bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acoustic Correlates of Inspiratory Phonation During Infant Cry
Authors: Grau Susan M. , Robb Michael P. , Cacace Anthony T.
Published: July 2014

The duration and vocal fundamental frequency (Fo) of inspiratory cries produced by a group of 20 healthy infants were measured. Similar acoustic measures were applied to the cries immediately preceding and following an inspiratory cry as a means of characterizing an inspiratory “event.” Results were that the number of inspiratory cries varied considerably from child to child during a complete crying episode. The duration and Foof inspiratory cries were significantly shorter and higher, respectively, in comparison to cries immediately preceding and following the inspiratory cry. In addition, the gap duration following an inspiratory cry was significantly greater than the pre-inspiratory gap duration. Discussion centers on the anatomical and physiological bases of inspiratory cry phonation. Implications as well as the need to consider the inspiratory portion of crying behavior when examining infants at risk for respiratory distress also are discussed.
Qualitative Developments in the Content and Form of Children's Definitions
Authors: Johnson Carla J. , Anglin Jeremy M.
Published: July 2014

This research examined qualitative developments in school-age children’s (
N
= 96) expressible knowledge of a sample of 434 words selected to represent the contents of a large unabridged dictionary. Definitions were classified according to the quality of both semantic content and syntactic form. Analyses revealed developmental increases in the proportions of known words and in the relative proportions of definitions credited for high-quality content and/or form. Children generally were more successful in expressing precise semantic content than in using conventional syntactic form. The word characteristics of part of speech and morphological composition also affected definitional quality, with coordination of high-quality content and form achieved earlier for root and compound nouns than for inflected and derived nouns or for verbs and adjectives of all morphological types. Both lexical organization and differential experience may support the earlier use of conventional definitional form for root and compound nouns than for other word types. The results provide a more complete picture of the development of definitional skills.
Comparison of Procedures for Obtaining Thresholds and Maximum Acceptable Loudness Levels With the Nucleus Cochlear Implant System
Authors: Skinner Margaret W. , Holden Laura K. , Holden Timothy A. , Demorest Marilyn E.
Published: July 2014

Two stimulus paradigms and two presentation methods were combined to form three procedures (keyboard, knob, and ascending loudness judgments with knob [ALJK]) to obtain detection thresholds and maximum acceptable loudness tevels (MALs) from 11 adults with the Nucleus cochlear implant. Thresholds at which subjects correctly counted the number of stimulus bursts also were obtained. Keyboard detection thresholds were higher (Scheffé,
p
= .01) than knob and ALJK detection thresholds. Counted thresholds were obtained most efficiently by using keyboard detection thresholds as the initial level for testing. Keyboard MALs were highest, knob MALs intermediate, and AUK MALs lowest (Scheffé,
p
= .001). MALs were obtained most efficiently with the ALJK procedure. Implications of these results for clinical practice are discussed.
Childhood Hearing Impairment: Auditory and Linguistic Interactions During Multidimensional Speech Processing
Authors: Jerger Susan , Martin Randi , Pearson Deborah A. , Dinh Tho
Published: July 2014

Children with mild-severe sensorineural hearing losses often use hearing aids and aural/oral language as their primary mode of communication, yet we know little about how speech is processed by these children. The purpose of this research was to investigate how the multidimensional information underlying accurate speech perception is processed by children with mild-severe hearing impairments. The processing of the auditory and linguistic dimensions of speech was assessed with a speeded selective-attention task (Garner, 1974a). Listeners were required to attend selectively to an auditory dimension (gender of the talker) and ignore a linguistic dimension (word) and vice versa. The hypothesis underlying the task is that performance for the target dimension will be unaffected by what is happening on the nontarget dimension if the dimensions are processed independently. On the other hand, if the dimensions are not processed independently, listeners will not be able to attend selectively and performance for the relevant dimension will be affected by what is happening on the irrelevant dimension (termed "Garner" interference). Both children with normal hearing (N=90) and children with hearing impairment (N=40) showed some degree of Garner interference, implying that the dimensions of speech are not processed independently by these children. However, relative to the children with normal hearing, the children with hearing impairment showed normal Garner interference when attending selectively to the word dimension (normally effective at ignoring talker-gender input) and reduced Garner interference when attending selectively to the talker-gender dimension (more effective at ignoring word input). This pattern of results implies that the auditory dimension has a normal strength-of-processing level that makes it normally distracting and that the linguistic dimension has an underdeveloped strength-of-processing level that makes it easier to ignore in children with hearing impairment.
Comparison of Personalized Cueing and Provided Cueing on the Facilitation of Verbal Labeling by Aphasic Subjects
Authors: Freed Donald B. , Marshall Robert C. , Nippold Marilyn A.
Published: July 2014

