Speech Impaired Children Research Articles

Effect of dialect on identification and severity of speech impairment in Indigenous Australian children

This study investigated the effect of dialectal difference on identification and rating of severity of speech impairment in children from Indigenous Australian backgrounds. The speech of 15 Indigenous Australian children identified by their parents/caregivers and teachers as having ‘difficulty talking and making speech sounds’ was assessed using the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology. Fourteen children were identified with speech impairment on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology using Standard Australian English (AusE) as the target pronunciation; whereas 13 were identified using Australian Aboriginal English (AAE) as the target. There was a statistically significant decrease in seven children’s severity classification and a statistically significant increase in all children’s percentage of consonants, vowels and phonemes correct when comparing AAE with AusE. Features of AAE used by the children included /h/ insertion and deletion, primary stress on the first syllable and diphthongs alternating with short clear vowels. It is important that speech-language pathologists consider children’s dialect as one component of culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Dentition Status and Oral Health Practice among Hearing and Speech-Impaired Children:A Cross-sectional Study.

The main aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and oral hygiene practices in children with impaired hearing and speech. A total of 76 children in the age group of 5 to 18 years of both sexes were surveyed and information about their oral hygiene practices, previous dental visit and oral health knowledge were obtained through a questionnaire. Around 61% of the children had never visited a dentist, 82.89% and 17.11% of them brushed once and twice daily respectively. More than 90% of them cared about their teeth as much as any other part of the body. 42% of the children had dental caries, and gingivitis was seen in 35% of the children and malocclusion in 19% of them.

Oromotor variability in children with mild spastic cerebral palsy: a kinematic study of speech motor control

BackgroundTreating motor speech dysfunction in children with CP requires an understanding of the mechanism underlying speech motor control. However, there is a lack of literature in quantitative measures of motor control, which may potentially characterize the nature of the speech impairments in these children. This study investigated speech motor control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) using kinematic analysis.MethodsWe collected 10 children with mild spastic CP, aged 4.8 to 7.5 years, and 10 age-matched children with typical development (TD) from rehabilitation department at a tertiary hospital. All children underwent analysis of percentage of consonants correct (PCC) and kinematic analysis of speech tasks: poly-syllable (PS) and mono-syllable (MS) tasks using the Vicon Motion 370 system integrated with a digital camcorder. Kinematic parameters included spatiotemporal indexes (STIs), and average values and coefficients of variation (CVs) of utterance duration, peak oral opening displacement and velocity. An ANOVA was conducted to determine whether PCC and kinematic data significantly differed between groups.ResultsCP group had relatively lower PCCs (80.0-99.0%) than TD group (p = 0.039). CP group had higher STIs in PS speech tasks, but not in MS tasks, than TD group did (p = 0.001). The CVs of utterance duration for MS and PS tasks of children with CP were at least three times as large as those of TD children (p < 0.01). However, average values of utterance duration, peak oral opening displacement and velocity and CVs of other kinematic data for both tasks did not significantly differ between two groups.ConclusionHigh STI values and high variability on utterance durations in children with CP reflect deficits in relative spatial and/or especially temporal control for speech in the CP participants compared to the TD participants. Children with mild spastic CP may have more difficulty in processing increased articulatory demands and resulted in greater oromotor variability than normal children. The kinematic data such as STIs can be used as indices for detection of speech motor control impairments in children with mild CP and assessment of the effectiveness in the treatment.

Speech Intelligibility of Flemish Children as Judged by Their Parents

Objective: Reduced intelligibility is a central concern in speech-impaired children, especially for parents. The main purpose of this study was to develop normative data for the intelligibility of Flemish-speaking boys and girls (age 2;06–5;0 years) as judged by their parents. Additionally, the influence of familiarity, gender and age of the child was determined. Patients and Methods: Word, sentence and story productions of 163 healthy children (83 boys and 80 girls) between 2;06 and 5;0 years were transcribed by their own parents. Speech intelligibility was determined according to the intelligibility index described by Shriberg. Additionally, a panel of 12 unfamiliar judges listened to the recordings of a subgroup of 24 randomly selected children. Results: Speech intelligibility improved with increasing age and was around 90% for children aged 4;6–5;0 years. Boys and girls performed equally on the task. For the intelligibility of words, mothers scored significantly better than unfamiliar listeners did. Conclusion: The reported normative speech intelligibility data provide important reference information for speech pathologists who assess child speech. Moreover, it enables them to measure the effect of a specific therapeutic approach and the spontaneous transfer to daily speech.

