech-language pathologist questions such as "How might this language disorder affect my child’s life?" Unfortunately, professionals have little empirical information upon which to base an answer to this question. The purpose of this paper is to provide information regarding reported quality of life (QOL) for a group of young adults with histories of mild to severe specific language impairment who had received language treatment. A QOL measurement tool was developed to gather information about personal happiness, life satisfaction, and status in various life domains (e.g,, education, occupation, family/social life). This QOL survey was used with 29 young adults with language impairments (
M
= 21:6 years) and 29 controls (
M
= 20:4 years). The results indicated no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the various subjective components of quality of life.
Evoking [r] Using Visual Feedback
Authors: Shuster Linda I. , Ruscello Dennis M. , Smith Kimberly D.
Published: August 2014

An adult who was not able to produce singleton consonantal [r] or any of the r-colored vowels correctly (although he could produce some consonant clusters containing [r]) was enrolled in a treatment program for remediation of these sounds. When, after 17 therapy sessions, he was still unable to produce any of these sounds accurately, a real-time speech spectrograph was introduced to provide visual feedback. Within two sessions, the client was able to produce [] correctly. We were then able to use his production of [] to obtain a correct [r]. The data indicate that this type of biofeedback can be useful for eliciting correct production of [].
Communication Strategies for Increasing the Integration of Persons in Supported Employment
Authors: Storey Keith , Ezell Helen , Lengyel Linda
Published: August 2014

Integration of workers with severe disabilities is a critical outcome of supported employment. However, in practice, integration has been difficult to achieve. Few intervention strategies have been empirically validated. This paper reviews data-based communication research designed to increase the social interactions of workers with disabilities in supported employment settings. The literature is divided into three areas for review (social skills instruction, problem solving, and nonverbal communication strategies). Nineteen articles are reviewed. Specific communication interventions for increasing integration are analyzed and evaluated with suggestions for best practice of instructional techniques. Recommendations for future research are discussed.
Effect of Generating a Semantic Prime
Authors: Hasselkus Amy , Rubin Scott S. , Newhoff Marilyn
Published: August 2014

Studies of both semantic priming and the generation effect (GE) have implicated spreading activation in semantic memory and have provided evidence for a semantic memory access disorder in patients with dementia. Fifteen subjects consisting of young, elderly, and demented patients participated in a semantic priming/GE task to determine whether the act of generating a semantic prime enhanced activation and reduced reaction times to related items. Reaction times were recorded for semantically related and unrelated targets presented after either read or generated word pair cues. From the results it was suggested that generating a prime provided little benefit for young subjects or subjects with dementia; elderly subjects benefited more from generating information than from reading it. Implications for theories of dementia and normal aging are discussed.
Readiness and Patterns of Growth in Children With SELI
Authors: Long Steven H. , Olswang Lesley B.
Published: August 2014

Readiness for language change is a concept that underlies parents' and clinicians' views about how to manage children with language impairments. Various notions exist about how to determine when a child is ready to learn a particular language behavior, but none are well substantiated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a child's state of readiness to learn a language behavior, as measured by a dynamic assessment (stimulability) task, would predict the pattern of learning. Participants in the study were 21 children, ages 31–36 months, who showed a specific impairment of expressive language. They took part in a 9-week program. Seventeen children participated in an intensive 3-week treatment, organized in a baseline-intervention-withdrawal design. Weekly language samples were taken from all children, and growth patterns were identified by fitting logarithmic and linear curves to plots of MLU scores. The results indicated little relationship between the children's readiness, as measured by dynamic assessment, and their patterns of growth, despite a strong correlation between measured readiness and amount of growth. This finding is discussed in relation to individual differences, procedures for dynamic assessment, and the need for greater attention to the issue of readiness by researchers and clinicians alike.
The Voice Handicap Index (VHI)
Authors: Jacobson Barbara H. , Johnson Alex , Grywalski Cynthia , Silbergleit Alice , Jacobson Gary , Benninger Michael S. , Newman Craig W.
Published: August 2014

To date, no instruments exist to quantify the psychosocial consequences of voice disorders. The aim of the present investigation was the development of a statistically robust Voice Handicap Index (VHI). An 85-item version of this instrument was administered to 65 consecutive patients seen in the Voice Clinic at Henry Ford Hospital. The data were subjected to measures of internal consistency reliability and the initial 85-item version was reduced to a 30-item final version. This final version was administered to 63 consecutive patients on two occasions in an attempt to assess test-retest stability, which proved to be strong. The findings of the latter analysis demonstrated that a change between two administrations of 18 points represents a significant shift in psychosocial function.
The Effect of Increased Vocal Effort on Estimated Velopharyngeal Orifice Area
Authors: McHenry Monica A.
Published: August 2014

