Pitch production of a Mandarin-learning infant with cerebral palsy

Abstract

In this study, pitch production were investigated in two Mandarin-learning infants at 6 months of age, an infant with cerebral palsy (CP) and a typically developing (TD) infant. Words with distinct tones in Mandarin differ in meaning. In order to produce a correct tone, having good control of the respiratory and the laryngeal mechanisms are necessary. Thus, producing a correct tone and reaching intelligibility for children with CP is considered to be relatively difficult. In previous studies, Kent and Murray (1982) pointed out that falling contours predominated in infant vocalizations at 3, 6, and 9 months. A study by Chen et al (2013) with 4-year-old children indicated that the mean pitch duration of CP children is 1.3–1.8 times longer than TD counterparts. In adults, Jeng, Weismer, and Kent (2006) found that the pitch slopes of Mandarin in CP adults are smaller than in healthy adults. Three measures were employed in this current study and the major findings are: (1) Both TD and CP infants produced more falling than rising pitch; (2) The mean duration of pitch in CP is 2.3 times longer than that of TD; (3) The pitch slope in CP is smaller than that of TD.