Articulatory Speech Disorders Research Articles

Applications of orofacial myofunctional techniques to speech therapy

A speech-language pathologist describes how she uses oral myofunctional therapy techniques in the treatment of speech articulation disorders, voice disorders, stuttering and apraxia of speech. Specific exercises are detailed.

Changes in function of the masticatory system from 7 to 10 years of age in relation to articulatory speech disorders

The aim of the present study was to determine changes in function of the masticatory system in children with articulatory speech disorders and in the controls by re-examining a sample of 287 previously studied children from 7 to 10 years of age. Articulatory speech disorders were diagnosed by the same speech therapist during spontaneous speech and test words using the Remes Articulation Test. Mandibular movement capacity, occlusal interferences, slide between retruded and intercuspal positions, and signs and symptoms of the craniomandibular disorders (CMD) were recorded by a dentist. The follow-up results showed that mandibular movement capacity increased in almost all individuals, decreasing only in about 10% of cases. However, among children with speech disorders lateral jaw movements decreased in about 30% of subjects. During growth the prevalence of CMD increased while single signs and symptoms fluctuated. Differences between the groups for expression of CMD, mandibular movement capacity and occlusal recordings mainly levelled off. Higher constancy of subjective symptoms and retrusive interferences in children with speech disorders than in the controls supports our previous findings that, in growing individuals, different orofacial dysfunctions seem to be associated with each other.

Changes in the Peripheral Speech Mechanism of Children from the Age of 7 to 10 Years

Changes in the morphology and functioning of the speech articulators were assessed in 118 children monitored from the age of 7 to 10 years, and associations between these variables and misarticulations were analyzed. The accuracy of articulatory movements and their coordination improved markedly. There was a relative delay in development of the motor coordination of boys who produced sounds too far posteriorly. Difficulties in tongue movements and their coordination increased the risk for the category of other misarticulations. Difficulties in motor coordination contributed to a lesser extent to articulatory speech disorders in 10-year-olds compared to 7-year-olds. Some new cases of inaccuracy of coordinating the movements refer to the liability of muscle coordination still at the age of 10.

Changes in speech articulation in Finnish children from the age of 7 to 10 years

The aim of this study was to determine the changes in occurrence of articulatory speech disorders in 219 schoolchildren monitored from 7 to 10 years of age, considering the effects of gender and timing of speech therapy. The number of /r/-disorders decreased, especially in the study group, whereas the number of /s/-disorders increased markedly among the controls. Correspondingly, the number of sounds produced too far anteriorly increased, while other misarticulations changed only slightly. All misarticulations tended to turn milder but at the same time they were established in both spontaneous speech and test words.

Associations among different orofacial dysfunctions in 6–8 year olds

Associations among several orofacial dysfunctions such as articulatory speech disorders, craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and problems in coordinating the orofacial muscles were examined in two groups of Finnish first-graders, i.e. children with and without speech disorders. In the whole sample of 287 subjects the mean age was 7.5 yr. A speech therapist diagnosed articulatory speech disorders and a phoniatrician examined the morphology and function of the articulators. Signs and symptoms of CMD, capacity for mandibular movement, and prevalence of occlusal interferences were examined by a dentist. Deviations in motor skills, but not in morphology of the articulators, were associated with speech disorders. The findings also suggested that capacity for mandibular movement, deviation of the jaw during maximal mouth opening and occlusal interferences were related to certain speech disorders among these 6–8 yr olds. Different orofacial dysfunctions appear to be associated with each other during growth.

Malocclusion traits and articulatory components of speech.

The aim here was to determine the effects of particular types of malocclusion including the effects of combinations of different occlusal anomalies on speech articulation. Occlusal anomalies and articulatory speech disorders, a diagnosis based on errors in place of articulation, were determined for 451 students, mean age 23 years. The present results showed that risk ratios for producing consonants too far anteriorly was greater by 4.5 times for subjects with mesial occlusion, 3.7 times for those with mandibular overjet, 3.4 times for subjects with incisal open bite and 1.7 for those with lateral cross-bite compared to individuals without those occlusal anomalies. This study suggests that incisal open bite alone is rarely associated with articulatory speech disorders, but if present they tend to be mild. Incisal open bite combined with other occlusal anomalies, especially with mesial occlusion, is related to more severe misarticulations of consonants.

Relationship between craniomandibular dysfunction and pattern of speech sound production in a series of first-graders

This report investigates associations between prevalence of functional disturbances of the masticatory system and speech disorders. The subjects were 157 children referred for speech therapy to the hospital and a control group all 130 first-graders at two elementary schools, mean age 7 years 6 months. During clinical examinations, signs and symptoms of TMJ dysfunction were recorded by the same dentist. Articulatory speech disorders were diagnosed by the same phoniatrician using the Remes Articulatory Test (Remes, 1975) for the Finnish language. The results showed that in the hospital referral group the mean value for maximal opening was smaller while laterotrusion movements and maximal protrusion of the mandible were larger than in the control group. The study group also more often had CM disorders and occlusal interferences than children of the first grade sample. In the present data, a higher frequency of subjective symptoms and several clinical signs of CMD were related to certain articulatory speech disorders. Risk of having too anteriorly-produced sounds, mainly 's'-sounds, decreased with advancing age in 6-8-year-old children. In conclusion, expression of both craniomandibular disorder and disorders in speech sound production seem to a considerable extent to reflect immaturity of fine motor control of the orofacial muscles in 6-8-year-old children.

