Speech-language pathologists and prosody: Clinical practices and barriers

Abstract

Prosodic impairments occur in many clinical populations, including those with autism and motor speech disorders. These impairments can negatively impact intelligibility, as well as an individual’s ability to signal and understand linguistic contrasts and emotions. For this study, we surveyed 245 Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) to assess their clinical practices with regards to prosody and to identify potential barriers to addressing prosody in the clinic. While a majority of respondents agreed that prosody was within their scope of practice, they reported that they rarely assessed or treated prosody when they suspected that a client had a prosodic impairment. Overall, respondents felt they were lacking in knowledge of the nature of prosody, experience with clients who have prosodic impairments, and knowledge of assessment and treatment methods for prosody. Recommendations include increasing training opportunities, encouraging collaboration between researchers and SLPs with expertise in prosody, and the development of a clinically feasible prosody assessment.