This study investigated the effects of two associative learning tasks on aphasic subjects’ labeling of novel symbols. It was designed to determine if aphasie subjects need to develop their own associations for word-symbols pairs (personalized cueing) to obtain the long-term labeling benefits observed in prior research or if comparable results are obtained when “ready-made” associations are used during training (provided cueing). The results showed that the two cueing techniques were equal in their ability to elicit correct responses from the subjects. The results also demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of both cueing procedures on the subjects’ labeling accuracy up to 30 days after training was discontinued.
Hierarchical Planning Abilities in Children With Specific Language Impairments
Authors: Kamhi Alan G. , Ward Mary F. , Mills Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2014

The present study examined Cromer’s (1983) claim that children with language impairments have a hierarchical planning deficit that affects language as well as performance on complex construction tasks. Subjects were 30 boys (ages 5–7 years), 15 with specific language impairments (SLI) and 15 with normally developing language. Children were asked to build four hierarchical structures: a block construction, a puzzle construction, a simple straw construction, and a complex straw construction. Children who failed to complete the complex straw construction were taught how to construct the model using a sequential strategy. The two groups tended to perform comparably on the block and complex straw construction, the easiest and hardest of the four constructions. The two groups performed least comparably on the puzzle, simple straw construction, and the training task. On the basis of these findings and recent work by Greenfield (1991), we concluded that it is time to reject the notion that a central hierarchical planning mechanism underlies language and non-language structures that contain hierarchical components. The possible exception is early in development before language and manual actions become more autonomous and modular in nature.
Conversational Interactions of Mothers and Their Preschool Children Who Had Been Born Preterm
Authors: Donahue Mavis L. , Pearl Ruth
Published: July 2014

This study examined the conversational interactions of mothers’ and their 4.5-year-old children, who had been bom preterm, during a social problem-solving task asking each dyad to agree on the choice of a snack. Relative to comparison mothers, mothers of preterm children seemed to approach the task as a vocabulary lesson; they produced less complex sentences and were more likely to name the snacks and to test their children’s knowledge of snack names. Comparison mothers were more likely to focus on the social negotiation aspect of the task, by offering more opinions and reasons. Discussed is whether the conversational strategies of mothers of preterm children reflect appropriate “fine-tuning” or a lag in adjusting to their children’s emerging language skills because of a lingering “prematurity stereotype.”
Measuring Children’s Lexical Diversity: Differentiating Typical and Impaired Language Learners
Authors: Watkins Ruth V. , Kelly Donna J. , Harbers Heidi M. , Hollis Wendy
Published: July 2014

This study evaluated the extent to which measures of lexical diversity (type-token ratio and number of different words produced) differentiated children with specific language impairment (SLI) from children whose language skills were following typical developmental expectations. Analysis of 50- and 100-utterance samples revealed that children with SLI did not significantly differ from their age- and language-equivalent peers on type-token ratio; however, children with SLI did use significantly fewer different words than their age-equivalent peers in these samples. When samples of 100 and 200 tokens were considered, the children with SLI also used significantly fewer different words than their age-equivalent counterparts. Overall, the findings of this study discourage the use of type-token ratio, as traditionally calculated, in many clinical and research activities related to children with SLI. In contrast, the number of different words produced provides a more sensitive and informative estimate of lexical diversity.
Proverb Comprehension in Youth: The Role of Concreteness and Familiarity
Authors: Nippold Marilyn A. , Haq Faridah Serajul
Published: July 2014

This study examined factors that were posited to play an important role in the development of proverb comprehension in school-age children and adolescents, namely, the concreteness and the familiarity of the expressions. Normally achieving students enrolled in Grades 5, 8, and 11 (n= 180) were administered a written forced-choice task that contained eight instances of four different types of proverbs:concrete-familiar(“A rolling stone gathers no moss”);concrete-unfamiliar(“A caged bird longs for the clouds”);abstract-familiar(“Two wrongs don’t make a right”); andabstract-unfamiliar(“Of idleness comes no goodness”). Performance on the task steadily improved as a function of increasing grade level and, as predicted, the expressions proved to be differentially challenging: Concrete proverbs were easier to understand than abstract proverbs, and familiar proverbs were easier to understand than unfamiliar proverbs. The results concerning concreteness support the “metasemantic” hypothesis, the view that comprehension develops through active analysis of the words contained in proverbs. The results concerning familiarity support the “language experience” hypothesis, the view that comprehension develops through meaningful exposure to proverbs.
Lexical Learning by Children With Specific Language Impairment: Effects of Linguistic Input Presented at Varying Speaking Rates
Authors: Weismer Susan Ellis , Hesketh Linda J.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of speaking rate variations in the linguistic input provided to children during a novel word learning task. Thirty-two school-age children participated in this investigation, including 16 children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 16 normal language (NL) controls matched on mental age (MA). The younger half of the NL group also served as a vocabulary level comparison for the older half of the children with SLI. No significant rate effects were found for comprehension of novel words, with all children performing at relatively high levels of accuracy. The group with SLI demonstrated the same recognition accuracy pattern as MA matched controls for target labels versus phonetically similar/dissimilar foils only for words trained at slow rate. Rate effects were most pronounced for items with the highest difficulty level, namely production of novel words. Children with SLI produced significantly fewer words that had been presented at fast rate during training than NL children matched on mental age or vocabulary level. Individual differences and production error patterns on fast rate items were examined. The finding that variations in speaking rate had a disproportionate impact upon word learning for children with SLI was interpreted within a framework of limited processing capacity.
A Comparison of Conflict Tactics in the Supervisory Process
Authors: McCready Vicki , Roberts Joanne Erwick , Bengala Deborah , Harris Holly , Kingsley Georgia , Krikorian Carol
Published: July 2014

