Correction of deviant timing patterns in deaf children's speech using computer techniques

Abstract

Research has shown that deaf children typically distort the temporal patterns of speech. Data obtained by John and Howarth [Lang. and Speech 8, 127–134 (1965)] indicate that incorrect timing patterns may have a detrimental effect on the intelligibility of deaf children's speech. However, the results of this study have not demonstrated the individual effects of phonemic and timing errors on speech intelligibility. The present paper is a progress report which describes the techniques used to correct deviant timing patterns in deaf children's speech. Six sentences produced by six deaf children have been selected for manipulation using digital speech processing techniques. The 36 utterances have been segmented on a phoneme‐by‐phoneme basis using an interactive computer facility that allows for segmentation simultaneously by ear and by eye from a visual display of the waveform. The same sentences produced by normal hearing children also have been segmented in order to obtain normative duration values. Adjustment of the segment duration has been accomplished by adding or subtracting whole pitch periods from steady‐state portions of the phonemes. Using a six stage approximation procedure, the deaf children's speech has been processed so as to systematically approach the timing patterns typical for normal hearing children. [Research supported by PHS Grant NS 09252.]