30 The characteristics of visual evoked potentials in speech impaired children

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Cognitive, behavioural and adaptive profiles of children with glutaric aciduria type I detected through newborn screening

Glutaric aciduria type I (GA I) is an autosomal recessive disorder of lysine and tryptophan metabolism due to a deficiency in glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase activity. Recent reports suggest that early diagnosis through newborn screening and initiation of preventive therapy result in improved functional outcome; however, detailed neuropsychological profiles of children with GA I are seldom reported and thus the impact of the disease on cognition, motor abilities and behaviour remains uncertain. We present detailed neuropsychological profiles of three children who were diagnosed with GA I through newborn screening and treated from early age, and one asymptomatic patient diagnosed through cascade screening. A comprehensive battery of standardized tests was administered including measures of intellectual function, attention/memory, executive function, motor skills, speech/language, as well as behavioural and adaptive skills. The results reveal overall average cognitive outcomes; however, subtle, but significant, fine motor and articulation deficits were observed. The results are discussed with regard to potential links between fine motor deficits and speech impairments in children with GA I. Such difficulties can impact on the child's ability to engage in academic, leisure and daily activities. These findings highlight the importance of in-depth assessments of all aspects of neuropsychological function in patients with GA I and provide a basis for future neuropsychological assessment in similar groups of children. In spite of relatively preserved overall functioning, using a broad range of sensitive cognitive and motor measures facilitates the detection of subtle deficits, and allows for planning of early and adequate therapeutic interventions.

Brief Report: Inner Speech Impairment in Children with Autism is Associated with Greater Nonverbal than Verbal Skills

We present a new analysis of Whitehouse, Maybery, and Durkin's (2006, Experiment 3) data on inner speech in children with autism (CWA). Because inner speech development is thought to depend on linguistically mediated social interaction, we hypothesized that children with both autism and a nonverbal > verbal (NV > V) skills profile would show the greatest inner speech impairment. CWA and typically developing controls (n = 23 in each group) undertook a timed mathematical task-switching test, known to benefit from inner speech use. Participants completed the task with and without articulatory suppression (AS), which disrupts inner speech. The hypothesis was supported: AS interference varied with cognitive profile among CWA but not among controls. Only the NV > V autism group showed no AS interference, indicating an inner speech impairment.

Blickdiagnose Sprachverständnisstörungen – Die diagnostische Güte von Experten- und Elternurteilen

Hintergrund: Sprachverständnisstörungen beeinträchtigen die gesamte sprachliche, kognitive und emotionale Entwicklung eines Kindes. Der Anteil von Störungen des Sprachverständnisses bei Kindern mit Sprachentwicklungsstörungen wird sehr unterschiedlich quantifiziert. Zudem werden Sprachverständnisstörungen leicht übersehen. Fragestellungen: a) Anteil von Sprachverständnisstörungen bei einer Stichprobe von Vorschulkindern, b) Bewertung der diagnostischen Güte der subjektiven Diagnose rezeptiver Sprachstörungen durch Experten und Eltern und c) Konsequenzen für Diagnostik und Therapie.

Research on First Language Acquisition of Spanish Phonology

Abstract This paper deals with research on acquisition of Spanish phonology by young children. The beginnings of this discipline are placed within the model of Generative Grammar, at the end of the 1960s. The two main areas of phonology are considered: on the one hand segments, and certain chronological sequences of segment acquisition, and on the other hand prosody, i.e. syllables, stress, intonation and rhythm. The most important issues of acquisition research are presented, including the relationship between perception and production, the role of prosody in acquisition, underlying representations, and the dependency of morphology on prosody. The main models of the field are also discussed, namely rules, parameters and constraints. The beginnings of morphological development and its dependence on phonology are briefly discussed as well. Finally, the acquisition of Spanish phonology in bilingual contexts is also described. The paper deals exclusively with normal first language acquisition, and does not refer to speech language impaired children nor to second language acquisition.