This study investigated three different tactics clinical supervisors in communication disorders predicted they would use in a specific conflict situation. One hundred-sixty supervisors were asked to read one of three case scenarios describing a conflict situation within the supervisory process. All scenarios depicted a student-clinician who had not completed a reading assignment requested by the supervisor. The scenarios differed only in the supervisee’s response to the supervisor’s question about the incomplete assignment. Subjects were asked to indicate how likely they might be to use each of 15 comments that reflected categories of conflict tactics: avoidance, competitive, or collaborative tactics. Supervisors’ choice of tactics differed depending on the response of the supervisee. Overall, supervisors most often chose collaborative responses, followed by avoidance responses and (least often) competitive responses. Implications are discussed in terms of impact on the supervisory process in communication disorders.
Children's Analysis of Derivational Suffix Meanings
Authors: Lewis Debra J. , Windsor Jennifer
Published: July 2014

This note examined the relation between school-age children's production and comprehension of derivational suffixes in nonsense words and their knowledge of suffix meaning in real derivatives. Results indicated that knowledge of derivational suffixes was used often in defining low-frequency derivatives and that it was significantly correlated with suffix production in the nonsense task. In addition, suffix productivity was found to be an important factor determining the comprehension as well as the production of particular suffixes to convey a range of meanings.
Derived-Band Auditory Brain-Stem Response Estimates of Traveling Wave Velocity in Humans: II. Subjects With Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Meniere’s Disease
Authors: Donaldson Gail S. , Ruth Roger A.
Published: July 2014

Estimates of cochlear traveling wave velocity (TWV) were computed from derived-band auditory brain-stem response (ABR) latencies in subjects with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) or Meniere’s disease (MD). ABR wave V latencies were determined for each of six derived frequency bands (unmasked-8 kHz, 8−4 kHz, 4−2 kHz, 2−1 kHz, 1 kHz−500 Hz, and 500−250 Hz). Representative frequencies were assigned to the derived bands by estimating their energy midpoints, and cochlear positions corresponding to these frequencies were determined using Greenwood’s (1961) place-frequency function for humans. An exponential function of the form
I
=
A + Be

Cd

was fitted to each subject’s latency-by-distance data using a least-squares algorithm, and a TWV function was generated by taking the reciprocal of the derivative of the latency function with respect to distance [
v
= 1/
BCe

Cd

)]. Expected values for subjects’ TWV functions were compared to normative data from Donaldson and Ruth (1993) at five cochlear loci. NIHL subjects’ TWV estimates fell within normal limits at all cochlear loci, and no relation between severity of high-frequency hearing loss and TWV could be discerned. MD subjects with good low-frequency hearing sensitivity generally yielded normal TWV estimates, whereas MD subjects with low-frequency hearing loss yielded either normal or elevated TWVs. MD subjects’ data generally support the hypothesis that endolymphatic hydrops results in increased TWV
or, alternatively, a basalward shift in the peak of the traveling wave
, in cochleas with presumed normal basilar membrane elasticity.
The Use of Spontaneous Language Measures as Criteria for Identifying Children With Specific Language Impairment: An Attempt to Reconcile Clinical and Research Incongruence
Authors: Dunn Michelle , Flax Judith , Sliwinski Martin , Aram Dorothy
Published: July 2014

Criteria for identification of children as specifically language impaired (SLI) vary greatly among clinicians and researchers. Standardized psychometric discrepancy criteria are more restrictive and perhaps less sensitive to language impairment than is clinical judgment based on a child’s language performance in naturalistic contexts. This paper examines (a) differences in groups of preschool children clinically diagnosed as SLI who were and were not identified as SLI through standard psychometric discrepancy criteria, and (b) the validity of quantitative measures of mean length of utterance (MLU), syntax, and pragmatics derived from a spontaneous language sample as criteria for discriminating clinically diagnosed preschoolers from normally developing preschoolers. Spontaneous language data indicated that children clinically identified as SLI produced a significantly higher percentage of errors in spontaneous speech than normal children whether they met psychometric discrepancy criteria or not. Logistic regression analysis indicated that a combination of MLU, percent structural errors, and chronological age was the optimal subset of variables useful for predicting a clinical diagnosis of SLI. This combined criterion captured a larger proportion of the clinically identified SLI children than even the best psychometric discrepancy criteria.
Frequency Importance Functions for Words, Sentences, and Continuous Discourse
Authors: DePaolis Rory A. , Janota Claus P. , Frank Tom
Published: July 2014