Velopharyngeal deficits are a common component of dysarthria following neurogenic insults. Compensatory strategies may minimize the impact of velopharyngeal deficits on speech production. Velopharyngeal airway resistance measures were obtained for 28 subjects with traumatic brain injury. The measures were converted to velopharyngeal orifice area estimates. Data are reported for the subjects' habitual loudness and for increased vocal effort. Eighty-nine percent of the subjects decreased velopharyngeal orifice area by increasing vocal effort. The decrease ranged from 0.10 mm
2
to 20.19 mm
2
. In several cases, the change would likely affect perceived hypernasality. The reduction in velopharyngeal orifice area with increased vocal effort reflects an ability to compensate for velopharyngeal deficits, as well as a generalization of effects across the speech mechanism. Programs such as the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, designed to establish high phonatory effort, may be of benefit.
A Longitudinal Case Study of ALS: Effects of Listener Familiarity and Proficiency on Intelligibility Judgments
Authors: DePaul Roxanne , Kent Raymond D.
Published: August 2014

This study describes the effects of listener proficiency and familiarization on judgments of speech intelligibility and speech severity associated with a progressive dysarthria. Speech performance was followed longitudinally for 39 months postdiagnosis for a man with ALS. The subject’s spouse served as a highly familiar listener whose speech severity and intelligibility judgments were compared to those of 24 unfamiliar listener-judges. The expected superior ratings of the spouse over the unfamiliar listeners became especially evident at 20 months postdiagnosis when the speech disorder was moderately severe. That is, the advantage of familiarity evolved over time and reached its maximum when the speech impairment was marked. Results for the unfamiliar listener group illustrated that differences among judges represented large individual variations in listener proficiency. These results have clinical significance in that they suggest the use of a practice standard for progressive dysarthria that includes speech intelligibility measures, listener proficiency indices, and familiarization training.
Neurophysiological Intraoperative Monitoring
Authors: Dennis J. Michael
Published: August 2014

In November 1991, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association formally adopted the position that neurophysiological intraoperative monitoring (NIM) is within the scope of practice of audiology. This article relates to the scope of practice extension in several ways. NIM is defined and described in a manner that presents the comprehensive nature of its application. A developmental review of NIM relates the role played by individual audiologists and audiology as a discipline. This includes a rationale for audiologists as NIM practitioners. The section about the clinical practice of intraoperative monitoring overviews methodologies and is highlighted by case examples. Finally, education, training, research, and reimbursement are underscored as future needs for this specialty area.
Perceived Communication Difficulties of Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: Kopun Judy G. , Stelmachowicz Patricia G.
Published: August 2014

The goals of this study were to modify an adult self-assessment questionnaire (APHAP, Cox & Alexander, 1995) to be appropriate for children who are older than 9 years of age, to compare the results of the questionnaire for children with hearing loss to existing adult data, and to examine the agreement between a parent’s perception of his or her child’s disability and the child’s perception. Children with mild hearing loss who were unaided reported fewer problems than did adults who were unaided. Children and adults with mild hearing loss who were aided reported similar problems. Data for children with moderate hearing loss were similar to previously reported adult data. In general, parents’ perception of their child’s communication problems correlated poorly with the child’s scores on this test.
Management of a Patient with Velopharyngeal Incompetency of Undetermined Origin: A Clinical Report
Authors: Lawshe Breta S. , Hardy James C. , Schweiger James W. , Van Allen Maurice W.
Published: August 2014

Prosthetic management of an edentulous patient with palatal paresis is described. The treatment program included cooperation of speech pathologists, a prosthodontist, and a neurologist. The results of examination procedures prior to the construction of the appliance are discussed, as is the evaluation of the adequacy of the appliance approximately one year after initial management. With this patient, use of the prostheses has resulted in reduced nasality, improved articulation, and less fatigue when speaking.
Some Clinical Notes on Forced Stuttering
Authors: Bloodstein Oliver , Shogan Roberta Levy
Published: August 2014

Stutterers sometimes report that by exerting articulatory pressure they can force themselves to have “real” blocks. A procedure was devised for instructing subjects to force stuttering under various conditions and for recording their introspections. Most subjects were able to force at least a few blocks which they regarded as real. Most of the words on which the attempts were said to succeed were feared or difficult words, and at times subjects assisted the process by “telling” themselves that they would not be able to say the word. Fewer subjects were able to force blocks on isolated sounds than on words, and almost none claimed to succeed on mere articulatory contacts. Subjects repeatedly characterized “real” stuttering as involving feelings of physical tension and loss of control over speech. The nature of the forced block is discussed with reference to a concept of stuttering as a struggle reaction which has acquired a high degree of automaticity.
A Proposed SRT Procedure and Its Statistical Precedent
Authors: Wilson Richard H. , Morgan Donald E. , Dirks Donald D.
Published: August 2014