A model of differential diagnosis of speech impairment in children with neurological disorders

A model of differential diagnosis of speech impairment in children with neurological disorders

Early Intervention for Speech Impairment in Children with Cleft Palate

This study explored the effectiveness of a parent-implemented, focused stimulation program on the speech characteristics of children younger than 3 years with cleft lip and palate. The research questions included the following: (1) Can parents be trained to deliver an early intervention (EI) program for children with cleft palate? (2) Does a parent-implemented EI program result in positive changes in speech characteristics? Ten mother-child pairs in which the child had cleft lip and palate (CLP) and 10 mother-child pairs in which the child did not have a cleft (NCLP). The children ranged in age from 14 to 36 months of age and were matched between the CLP and the NCLP groups for vocabulary size, age, and socioeconomic status. Group differences (CLP and the NCLP) for preintervention and postintervention language and speech measures were compared. The results of this study showed that the mothers could be trained to deliver the intervention reliably. Furthermore, the results indicated that the intervention resulted in increased sound inventories, increased speech accuracy, and reduced use of glottal stops for the children with clefts. While the intervention resulted in speech gains for the children with clefts, speech measures did not exceed those made by the children without clefts. The results of the study have implications for service delivery models where the services of speech-language pathologists are limited.

Narrative learning, EAL and metacognitive development

This paper elaborates some aspects of narrative learning—defined here as learning to tell stories and learning from, about and through narratives—in the context of primary‐age pupils who use English as an Additional Language (EAL). The paper introduces some principles to support their language development in classroom interaction. We argue that linguistically orientated research on metacognitive strategy development is not necessarily readily applied to EAL learners. After presenting a background on narrative, narrative development and social aspects of telling stories, we introduce an approach to narrative development which encourages a cycle telling and retelling of stories which provides EAL learners with layered opportunities for developing the metacognitive features of planning, remembering, understanding and reflecting on storytelling. This is enabled through the use of written ‘keywords’, which are used in conjunction with ‘story maps’ (which outline the narrative structure and content) together with classroom photos. While the focus of the paper is on EAL learners, the visual approach described here can be used with narrative (or factual information) for many other young children and has been used by speech and language therapists to develop specific aspects of language for speech and language impaired children.

Subjective Burden in Mothers of Speech-Impaired Children

Objective: Evaluation of perceived subjective burden in mothers of speech-impaired children against the presence or absence of an emotional disorder. Methods: 89 mothers (age 33;3 ± 5;5 years, range: 19;6–43;8 years) of 89 preschool children (23 girls, 66 boys, age: 3;9 ± 1;5 years, range: 1;6– 7;1 years) with specific speech impairment were investigated. German versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (BSFC) were applied. Results: 11% of the mothers met criteria for a depressive disorder (normal controls: 2.5%; p = 0.008). Twenty-eight percent of the mothers met criteria for anxiety disorders (normal controls: 9.6%; p = 0.000). The HADS depression subscore and the BSFC correlate with r = 0.75. The HADS anxiety subscore and the BSFC correlate with r = 0.59. Conclusions: Results suggest the need for routine clinical assessment of mothers’ well-being when their children are affected by speech impairment.

Subjektive Aspekte bei Müttern von Kindern mit Sprachentwicklungsstörungen

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the subjective burden in mothers of speech impaired children against the presence or absence of emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression. A total of 89 mothers (age 33.3+/-5.5 years, range: 19.6-43.8 years) of 89 speech impaired preschool children (23 girls, 66 boys, age: 3.9+/-1.5 years, range: 1.6-7.1 years) were examined. Screening for a depressive or anxiety disorder was performed using the German version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS-D. The "Short Questionnaire on Current Burden" (Kurzfragebogen zur Aktuellen Belastung, KAB) was used to measure the level of perceived subjective burden at the time of the investigation. A higher score in the KAB test occurred significantly more often in mothers with a positive HADS depression/anxiety subscale result than in those with a negative one. There is a need for specific assessment of wellbeing in mothers of speech impaired children. In clinical practice, one may restrict oneself to the use of a screening test for anxiety and depression.

Management of speech impairment in children: The journey so far and the road ahead

The management of speech impairment of unknown origin in children requires speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to make a number of important clinical decisions. These decisions resolve around assessment, analysis, diagnosis and intervention. Ideally, clinicians should be guided in their clinical decision making by the best available published evidence. Over 30 years ago, this was a relatively straightforward task. Most children's speech problems were assessed and analysed from an articulation perspective, and children were provided with articulation-based intervention. Since the paradigm shift from articulation to phonology, it could be argued that clinical decision making has become challenging. This challenge is not due to a limitation of options for children with unintelligible speech, but due to a plethora of knowledge and approaches for assessment, analysis, diagnosis and intervention. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge in the management of speech impairment in children. The benefit...