This research determined frequency importance functions (FIFs) for words, sentences, and continuous discourse under comparable conditions so that contextual effects of speech could be isolated. A male talker recorded 616 monosyllabic words, 176 meaningful sentences, and 44 continuous discourse (CD) passages. Twenty-four participants with normal hearing made intelligibility estimates of the CD passages and sentences and identified words in each of 44 low- and high-pass filtering and signal-to-noise ratio conditions. Plots of frequency versus percent of contributed intelligibility, or the FIFs, revealed that the frequency band that contributes the most to intelligibility is centered near 2000 Hz for all three types of speech. The results show a single peak in the importance function and a statistical analysis of the shape of the FIF (with kurtosis the pertinent measure) shows that there is a significant difference in the shape of the FIF based upon speech type. The data were also calculated into near-octave bands with similar results. The statistical analysis presented provides the basis for a test of the hypothesis: The degree of context or message redundancy is related to the relative importance of the frequency bands. The findings potentially have clinical as well as predictive implications.
Effects of Single-Band Syllabic Amplitude Compression on Temporal Speech Information in Nonsense Syllables and in Sentences
Authors: Tasell Dianne J. Van , Trine Timothy D.
Published: July 2014

The effects of single-band amplitude compression on the use by subjects with normal hearing of temporal speech information were assessed using speech stimuli that had been processed to remove most spectral information before being compressed. The resulting signal-related-noise (SRN) stimuli isolated the effects of compression on the temporal information in speech by making it impossible for subjects to identify stimulus items on the basis of spectral speech information. Subjects with normal hearing listened to /aCa/ SRN disyllables that had been subjected to single-band compression at various combinations of compression ratio (CR) and time constants (TC). Performance was reduced only in the most severe compression condition (CR=8; TC=50), and then only slightly. Additional testing showed that subjects could use both periodicity and compression-overshoot artifactual information—in addition to envelope information—to identify the compressed /aCa/ stimuli. When a list of 10 context-controlled sentences was converted to SRN and compressed at CR=8 and TC=50, the ability of subjects with normal hearing to identify the sentences was significantly affected. Results established that (a) subjects with normal hearing differ widely in their abilities to use temporal information for speech identification, even after training; (b) subjects can learn to use both temporal envelope and periodicity information for identification of disyllables, even though; (c) subjects with normal hearing need envelope but not periodicity information to identify SRN sentences in a closed set. These results suggest that single-band compression at CR=8 and TC=50 would be undesirable for persons with limited ability to resolve speech spectral information. It is currently not known how less severe compression conditions would affect envelope information in sentences.
Quality Ratings for Frequency-Shaped Peak-Clipped Speech
Authors: Kozma-Spytek Linda , Kates James M. , Revoile Sally G.
Published: July 2014

Peak clipping is a common form of distortion in hearing aids and can reduce the subjective quality of the amplified speech. In a previous study involving listeners with normal hearing Kates & Kozma-Spytek, 1994), the effect of peak clipping on speech quality ratings was studied using sentence test materials that were filtered using three different frequency response contours and then clipped at four different clipping levels. The present study extends the quality ratings to include those from a group of listeners having moderate to profound hearing impairments. The experimental results indicate that the clipping level, and the interaction of the frequency-response shaping with the clipping level, significantly affects speech quality. It is also shown that the distortion effects on speech quality for the listeners with impaired hearing can be modeled by a distortion index computed from the magnitude-squared coherence of the speech-processing system in response to a shaped-noise input signal. The distortion-index weights derived for the group of listeners with impaired hearing, however, differ substantially from those derived for listeners with normal hearing, and substantial inter-listener variation was also observed.
Individual Differences and the Reliability of 2F1-F2 Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions
Authors: Cacace Anthony T. , McClelland William A. , Weiner Jordan , McFarland Dennis J.
Published: July 2014