The procedure for establishing speech reception thresholds (SRTs) with spondee words as proposed by Tillman and Olsen is described, with a suggested modification of that protocol. These systemized techniques incorporate 2- and 5-dB intensity decrements with two and five words being presented at the respective intervals. Threshold derivations from these two procedures are discussed in terms of a long-standing statistical precedent, the Spearman-Kärber method. Our data from 100 ears tested validate the procedures. We conclude that these techniques are clinically practical and suggest that the procedures be considered for adoption as standardized clinical methods, if additional data support their validity and reliability.
A New Therapeutic Technique for the Treatment of Velopharyngeal Incompetence
Authors: Shprintzen Robert J. , McCall Gerald N. , Skolnick M. Leon
Published: August 2014

A new therapeutic technique for the treatment of velopharyngeal incompetence during speech was administered to four subjects ranging in age from four to 19 years. The technique is an operant procedure designed to utilize successive approximation to competent speech via competent blowing or whistling closure mechanisms. The technique is based on cinefluoroscopic observations of normals utilizing the same closure mechanism for speech, blowing, and whistling plus videofluoroscopic observations of cleft-palate subjects who were capable of attaining normal closure patterns for blowing and whistling, but not for speech. It is speculated that speech incompetence in individuals who can achieve closure during blowing and whistling is a result of an error in learning.
Articulatory-Defective Children’s Discrimination of Their Production Errors
Authors: McReynolds Leija V. , Kohn Joan , Williams Gail C.
Published: August 2014

Discrimination and production performance of seven severely misarticulating children was analyzed in terms of errors in distinctive features and phonemes. Their performance on the McDonald Deep Test of Articulation and a minimal pairs discrimination test was also compared to the performance of children without articulation errors on the same measures. The normal children performed equally well in production and discrimination. However, the articulatory-error children performed poorly on the production test but performed almost as well as the normal children on the discrimination test. A discrepancy in articulatory-error children’s production and discrimination of their error phonemes was obtained. They discriminated features and phonemes they did not produce. Clinical relevance of these findings are discussed.
Erratum: Reply to Aten, Darley, Deal, and Johns
Authors: Martin A. Damien
Published: August 2014

Two lines were omitted from A. Damien Martin’s letter to the editor, “Reply to Aten, Darley, Deal, and Johns,” which appeared on pages 420–422 of the August, 1975, Volume 40, issue of this journal. The paragraph should read:

The writers state flatly “But the simple fact, known to everyone … is that not all aphasic patients display phonologic impairment. Only some of them do. And some patients display phonological impairment in pure culture with no associated problems in the use of lexicon or syntax.” There is not total agreement on this. Schuell (1965) pointed out that her Group I and II patients presented inconsistent misarticulation, while Group III patients presented phonological difficulties as a major presenting symptom. In some of my own research (Martin and Rigrodsky, 1974a, 1974b) patients who did not present phonological impairment as a major symptom showed it within certain tasks. In a later study (Martin et al., 1975) we found that the incidence, type, and position of error were related to the presence or absence of morphological inflection. The arguments presented by Aten et al. illustrate one of the dangers of categorization, especially dischotomous categorization. It can reflect “the old error of observing only the most obvious symptoms that fit some a priori assumption, or symptoms prominent at one point in time” (Schuell, Jenkins, and Jimenez-Pabon, 1964, p. 101).
Computer-Aided Speech Training for the Deaf
Authors: Nickerson R. S. , Kalikow D. N. , Stevens K. N.
Published: August 2014

An effort to develop a computer-based system of speech-training aids for the deaf is reported. The system is described, as are four different types of visual displays that have been programmed to date. The use of the system in a school for the deaf and an attempt to evaluate its effectiveness are described. The importance of close collaboration between researchers and teachers on efforts to develop innovative training aids is emphasized, as is the need to resolve some basic pedagogical issues.
Verbal Versus Tangible Reward for Children Who Stutter
Authors: Manning Walter H. , Trutna Phyllis A. , Shaw Candyce K.
Published: August 2014

