AN EVALUATION OF THE VISUAL SPEECH APPARATUS
This study evaluates the Visual Speech Apparatus (VSA) as a visual aid for speech training of hearing-impaired children. Its efficacy was tested during a whole school year in a comparative study using an experimental and control group of children in the age range of 4-7 years. The 22 children in the experimental group were trained using the VSA, whereas the 16 children in the control group only received the regular speech lessons. Several times during the year. speech performance of the two groups was tested using the CID Phonetic Inventory. In addition. the performance of subjects in the experimental group was measured with a specially developed test. the VSA test. Results show that the children trained with the VSA obtained significantly higher scores on those subtests that assess the acquisition of basic speech skills. such as voice control and vowel production, than the children in the control group. The verv young children especially benefited from the training with the VSA.
evaluation visual aid speech training deaf children