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) measured from the ear canal can be a sensitive tool to detect changes in cochlear function over time. However, if multiplemeasurement procedures are to be useful clinically, testing needs to be reliable and sources of variability within individuals should be known. Herein, the influence of time-of-day (TOD), stimulus frequency, stimulus sound pressure level (SPL), and gender were evaluated on 2f1-f2 DPOAE amplitude in 16 adult volunteers with normal hearing. The effects of oral temperature and resting-pulse rate were also assessed. This study demonstrated a TOD main effect, with a period approximating one cycle-per-day. The magnitude of this effect averaged less than one dB and was not dependent on stimulus (frequency or SPL) or participant variables (gender, oral temperature, or resting-pulse rate), nor was it synchronized to a particular point-in-time. Stimulus level and gender effects on DPOAEs across frequency were also observed. Using generalizability theory (GT), DP iso-level/frequency profiles (DPILFPs) were found to be reliable measures within-subjects over a contiguous 24-hour time period. Significant and reliable between-subject differences were also documented. This study demonstrates the influence of stimulus and participant variables, quantifies the within-subject reliability over a 24-hour time period, and confirms that significant and reliable between-subject differences exist on DPOAEs across frequency, SPL, and gender.
Microphone Sensitivity as a Source of Variation in Nasalance Scores
Authors: Zajac David J. , Lutz Richard , Mayo Robert
Published: July 2014

A two-part study was conducted to determine the sources of variation in nasalance scores derived from the Nasometer. In Study #1, a function generator was used as a signal source to calibrate and input sine and square waves directly into the Nasometer. Ten stimuli ranging from 105 to 330 Hz in 25 Hz increments were evaluated. In Study #2, the same signal source and an amplified loudspeaker were used to calibrate and present square waves to the Nasometer via five different sets of microphones. The sound pressure level of all stimuli was maintained at 88 dB. Each microphone set was calibrated using the 105 Hz signals. Results from Study #1 indicated consistent nasalance scores across all frequencies (i.e., all scores were within 2% of calibration). Results from Study #2 demonstrated deviations greater than 2% from calibration as a function of frequency for all five sets of microphones. The smallest deviation was 5%, whereas the largest deviation was 14%. We suggest that the variation in nasalance as a function of stimulus frequency may be due to a mismatch in the sensitivity of microphones (i.e., different frequency response characteristics). It is further suggested (a) that individual investigators determine the response characteristics of their microphones and (b) that relatively small variations in nasalance scores (i.e., 5–14%) either within or across speakers be interpreted with caution.
The Influence of Peer Models on the Play Scripts of Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Robertson Shari Brand , Weismer Susan Ellis
Published: July 2014

This investigation included two phases of inquiry that examined the effects of peer modeling upon the play scripts of children with specific language impairment (SLI). The first study employed a pretest-posttest control group design involving two groups of children with SLI (10 who participated in the experimental treatment and 10 controls) and a group of peer models (10 children with normal language development). The treatment involved dyadic play sessions in which children with SLI were paired with a normal language peer model. Significant differences were found between the play script reports of the experimental (SLI-E) and control groups (SLI-C) of children with specific language impairment. The second study, utilizing single-case methodology, involved 6 children with SLI who participated in the control group of Study 1, plus 2 peer models. Play dyads consisted of either two children with SLI or one child with SLI and a normal language peer. Results of this study provided support for the contention that play interactions with normal language peers facilitates increases in the play-script reports of children with SLI.
Auditory and Auditory-Visual Perception of Clear and Conversational Speech
Authors: Helfer Karen S.
Published: July 2014

Research has shown that speaking in a deliberately clear manner can improve the accuracy of auditory speech recognition. Allowing listeners access to visual speech cues also enhances speech understanding. Whether the nature of information provided by speaking clearly and by using visual speech cues is redundant has not been determined. This study examined how speaking mode (clear vs. conversational) and presentation mode (auditory vs. auditory-visual) influenced the perception of words within nonsense sentences. In Experiment 1, 30 young listeners with normal hearing responded to videotaped stimuli presented audiovisually in the presence of background noise at one of three signal-to-noise ratios. In Experiment 2, 9 participants returned for an additional assessment using auditory-only presentation. Results of these experiments showed significant effects of speaking mode (clear speech was easier to understand than was conversational speech) and presentation mode (auditoryvisual presentation led to better performance than did auditory-only presentation). The benefit of clear speech was greater for words occurring in the middle of sentences than for words at either the beginning or end of sentences for both auditory-only and auditory-visual presentation, whereas the greatest benefit from supplying visual cues was for words at the end of sentences spoken both clearly and conversationally. The total benefit from speaking clearly and supplying visual cues was equal to the sum of each of these effects. Overall, the results suggest that speaking clearly and providing visual speech information provide complementary (rather than redundant) information.
Developmental Changes in Laryngeal and Respiratory Function With Variations in Sound Pressure Level
Authors: Stathopoulos Elaine T. , Sapienza Christine M.
Published: July 2014