The results of several previous attempts to modify the speech of stuttering children suggest that tangible (as opposed to verbal) rewards are efficient forms of positive reinforcement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effectiveness of these two forms of positive reinforcement with young stuttering subjects. Each of three stuttering children was seen for a base rate session, three experimental sessions, and a carry-over session. Experimental sessions were preceded by verbal instructions explaining the response contingency, and subjects selected their own verbal and tangible reinforcers. Results revealed that both verbal and tangible reinforcements were equally effective in modifying the speech of the three subjects. The possibility is discussed that the effectiveness of verbal and tangible rewards with young stuttering subjects can be explained by (1) selection of the rewards by the subjects; (2) reinforcement of easily identifiable behavior; and (3) subject awareness of the response contingency.
Generalization and Articulation Instruction
Authors: Costello Janis , Bosler Sharon
Published: August 2014

Three young children were taught correct articulation of an error phoneme on a program administered by their mothers in their homes. During the course of the treatment program each child was periodically brought into the speech clinic where the generalization of correct articulation learned in the home treatment setting could be measured in a series of four settings which differed from the treatment setting in varying degrees. Stimulus words which had not been taught during the home articulation program were also included in generalization testing. The results indicated (1) that correct articulation generalized to a high extent to the nontreatment settings investigated; and (2) that responses to new stimulus words were less adequate than responses to words which had received previous training. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Communicative and Cognitive Deterioration in Dialysis Dementia: Two Case Studies
Authors: Madison Diane Petersen , Baehr Elsa Telser , Bazell Marti , Hartman Robert W. , Mahurkar Sakharam D. , Dunea George
Published: August 2014

We studied the cognitive and communicative deterioration of two patients who were treated by maintenance dialysis and developed a fatal progressive encephalopathy, “dialysis dementia.” Detailed language, speech, and psychological evaluations support the contention that this neurologic syndrome is in fact a dementia. Stuttering and intermittent mutism characterize the disorder and may be valuable in the differentiation of dialysis dementia from other neuropsychiatric syndromes. Some of the speech and language defects are not explicable on the basis of intellectual deterioration and probably represent involvement of the cortical language centers.
Clinical Acoustic Reflex Threshold Measurements in Infants
Authors: Abahazi Dennis A. , Greenberg Herbert J.
Published: August 2014

Acoustic reflex thresholds elicited using clinical acoustic impedance techniques were obtained on normal infants between one month and one year of age. Reflex activating signals of 500, 1000, 2000 Hz, low-pass, high-pass, and white noise were used. Less intensity was required to elicit the acoustic reflex to the noise than to the pure tones, with the 500-Hz tone requiring the greatest intensity. Inference of auditory thresholds from the acoustic reflex indicated the presence of normal hearing in the infant group.
Uses and Abuses of the ITPA
Authors: Kirk Samuel A. , Kirk Winifred D.
Published: August 2014

This paper describes the circumstances leading to the development of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) and discusses the malpractices in administration, scoring, and interpretation of the test. Certain relevant research endeavors are summarized and evaluated. These include (1) equivalence of the experimental and research editions, (2) outcomes and pitfalls of factor analysis, (3) the relationship of ITPA scores to those of the WISC and Stanford-Binet, (4) ethnic differences shown on the ITPA, (5) differences among groups of atypical children, and (6) ITPA correlates of reading disabilities. A critique is presented regarding the misuse of the ITPA with subjects beyond the range of the norms and possible uses of the test in areas for which it was not originally intended. Emphasis is placed on the major use of the test as being a clinical indicator in determining differential abilities and disabilities (intraindividual differences) among cognitive, perceptual, and memory functions in young children.
Effects of Speech Materials on the Loudness Discomfort Level
Authors: Beattie Randall C. , Edgerton Bradly J. , Gager David W.
Published: August 2014

Clinicians have used speech stimuli when measuring the loudness discomfort level (LDL) to determine the upper intensity limit for test stimulus presentation, and to select the saturation sound pressure level for an individual’s hearing aid. Because little research has investigated the effects of speech stimuli on the LDL, this study was undertaken to compare LDLs using six commercially available speech materials on 120 normally hearing listeners. Our comparisons showed no significant differences between the mean scores for any of the speech stimuli. These findings suggest that any differences in the mean LDLs among studies probably are not attributable to the speech stimuli. The intrasession reliability of LDL measurement was also assessed using a modified method of limits procedure with 2-dB increments and instructions stressing initial discomfort. It was concluded that examiners probably could attain a high degree of reliability by simply averaging the results of two ascending trials, because 95% of these test/retest differences did not exceed 6 dB. Our findings were integrated with previous studies in terms of: (1) test stimuli; (2) listener experience; (3) instructional set; and (4) psychophysical method. This discussion points to many unanswered questions and concludes that the LDL should be interpreted very cautiously. Moreover, it is suggested that the stimuli selected for LDL measurement should reflect the examiner’s purpose.
Evaluation of a Language Program for Young Autistic Children
Authors: Bloch Judith , Gersten Elayne , Kornblurn Susan
Published: August 2014

