Perception-production relations in residual speech errors before and after biofeedback training

Abstract

Rhotics are among the latest-emerging, most frequently misarticulated sounds in acquisition of American English (Smit et al., 1990). Children with residual speech errors (RSE) affecting rhotics may be unable to perceive differences between their own accurate and inaccurate productions (Shuster, 1998). Visual biofeedback may be an efficacious treatment approach for these children because it can bypass deficient auditory-perceptual channels (Shuster et al., 1995). Previous research has shown a relationship between accuracy in perceiving and producing rhotic targets in typically developing (TD) children (McAllister Byun & Tiede, 2017). We used the same methods to measure rhotic perception and production in a sample of 75 children with RSE. Based on previous literature (e.g., Hearnshaw et al., 2018; Rvachew & Jamieson, 1989), we hypothesize that children with RSE will show poorer perceptual abilities on average than TD children, but that they will show a similar degree of association between perception and production. Second, we will test whether changes in auditory acuity take place after a period of biofeedback treatment for RSE. Finding such changes would suggest that biofeedback may have its effect not only by retraining a target motor plan, but also by helping children update their auditory targets.Rhotics are among the latest-emerging, most frequently misarticulated sounds in acquisition of American English (Smit et al., 1990). Children with residual speech errors (RSE) affecting rhotics may be unable to perceive differences between their own accurate and inaccurate productions (Shuster, 1998). Visual biofeedback may be an efficacious treatment approach for these children because it can bypass deficient auditory-perceptual channels (Shuster et al., 1995). Previous research has shown a relationship between accuracy in perceiving and producing rhotic targets in typically developing (TD) children (McAllister Byun & Tiede, 2017). We used the same methods to measure rhotic perception and production in a sample of 75 children with RSE. Based on previous literature (e.g., Hearnshaw et al., 2018; Rvachew & Jamieson, 1989), we hypothesize that children with RSE will show poorer perceptual abilities on average than TD children, but that they will show a similar degree of association between perception and pr...