The development of the speech production system was investigated using a crosssectional design that included children aged 4–14 years and adults. Given that the size and internal structure of the laryngeal and respiratory systems differ between children and adults, it was predicted that children would show functional distinctions from adults during speech. Aerodynamic, acoustic, and respiratory kinematic techniques were used to assess laryngeal and respiratory function while participants varied their sound pressure level. In general, the aerodynamic and acoustic results show that men and 14-year-old boys function differently than women and all other groups of children. For the respiratory function data, children's values are similar to adults' by the time they are 12–14 years of age. These changes correspond closely to developmental laryngeal and respiratory anatomic data. All participants used a combination of laryngeal and respiratory mechanisms to increase sound pressure level, but the combination of mechanisms differed across age groups. These data emphasize that the laryngeal and respiratory behavior of children is not easily predicted from an adult model.
Disfluency in Spasmodic Dysphonia
Authors: Cannito Michael P. , Burch Annette Renee , Watts Christopher , Rappold Patrick W. , Hood Stephen B. , Sherrard Kyla
Published: July 2014

This study examined visual analog scaling (VAS) judgments of disfluency by normal listeners in response to oral reading by speakers with spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and by nondysphonic controls, as well as the variables of frequency of occurrence of disfluencies, speaking rate, number of reading errors, and temporal acoustic measures of interword interval duration and articulation time. MANOVA yielded statistically significant differences between SD and control speakers for all variables except reading errors. Although no significant fluency-related differences were observed in terms of type of vocal spasm or voice tremor, significant differences in disfluency measures were obtained for clinical ratings of severity of dysphonia. Greater dysphonia severity ratings were associated with decreased fluency, but milder ratings were not necessarily associated with disfluency. Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that frequency of disfluency occurrence, speaking rate, and reading errors accounted for more than three fourths of the variability in VAS judgments of disfluency. Findings suggest that although disfluency is not a defining feature of SD, it does contribute significantly to the overall clinical impression of severity of the disorder.
The Percentage of Consonants Correct (PCC) Metric
Authors: Shriberg Lawrence D. , Austin Diane , Lewis Barbara A. , McSweeny Jane L. , Wilson David L.
Published: July 2014

Research in normal and disordered phonology requires measures of speech production that are biolinguistically appropriate and psychometrically robust. Their conceptual and numeric properties must be well characterized, particularly because speech measures are increasingly appearing in large-scale epidemiologic, genetic, and other descriptive-explanatory database studies. This work provides a rationale for extensions to an articulation competence metric titled the Percentage of Consonants Correct (PCC; Shriberg & Kwiatkowski, 1982; Shriberg, Kwiatkowski, Best, Hengst, & Terselic-Weber, 1986), which is computed from a 5- to 10-minute conversational speech sample. Reliability and standard error of measurement estimates are provided for 9 of a set of 10 speech metrics, including the PCC. Discussion includes rationale for selecting one or more of the 10 metrics for specific clinical and research needs.
The Effect of Communication Mode on the Development of Phonemic Awareness in Prelingually Deaf Students
Authors: Miller Paul
Published: July 2014

Two groups of prelingually deaf children and a hearing control group participated in an experiment examining the effect of communication mode on the development of phonemic awareness. Sixteen of the deaf students (mean grade 6.9) were trained orally, using spoken language as their principal means for communication at home and at school. Another 16 deaf students (mean grade 6.9), all of them deaf children of deaf parents, acquired sign language as their primary language. The mean grade of the hearing control group was 6.5. The performance of the two deaf groups indicates that permanent auditory deprivation leads to substantially reduced phonemic awareness but does not entirely block its development. Contrary to expectation, the development of phonemic awareness in individuals with impaired hearing was not significantly affected by their preferred communication mode. Results further suggested that, for deaf individuals with excellent skills in sign language, the functional impairment caused by prelingual deafness may be restricted to the processing of phonological information.
Prevalence of Specific Language Impairment in Kindergarten Children
Authors: Tomblin J. Bruce , Records Nancy L. , Buckwalter Paula , Zhang Xuyang , Smith Elaine , O’Brien Marlea
Published: July 2014

This epidemiologic study estimated the prevalence of specific language impairment (SLI) in monolingual English-speaking kindergarten children. From a stratified cluster sample in rural, urban, and suburban areas in the upper midwest, 7,218 children were screened. The language screening failure rate was 26.2%. Children who failed the screening and a similar number of controls were then administered a diagnostic battery (
n
=2,084) that provided for a diagnosis of SLI using common diagnostic standards. Results provided an estimated overall prevalence rate of 7.4%. The prevalence estimate for boys was 8% and for girls 6%. Variation in prevalence was found among children of different racial/cultural backgrounds; however, these background variables were found to be correlated with parental education, which was also associated with SLI. The parents of 29% of the children identified as SLI reported they had previously been informed that their child had a speech or language problem.