This report presents retrospective data comparing an individualized language development program for preschool autistic children receiving language remediation (experimental subjects) with a group receiving the basic school curriculum only (control subjects). All findings favored the language remediation group, as indicated: (1) experimental subjects made significant gains in one year while the control group required two years; (2) after one year, experimental subjects surpassed controls on four measures; (3) only experimental subjects made significant gains in communicative speech, noteworthy because interpersonal interaction is so difficult for the autistic child; and (4) after two years, 58% of the experimental subjects, but only 14% of the controls, had mastered all seven skills. These results support the hypothesis that an individualized language remediation program facilitates the acquisition of prelinguistic and linguistic skills.
Communication Attitudes of Women Who Stutter
Authors: Silverman Ellen-Marie
Published: August 2014

This study sought to determine the appropriateness of the Andrews and Cutler (1974) modification of Erickson's (1969) S-scale to women who stutter. This tool, apparently valuable both in the description of stuttering symptomatology and in the prediction of therapy outcome, had been developed to differentiate male stutterers from male nonstutterers. The modification of the S-scale was administered to 10 female stutterers, 10 female nonstutterers, and 10 male stutterers. S-scores were found not only to differentiate female stutterers from female nonstutterers but also female stutterers from male stutterers. For both female and male stutterers, attitudes toward communication were independent of frequency of disfluency. Clinical implications of these findings are considered.
The Effect of Word List and Talker Variation on Word Recognition Scores Using Time-Altered Speech
Authors: De Chicchis Albert , Orchik Daniel J. , Tecca John
Published: August 2014

Time-altered versions of the Auditec recordings of CID W-22 and Northwestern Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) were compared at five time-compressed ratios (0%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 60%) on twenty-eight normal-hearing listeners. NU-6 scores were consistently poorer than the W-22's, with significant differences observed at the 30% and 60% time-compressed conditions. The NU-6 data in this investigation were also compared with previously reported normative data, which used a different recorded version of NU-6. The scores from this study were found to be markedly poorer. Clinical implications are discussed.
Latency of Vocalization Onset for Stutterers and Nonstutterers under Conditions of Auditory and Visual, Cueing
Authors: McFarlane Stephen C. , Shipley Kenneth G.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine whether stutterers and nonstutterers differed in latency of vocalization onset as a function of auditory and visual stimulus presentations. Twelve adult stutterers and 12 adult nonstutterers were compared for phonation onset latency under conditions of visual, right ear auditory, and left ear auditory cueing. Analyses of the data indicated that (a) overall phonation onset time did not differ significantly between the groups, (b) no significant differences were found for phonation onset time under conditions of combined auditory cueing, (c) stutterers were significantly slower for /pℵ/ when auditory cueing was presented to either the left ear, (d) stutterers were significantly slower for /pℵ/ and /bℵ/ when the values were combined for the left ear, and (e) there were no significant differences between stutterers' and nonstutterers' phonation onset times under visual cueing. The results are interpreted to implicate a possible role of auditory system functioning in stutterers' motor control for speech tasks such as phonation onset.
Perception of Spoken Communication by Elderly Chronically Ill Patients in an Institutional Setting
Authors: Lubinski Rosemary , Morrison Eleanor B. , Rigrodsky Seymour
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this research was to investigate the perception of elderly and chronically ill patients regarding the spoken communication that occurs in a long-term care institution. Twenty-four patients were given a focused semi-standardized interview to investigate their perception of how much they talked, their communication partners, where they talked, their topics, their desire and enjoyment in talking, factors affecting communication, and suggestions for improving the communication atmosphere in this setting. Results indicate that communication is limited in quantity and scope, though elderly patients desire communicative interaction. The results of the study are explained from two perspectives—how the patients themselves contribute to the limited communication and how institutional life restricts interaction. Implications for the speech pathologist are given.
Pragmatics as Social Competence
Authors: Prutting Carol A.
Published: August 2014