Prevalence of articulatory disorders of different sounds in a group of finnish first-graders

Occurence and type of articulatory speech disorders were studied in 157 7-year-old first-graders found to have articulatory disorders at school and referred for further treatment to the Department of Phoniatrics, University Central Hospital. The control group consisted of all 130 first-graders in two elementary schools in Kuopio. About one third of the control group had articulatory speech disorders, one fifth of them expressing need for speech therapy. In both groups distortions of the /s/-sound were the most common disorders, distortions of the /r/-sound being rather uncommon and those of the /l/-, /d/- and /t/-sounds very rare. Occurence of articulatory speech disorders did not vary systematically with sex nor was it associated with handedness. Some spontaneous correction of /s/-disorders occured, while /r/-disorders were rather resistant to early treatment. The results suggest the need for reevaluation of differential diagnostics and timing of speech therapy during kindergarten and elementary school.

Functional disturbances of the masticatory system in relation to articulatory disorders of speech in a group of 6–8-year-old children

In the sample of 208 children, clinical signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorder were mild, somewhat more common in boys than in girls, and clearly more common in children referred for speech therapy than in the control group. Of variables measured in millimetres, the differences indicate sexual dimorphism rather than differences between boys and girls in the occurrence of craniomandibular disorders. The differences may also reflect later maturing of neuromuscular control in boys rather than true differences between boys and girls in the prevalence of craniomandibular disorder. Logistical regression showed that children with articulatory speech disorders had more subjective symptoms and retrusive interferences, smaller maximal opening, and larger maximal laterotrusion and protrusion movements of the mandible than the controls. Thus different dysfunctions of the orofacial region tend to coexist in the same individuals. Subjective symptoms and clinical signs are mild in 6–8-yr-old children and may reflect immaturity of fine motor control.

Place of Articulation in Articulatory Speech Disorders of Different Sounds in a Group of Finnish First-Graders

Place of Articulation in Articulatory Speech Disorders of Different Sounds in a Group of Finnish First-Graders

Ｋｌｉｐｐｅｌ‐Ｆｅｉｌ症候群で粘膜下口蓋裂を合併した１症例の言語障害と治療

A typical case of klippel-Feil syndrome with submucous cleft palate of one year six months old boy was presented and its speech disorders were discussed.1. In speech findings, hyper nasality, articulation disorders and speech retardation as low as physical development were observed.2. In oral findings, midline posterior bony palate notching defect, midline soft palate muscle separation with an intact mucosal surface and morphic abnormity of uvula for submucous cleft palate were observed.3. It was though that his speech disorders were caused by incomplete of nasopharyngeal closure.4. In treatment involved 1) instructing his mother, 2) food chewing, 3) dental treatment, 4) wearning speech aid, and 5) articulatory therapy. But, his reactive behavior was such that wearing speech aid as in No.4 above of the treatments could not be used, so we performed palatoplasty on him at four years three months. After this, we will perform speech control and follow up a long range plan with various related departments.

Associations between articulatory disorders in speech and occlusal anomalies.

This study examined associations between articulatory speech disorders and occlusal anomalies found in a group of young Finnish-speaking adults. The present results indicate that mesial molar occlusion, mandibular overjet and to some extent lateral crossbite, seem to be associated with misarticulation of some medio-alveolar consonants. The incorrectly pronounced sounds are produced too anteriorly. Despite differences in the /s/ phoneme in different languages, an association between an anterior open bite and a laterally or too anteriorly produced unvoiced /s/ sound seems to be uniform in different languages. Factors associated with incorrect sound production appear to be occlusal anomalies which affect the position of the tongue and hyoid bone, which decrease posterior intermaxillary space, or which affect the size and shape of the resonating cavity in the most anterior part of the oral cavity.

Associations between articulatory disorders in speech and occlusal anomalies

This study examined associations between articulatory speech disorders and occlusal anomalies found in a group of young Finnish-speaking adults. The present results indicate that mesial molar occlusion, mandibular overjet and to some extent lateral crossbite, seem to be associated with misarticulation of some medio-alveolar consonants. The incorrectly pronounced sounds are produced too anteriorly. Despite differences in the /s/ phoneme in different languages, an association between an anterior open bite and a laterally or too anteriorly produced unvoiced /s/ sound seems to be uniform in different languages. Factors associated with incorrect sound production appear to be occlusal anomalies which affect the position of the tongue and hyoid bone, which decrease posterior intermaxillary space, or which affect the size and shape of the resonating cavity in the most anterior part of the oral cavity.

DYSMETRIC DYSLEXIA AND DYSPRAXIA: Hypothesis and Study

Of 115 consecutive dyslexic children selected and referred for psychiatric evaluation on the basis of their poor or refractory response to reading instruction, 112 (97%) children showed evidence of a cerebellar-vestibular dysfunction. This cerebellar-vestibular dysfunction manifested itself in the dyslexic children by: positive Rombergs, difficulty in tandem walking, articulatory speech disorders, dysdiadochokinesis, hypotonia, and various dysmetric or past-pointing disturbances during finger-to-nose, heel-to-toe, writing, drawing, as well as during ocular fixation and scanning testing (Dow and Moruzzi, 1958). Goodenough figure drawings (1926; Bender, 1951) and Bender Gestalt designs (1938) revealed in all cases a disturbance in spatial orientation, i.e., rotations of the Bender Gestalt cards, copying paper, drawn Bender Gestalt figures , as well as rotations of the head and body. This, together with tilting of the Goodenough and Bender Gestalt drawings from their intended horizontal and vertical axes and steering difficulties during angle formations, suggested that the