The prevalence estimates obtained fell within recent estimates for SLI, but demonstrated that this condition is more prevalent among females than has been previously reported. Also, the clinical identification of these children remains low among kindergarteners.
Communication of Oral Deaf and Normally Hearing Children at 36 Months of Age
Authors: Nicholas Johanna G. , Geers Ann E.
Published: July 2014

Eighteen orally educated deaf and 18 normally hearing 36-month-old children were observed in a play session with their mother. Communicative behavior of the child was coded for modality and communicative function. Although the oral deaf children used a normal range of functions, both the quantity and proportions differed from normally hearing children. Whereas the normally hearing 3-year-olds used speech almost exclusively, the deaf children exhibited about equal use of speech, vocalizations, and gestures. Spoken language scores of the deaf children at 5 years of age were best predicted by (a) more frequent use of speech at age 36 months, (b) more frequent use of the Statement function, and (c) relatively infrequent use of the Directive function. It is suggested that some communicative functions are more informative or heuristic than others, and that the early use of these functions is most likely to predict later language competence.
Phonetic Category Structure of [I]
Authors: Sussman Joan E. , Gekas Brian
Published: July 2014

The current investigation examined the structure of the phonetic category [I] for 13 listeners. Experiments reported are results from identification, "best exemplar," and discrimination tasks using 105 [I] stimuli. The tokens were synthesized along a mel-spaced vowel continuum that differed in first and second formants. All stimuli ended in a 30 ms [b] sound. Results showed that 10 of 13 listeners demonstrated differing choices of the best exemplars, although most were within 37.5 mels of the central best exemplar chosen in the first experiment. Seven of the participants demonstrated "circular" patterns in identification of the [I] category that appeared to be organized around a central "best exemplar." Six participants showed other identification patterns: "downward, " "upward," and "left-extending," with "best exemplars" on an edge or border of the phonetic categories. Graded category structure from a central "best exemplar" was apparent only in the averaged identification results, and not for individual participants. The size of the [I] category was significantly smaller than that surrounding the [i] best exemplar reported in a prior study by Sussman and Lauckner-Morano (1995). Finally, listeners had equivalent or better discrimination sensitivity with the best exemplar as the fixed standard compared to that for a "poor" exemplar token 45 mels away from the best exemplar. Results showed that phonetic category structure for the lax vowel [I] was different from the similar, but tense vowel [i]. The findings question whether prototype theory is generalizable to vowel categories other than [i].
Adjustment to Hearing Impairment I
Authors: Erdman Sue Ann , Demorest Marilyn E.
Published: July 2014

To obtain data on adjustment to hearing impairment and its potential predictors, a consortium of five audiology clinics was established. clinical records generated over 19–27 months were reviewed, and a database (
N
=1,008) was compiled that contained standard audiometric test results, demographic and case history information, and responses to the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI; Demorest & Erdman, 1986, 1987). Clinic populations differed on audiometric measures, gender, race/ethnicity, educational level, employment, marital, and hearing aid status, and on CPHI profiles, but not on age. Internal consistency of CPHI scales was higher than reported by Demorest and Erdman (1987), and standard errors of measurement were smaller for Communication Performance scales. The consortium database is sufficiently heterogeneous to provide normative data applicable to a wide range of local clinical populations and to support investigation of the correlates of adjustment to hearing impairment (see Erdman & Demorest, 1998).
Word Learning in a Supported-Learning Context by Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Kiernan Barbara , Gray Shelley
Published: July 2014

Word learning in a supported-learning context is described for 30 preschoolers with SLI and 30 age- and sex-matched children without SLI. Daily production probes assessed number of words learned to criterion, and daily posttests assessed comprehension of the words. Number of words produced to criterion differed between groups; however, the majority of children with SLI performed within the range of the children without SLI. Children typically comprehended words they did not produce to criterion. The relation between vocabulary-test and word-learning findings was not significant (
p
<.05). Findings for children with SLI indicate that (a) comprehension does not ensure same-word production, (b) wordlearning potential cannot be inferred from test scores, and (c) a clinically significant variability in word-learning skills characterizes the disorder.
Age-Related Changes on a Children's Test of Sensory-Level Speech Perception Capacity
Authors: Hnath-Chisolm Theresa E. , Laipply Erin , Boothroyd Arthur
Published: July 2014

Normative data, as a function of age, were obtained on a test designed to assess sensory-level speech perception capacity, the Three-Interval Forced-Choice Test of Speech Pattern Contrast Perception, otherwise known as THRIFTSPAC (or THRIFT for short). Performance under the input modalities of hearing alone, speechreading alone, and the two combined was measured in 44 normally developing children between the ages of 5 years 7 months and 10 years 9 months. Resultsrevealed that within each condition there were significant influences of age on performance for children below age 7 years. These changes appeared to be related to cognitive and, possibly, to phonological development. Implications for the clinical implementation of THRIFT are discussed.
Age and Volume Effects on Liquid Swallowing Function in Normal Women
Authors: Rademaker Alfred W. , Pauloski Barbara Roa , Colangelo Laura A. , Logemann Jeri A.
Published: July 2014