This paper describes the theoretical shift that has taken place in speech-language pathology as a result of the focus on the pragmatic aspects of language. This shift is placed in the philosophical perspective of American pragmatism. Issues related to the study of language in context and areas investigated in the child language literature using a pragmatic theoretical framework are summarized. In conclusion, the contributions made by the addition of prgamatics to speech-language pathology are presented. In particular the notion of pragmatics as social competence and the centrality of context to the understanding of communication are underscored.
Phonetic Disintegration in a Five-Year-Old Following Sudden Hearing Loss
Authors: Binnie Carl A. , Daniloff Raymond G. , Buckingham Hugh W.
Published: August 2014

The speech of a five-year-old boy who suffered a profound hearing loss following meningitis was sampled at two-week intervals for nine months. Speech samples were subjected to phonetic transcription, spectrographic analysis, and intelligibility testing. Immediately post-trauma, the child displayed slightly slower, F
o
elevated, acoustically intense speech in which phonemic distortion and syllabification of consonants occurred occasionally; single word intelligibility was depressed below normal between 20–30%. By the 18th week, a sudden decline in intelligibility, increasing monotony of pitch, and a pattern of strongly emphatic, prolonged, aspirated, syllabified, and increasingly distorted consonants were manifest. At year's end, the child's speech bore some resemblance to the speech of the deaf in terms of suprasegmentals, intonation, and intelligibility, but differed because the child rarely, if ever deleted speech sounds or diphthongized vowels strongly. It is speculated that phonetic processes such as diphthongization, syllabification, and prolonged duration may be strategies for enhancing feedback during speech.
Phonological Disorders III
Authors: Shriberg Lawrence D. , Kwiatkowski Joan
Published: August 2014

Data are presented to support the reliability, validity, and utility of a severity metric for phonological disorders. The metric, percentage of consonants correct (PCC), is readily derived from a continuous speech sample. PCC values are shown to reflect an ordinal severity scale that embraces the constructs of disability, intelligibility, and handicap. PCC values index four levels of "severity of involvement": Mild, mild-moderate, moderate-severe, and severe. The metric provides a means by which instructors, researchers, and speech-language pathologists working in different settings can specify subject descriptions, gauge the effects of intervention programs, and undertake cross-institutional projects. The metric is used as one component of a diagnostic classification system for phonological disorders (Shriberg & Kwiatkowski, 1982a) and within a framework for management of persons with phonological disorders (Shriberg & Kwiatkowski, 1982b), the first and second papers in this series.
Evaluation of Regulated-Breathing Method and Awareness Training in the Treatment of Stuttering
Authors: Ladouceur Robert , Côté Christiane , Leblond Georges , Bouchard Léandre
Published: August 2014

Twelve subjects participated in this study. One group was treated by means of the regulated-breathing technique (Azrin & Nunn, 1974). Three other groups were treated similarly receiving additional types of awareness training. Measures of stuttering were obtained obtrusively and unobtrusively during telephone and laboratory interviews before, during, at termination, and two months after the end of treatment. It was hypothesized that increasing a subject's awareness of his stuttering before treatment would lead to better maintenance of therapeutic gains. Results partially support this hypothesis, but the clinical effectiveness of the regulated-breathing method is questioned.
Speech Modification by a Deaf Child through Dynamic Orometric Modeling and Feedback
Authors: Fletcher Samuel G. , Hasegawa Akira
Published: August 2014

Baseline physiologic, acoustic, and phonetic data are presented to characterize speech production of 3 ½-year-old deaf girl prior to a visual articulatory modeling and feedback program. These observations suggest that she used an articulatory strategy based on visual information about lip and jaw movements rather than tongue positions as a primary means of differentiating speech sounds. The training program which followed used instrumentally generated displays of tongue position and movements to teach production of the /i/ and /a/ vowels in single and bisyllable word contexts. Linguapalatal contact patterns for the consonant /t/ were then introduced and taught in combinations with the vowels. Goal articulatory gestures were learned rapidly with respect to both positional and timing features of speech.
Do the Effects of Adventitious Deafness Include Disordered Speech?
Authors: Goehl Henry , Kaufman Diana K.
Published: August 2014

The popular clinical prediction is that adventitious deafness will result in deterioration of speech sound production; consequently, a recommendation of speech conservation training is thought to be warranted in these cases. This prediction usually follows from a theory that counts feedback (particularly auditory feedback) as important in the maintenance of normal speech. The results of this study, designed to examine the speech of five adventitiously deafened adults matched with a group of normal controls, do not support the prediction of speech deterioration. Even so, judges were able to differentiate deafened from normally hearing speakers. Some possibilities are considered that could account for the identity of the deafened speakers in the absence of clinically significant speech disorder, and clinicians are encouraged to reevaluate their assumptions concerning this population.
Misarticulating and Normally Articulating Children's Identification and Discrimination of Synthetic [r] and [w]
Authors: Hoffman Paul R. , Daniloff Raymond G. , Bengoa Deborah , Schuckers Gordon H.
Published: August 2014