Quality of life in mothers of speech impaired children

Today, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important outcome parameter in medicine. As a mother's well-being is important for the development of her child it is assumed that her HRQOL influences her child. In children with developmental disorders mothers may experience a reduction of their HRQOL. This study focused on HRQOL in mothers of speech impaired children. In 91 mothers the SF-36 questionnaire revealed lower scores of all subscales except for ‘bodily pain’ and ‘mental health’. Although the data allow for no conclusion on whether the speech impairment is the reason or the consequence of a reduced HRQOL, the results indicate the necessity to take into account the mothers’ well-being when dealing with speech impaired children.

Differential motor speech outcomes in children treated for mid-line cerebellar tumour

Primary objective: To investigate the nature of the motor speech impairments and dysarthria that can arise subsequent to treatment for childhood mid-line cerebellar tumours (CMCT).Research design: The motor speech ability of six cases of children with CMCT was analysed using perceptual and physiological measures and compared with that of a group of non-neurologically impaired children matched for age and sex.Main outcome and results: Three of the children with CMCT were perceived to exhibit dysarthric speech, while the remaining three were judged to have normal speech. The speech disorder in three of the children with CMCT was marked by deviances in prosody, articulation and phonation. The underlying pathophysiology was linked to cerebellar damage and expressed as difficulty in co-ordinating the motor speech musculature as required for speech production. These deficits were not identified in the three non-dysarthric children with CMCT.Conclusion: Differential motor speech outcomes occur for children treated for CMCT and these are discussed within the realm of possible mechanisms responsible for these differences. The need for further investigation of the risk factors for development of motor speech impairment in children treated for CMCT is also highlighted.

Impact of computer augmented communication on the daily lives of speech-impaired children. Part I: Daily communication and activities

This study investigated the impact of Bliss-based computer augmented communication (CAC) on the daily communi- cation and activities of six severely disabled speech-impaired children and youngsters - from the point of view of the children and youngsters, and their discussion partners and therapists. The study investigated CAC during the first year of its use in real life settings. The implementation process of CAC was highly individual and context dependent. During the study all of the speech-impaired participants learned to operate their CAC devices. Their initial enthusiasm began to decline three to six months after the participants received their devices. At the end of the study year, the CAC devices were hardly used for face-to-face communication, but they were used mainly for educational purposes, written communication, or play and leisure. The main reasons for not using the CAC devices were their poor usability, slow operation speeds and insufficient vocabularies, as well as a lack of related services. The speech-impaired children considered the CAC devices important for them and primarily helpful for schoolwork and play.

Impact of computer augmented communication on the daily lives of speech-impaired children. Part II: Services to support computer augmented communication

This study investigated the impact and importance of Bliss-based computer augmented communication (CAC) on the daily communication and daily activities of six severely disabled speech-impaired children and youngsters - from the point of view of the children and youngsters, their discussion partners and occupational and speech therapists. The study also investigated the services related to the implementation and use of these CAC devices, which are the focus of this article. The study showed that CAC requires a large input of services. The indirect service input was substantial. The study found limitations in the organisation and implementation of CAC services. These findings may at least partly account for the children's and youngsters' limited progress in using the CAC devices which was reported in the previous paper.

Early language impairment and young adult delinquent and aggressive behavior.

Clinic and forensic studies have reported high rates of language impairments in conduct disordered and incarcerated youth. In community samples followed to early adolescence, speech and language impairments have been linked to attention deficits and internalizing problems, rather than conduct problems, delinquency, or aggression. This study examines the young adult antisocial outcomes of speech or language impaired children. Language impaired boys had higher levels of parent-rated delinquency symptoms by age 19 than boys without language impairment, controlled for verbal IQ and for demographic and family variables. Language impaired boys did not differ from controls in self-reported delinquency or aggression symptoms on a standardized checklist; however, language impaired boys reported higher rates of arrests and convictions than controls. Language impairment was not related to aggression or delinquency in girls. We examine alternate models of the interrelationships between language, academics, and behavior, at ages 5, 12, and 19.