Understanding the nature of swallowing in persons without swallowing problems is a prerequisite to evaluating the nature and extent of dysphagia in persons with compromised swallowing. In order to determine how swallowing varies with age and with liquid bolus volume in women, we assessed 167 normal female swallowers videofluoroscopically and obtained multiple measures of swallowing function. The women in this study demonstrated a change in swallowing function with age, due primarily to an increase in pharyngeal transit and total duration of the motor response. The duration of closure and opening of valves in the upper aerodigestive tract also increased with age, and the duration of laryngeal elevation and hyoid movement peaked in the 60–79-year-old age groups. Bolus volume effects were quite consistent across most measures. As the bolus volume increased from 1 ml to 10 ml, transit times decreased and durations of valve closure and opening increased. The results of this study may be used to specify the relationship of swallowing function to age and liquid bolus volume in women, relationships that heretofore have been observed only in part and in smaller and more heterogeneous populations.
Temporal Analysis and Stimulus Fluctuation in Listeners With Normal and Impaired Hearing
Authors: Hall Joseph W. , Grose John H. , Buss Emily , Hatch Debora R.
Published: July 2014

The first experiment investigated the effects of mild to moderate sensorineural hearing impairment on temporal analysis for noise stimuli of varying bandwidth. Tasks of temporal gap detection, amplitude modulation (AM) detection, and AM discrimination were examined. Relatively high levels of stimulation were used in order to reduce the possibility that the results of the listeners with hearing impairment would be influenced strongly by audibility. A general summary of results was that there was relatively great interlistener variation among the listeners with hearing impairment, with most listeners showing normal performance and some showing degraded performance, regardless of the bandwidth of the stimulus carrying the temporal information. A second experiment investigated the hypothesis that listeners with sensorineural hearing impairment might have poor gap detection due to loudness recruitment. Here, gap markers were presented at levels where loudness growth was steeper for the listeners with hearing impairment than for the listeners with normal hearing. Although gap detection was sometimes poorer in listeners with hearing impairment than in listeners with normal hearing, there was no clear relation between gap detection performance and loudness recruitment in listeners with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing impairment.
Language-Impaired Preschoolers
Authors: Stothard Susan E. , Snowling Margaret J. , Bishop D. V. M. , Chipchase Barry B. , Kaplan Carole A.
Published: July 2014

This paper reports a longitudinal follow-up of 71 adolescents with a preschool history of speech-language impairment, originally studied by Bishop and Edmundson (1987). These children had been subdivided at 4 years into those with nonverbal IQ 2 SD below the mean (General Delay group), and those with normal nonverbal intelligence (SLI group). At age 5;6 the SLI group was subdivided into those whose language problems had resolved, and those with persistent SLI. The General Delay group was also followed up. At age 15–16 years, these children were compared with age-matched normal-language controls on a battery of tests of spoken language and literacy skills. Children whose language problems had resolved did not differ from controls on tests of vocabulary and language comprehension skills. However, they performed significantly less well on tests of phonological processing and literacy skill. Children who still had significant language difficulties at 5;6 had significant impairments in all aspects of spoken and written language functioning, as did children classified as having a general delay. These children fell further and further behind their peer group in vocabulary growth over time.
The Effects of Hearing Loss and Noise Masking on the Masking Release for Speech in Temporally Complex Backgrounds
Authors: Bacon Sid P. , Opie Jane M. , Montoya Danielle Y.
Published: July 2014

Speech recognition was measured in three groups of listeners: those with sensorineural hearing loss of (presumably) cochlear origin (HL), those with normal hearing (NH), and those with normal hearing who listened in the presence of a spectrally shaped noise that elevated their pure-tone thresholds to match those of individual listeners in the HL group (NM). Performance was measured in four backgrounds that differed only in their temporal envelope: steady-state (SS) speech-shaped noise, speech-shaped noise modulated by the envelope of multi-talker babble (MT), speech-shaped noise modulated by the envelope of single-talker speech (ST), and speech-shaped noise modulated by a 10-Hz square wave (SQ). Threshold signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were typically best in the ST and especially the SQ conditions, indicating a masking release in those modulated backgrounds. SNRs in the SS and MT conditions were essentially identical to one another. The masking release was largest in the listeners in the NH group, and it tended to decrease as hearing loss increased. In 5 of the 11 listeners in the HL group, the masking release was nearly identical to that obtained in the NM group matched to those listeners; in the other 6 listeners, the release was smaller than that in the NM group. The reduced masking release was simulated best in those HL listeners for whom the masking release was relatively large. These results suggest that reduced masking release for speech in listeners with sensorineural hearing loss can only sometimes be accounted for entirely by reduced audibility.