In this study, 22 children, ages 6:0 to 6:11, who misarticulated word-initial [r] as [w], were compared to 13, age-matched normally articulating children for their ability to identify and discriminate seven synthetic stimuli representing an acoustic continuum between [we] and [re]. Discrimination was tested among 3-step continuum stimulus pairs using the 4IAX paradigm. All of the control children demonstrated a single, sharp phonemic boundary during identification and higher between-phoneme than within-phoneme discrimination ability. Most of the misarticulating children demonstrated abnormal identification functions, with many showing only chance-level responses. Discrimination ability of the misarticulating children was generally poorer than that of the normally articulating children. Furthermore, discrimination ability of children in both groups was largely predictable from their identification performance, assuming categorical perception of these stimuli. Results indicate that a majority of the 6-year-old [r]-misarticulating children have failed to phonemically distinguish /r/ from /w/. These results call into question the use of the liquid gliding process as a psychological processing description of the misarticulation of these children.
Speech Production and Oral Motor Skill in an Adult with an Unrepaired Palatal Cleft
Authors: Fletcher Samuel G.
Published: August 2014

The aim of this study was to identify maneuvers and strategies that enabled an adult speaker to produce "pressure" consonants intelligibly despite an open cleft of the palate. Dynamic palatometry indicated that this was achieved in part by increasing linguapalatal contact in stop sound production and narrowing the linguapalatal groove in sibilant sound production. These adaptations apparently enabled the talker to compensate for reduced air supply in a manner similar to that identified previously in responses of subjects with esophageal speech. Oral motor skill was examined in a nonspeech task that involved tongue tip placement at six points along the palate with and without visual feedback. This revealed precise control of the tongue even in the region of the cleft. Less accurate tongue placement skills were found in the central palatal region despite intactness of the palate. This supports the hypothesis that phonetic inventories of human languages are shaped by oral motor capabilities.
Generalization of Treatment Effects by Young Language-Delayed Children
Authors: Warren Steven F. , Kaiser Ann P.
Published: August 2014

This study investigated the generalized effects of a language intervention program on the structural aspects of 8 language-delayed preschool children's productive language. Subjects were observed in preschool free play for periods ranging from 12 to 24 months concurrent with receiving daily didactic language intervention. A total of 57 two-, three-, and four-word syntactic forms were taught to criterion. Generalized usage was determined from (verbatim) language samples collected during free play periods in the subjects' classroom. Forty-two (74%) of the treated forms generalized to the subjects' spontaneous language in free play. There was a relationship between the complexity and potential functions of the treated forms and their generalization to free play. This effect may have been related to the subjects' MLUs. Substantial changes also occurred in the subjects' MLUs, frequency of speaking, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores, and Houston Test for Language Development scores over the period of instruction. These measures suggested that 4 of the 8 subjects were functioning near the normal range at the conclusion of treatment. Implications of these and other results are discussed.
Speech Quality Measurement and the Management of Stuttering
Authors: Onslow Mark , Ingham Roger J.
Published: August 2014

This paper reviews the various approaches that have been made toward the investigation of speech quality in stuttering treatment. The review takes into account the findings of relevant perceptual and acoustic investigations in the area of normal communication skills and voice disorders. Similar consideration is given to investigations on the stutter-free speech of stutterers where the contribution and relevance of this research to the search for a reliable and viable measure of speech quality is discussed. The review concludes with an overview of some promising findings from recent studies on the use of listener ratings of speech naturalness in the measurement and modification of untreated and treated stutterers. Some avenues for research and issues that have emerged from these studies are also discussed.
Clinical Application of Two Phonologically Based Treatment Procedures
Authors: Tyler Ann A. , Edwards Mary Louise , Saxman John H.
Published: August 2014

Two phonological process-based treatment procedures were applied in an ongoing clinical program. Subjects were 4 children aged 3:1, 3:8, 4:1, and 5:1. Two subjects were assigned to a minimal pairs contrasting procedure, and 2 were assigned to a modified cycles procedure based on results of a detailed phonological analysis. All children demonstrated marked changes in their phonological systems as shown by the results of pretreatment and follow-up generalization probes. Correct production generalized to sounds affected by the treatment process that were not a focus of training. Correct production of untrained sounds lagged behind that of trained sounds for all subjects. Results support the hypothesis that articulation remediation is enhanced by treating phonological processes as well as the notion that the acquisition of phonology is a gradual process. Both treatment procedures used in this study were found to be effective and efficient, as evidenced by the elimination of up to three phonological processes within 2 ½ months for each subject.
Description of Laryngeal Pathologies by Age, Sex, and Occupation in a Treatment-Seeking Sample
Authors: Herrington-Hall Barbara L. , Lee Linda , Stemple Joseph C. , Niemi Kim R. , McHone Molly Miller
Published: August 2014

The purpose of the present investigation was to describe the occurrence of laryngeal pathologies and their distribution across age, sex, and occupation in a group of persons seeking physician treatment. Data were collected on 1,262 patients seen by eight otolaryngologists from three different residential areas. The five most frequent pathologies reported were nodules, edema, polyps, laryngeal cancer, and vocal fold paralysis. For the total sample, pathologies occurred more frequently in females than in males; however, certain pathologies were more common to one sex than th e other. The voice-disordered population appears to be getting older. The top five occupations associated with laryngeal pathologies were retired persons, homemakers, factory workers, unemployed, and executive/managers. Comparisons with similar investigations were made.
Comprehension of Monologues and Dialogues by Aphasic Listeners
Authors: Katsuki-Nakamura Jun , Brookshire Robert H. , Nicholas Linda E.
Published: August 2014

This study examined the frequently heard claim that aphasic listeners have more difficulty understanding speech in situations where there are multiple Speakers than in situations where there is a single speaker. Nine stories about everyday events were written and videotaped as monologues, dialogues with one dominant speaker, and dialogues with both speakers contributing comparable amounts of information. Eighteen aphasic and 9 non-brain-damaged adults watched and listened to the videotapes. Listeners' comprehension and retention of the stories were tested by yes/no questions following each story.

The three versions of the stories were understood and remembered equally well by aphasic and non-brain-damaged listeners, suggesting that listening to two speakers does not appreciably increase comprehension difficulty. These results suggest that factors other than the extent to which different speakers contribute to the topic of conversation are responsible for aphasic listeners' reported difficulties in comprehending multiple-speaker conversational interactions.
Multisensory Speech Perception by Profoundly Hearing-Impaired Children
Authors: Lynch Michael P. , Eilers Rebecca E. , Oller D. Kimbrough , Cobo-Lewis Alan
Published: August 2014

Four children in Study 1 (ages 5–7 years) and 4 children in Study 2 (ages 8–11 years) received unimodal (tactual) word recognition training with tactual speech perception aids. Two of the subjects in Study 1 were trained with a 2-channel device and 2 with a 16-channel aid. All of the subjects in Study 2 used a 16-channel aid. Following training, subjects were tested on a list containing equal numbers of trained words and of tactually new words in three conditions: (a) aided hearing alone (H), (b) taetual aid alone (TA), and (c) combined (TA + H). Results indicate that subjects performed significantly better in the combined condition on both trained and tactually new words, providing evidence for significant sensory integration following unimodal training.
Acoustic Tracking of Articulation Errors
Authors: Huer Mary Blake
Published: August 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of acoustic tracking as a supplement to perceptual judgments during remediation. One child, receiving weekly individual treatment, participated in a drill-and-practice approach to remediation for a single [w]-for-/r/substitution error. Imitations of consonant-vowel (CV), VCV, and matched/r/and/w/sentence stimuli were audiotape recorded. The temporal and spectral characteristics of the recorded stimuli (i.e., the F2 transition rates and F2 values for the changing [r]) were spectrographically tracked and analyzed over a 70-day remediative period. The acoustic data were compared with the perceptual judgments of articulatory change. Generally, as the child's productions moved from the [w] toward the [r], the measured F2 values became higher and the F2 transition rates lowered. Results suggest that acoustic tracking of a child's productions may become a useful tool to augment perceptual tracking. Implications are discussed for the applications of acoustic tracking within clinical practice.
Transparency and Recall of Symbols among Intellectually Handicapped Adults
Authors: Mizuko Mark , Reichle Joe
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the transparency and recall of symbols representing three parts of speech (nouns, verbs, descriptors) from three different graphic symbol systems (Blissymbols, Picture Communication System, and Picsyms) among adults with intellectual handicaps. Results suggested that the Picture Communication System (PCS) and Picsyms were more transparent and easier to learn than Blissymbols. Subjects correctly identified significantly fewer Blissymbols representing nouns than either PCS or Picsyms representing nouns. In early stages of recall for nouns, PCS and Picsyms were significantly easier to recall than Blissymbols. Implications of the data for symbol system selection use for persons with severe speech impairments are discussed.