Speech Therapy Tool Research Articles

Les aléas du suivi orthophonique chez l’adolescent avec autisme : les facteurs influençant sa (non) mise en œuvre

ObjectiveThis exploratory qualitative study aims to identify factors influencing orientation, access to speech therapy professionals and its maintenance in adolescents with autism. This was carried out by questioning them about their perceptions of the place and objectives of speech therapy concerning teenagers with autism spectrum disorders in a context where adolescents struggle to benefit from it. Sample and MethodEight child psychiatry professionals including four child psychiatrists, three speech therapists and a psychomotor-therapist took part. These semi-structured interviews have been analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). ResultsThe perception of adolescents with ASD as carriers of severe behavioral disorders and unlikely to be e subject to significant clinical changes has an unfavorable influence on the indication for speech therapy at this age. In addition, the management of the shortages in speech therapy is done to the detriment of adolescents in order to prioritize the youngest. Speech therapy follow-ups are experienced as cumbersome with a lack of specific assessments and speech therapy tools for this age. DiscussionCommunication disorders are insufficiently assessed by prescribing professionals who have a more vague representation of the specificities of speech therapy work at this age. In the current situation of speech therapy shortage, speech therapists are torn between the desire to continue to follow an adolescent, whose development potential is not always perceived, and the moral and clinical obligation to take care of toddlers who are generally prioritized. ConclusionThese results reveal the need for more specific speech therapy assessments and tools for adolescents with autism to better target their communication needs and offer more appropriate care. Precise training on the issue of ASD in adolescence would make it possible to consider the diversity of needs and presentations of disorders at this age. Speech therapy monitoring of adolescents with autism raises questions about possible changes in the practice of speech therapy.

AI-based automated speech therapy tools for persons with speech sound disorder: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT In response to the limited availability of speech therapy services, researchers are developing AI-based automated speech therapy tools for individuals with speech sound disorder (SSD). However, their effectiveness/efficacy compared to conventional speech therapy remains unclear, and no guidelines exist for designing these tools or their required automation levels compared to therapy by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Moreover, AI applications raise concerns about job displacement, biased algorithms, and privacy issues. This systematic review aims to provide comprehensive insights into AI-based automated speech therapy, focusing on (i) types of SSD addressed; (ii) AI techniques used; (iii) autonomy levels achieved; (iv) delivery modes; and (v) effectiveness/efficacy of these tools. PRISMA guidelines were applied across five databases for studies published between January 2007 and February 2022. Twenty-four studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Results suggest that articulation disorders are the most frequently addressed SSD. Various AI techniques were applied, ranging from traditional automatic speech recognition (ASR) to advanced methods. Most studies proposed fully automated tools, often overlooking the role of other stakeholders. Computer-based and gamified applications were the most common intervention modes. The results suggest the potential of AI-based automated speech therapy tools for individuals with SSD; however, only a few studies have compared their effectiveness/efficacy with conventional speech therapy. Further research is needed to develop speech corpora for under-represented languages, apply a Human-Centered AI approach, conduct usability studies on intervention modes, and perform more rigorous effectiveness studies.

Use of selected materials for aphasia therapy in teaching Polish as a foreign language at lower levels of language proficiency (A1 and A2)

The author takes up issues concerned with teaching Polish as a foreign language with the use of speech therapy tools present in the treatment of patients suffering from aphasia. On the example of selected rehabilitation materials, she shows the extent to which they can be used in classes of Polish as a foreign language at levels A1 and A2. The enumerated tools can be used in PFL didactics to develop lexical, grammatical, and cultural competences. Keywords: Polish as a foreign language – aphasia – didactics – language competence – speech therapy

Aplikasi Terapi Wicara bagi Remaja Penyandang Disabilitas Intelektual Ringan

There are more than three million people in Indonesia who have speech disorders. Speech disorders are also experienced by people with intellectual disabilities, who need speech therapy to practice their expressive speech skills. However, the current types of speech therapy, in general, are not easily accessible and require considerable cost. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to provide a speech therapy tool that can be accessed easily and requires low cost. This research designs a mobile application as a speech therapy tool for teenagers with mild intellectual disability. The design process began with the identification of user needs, followed by the design of application concepts using a design workshop. The best concept was developed into a prototype, which was then evaluated through a usability testing, using effectiveness, efficiency, learnability, memorability, and accessibility as the evaluation criteria. Based on the evaluation, the effectiveness of the application is 82.2% and its efficiency is 78.9%. Meanwhile, the learnability and memorability of the application consecutively score 80% and 94.4%. These results show that the application has a good level of accessibility. Evaluation was also conducted using the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire, which resulted in a total score of 74 (acceptable). In addition, interviews were conducted to identify remaining flaws that were subsequently used as a basis for design improvement of the application.

Making music with images: interactive audiovisual performance systems for the deaf

This paper describes the technical and aesthetic approach ­utilised for the development of an interactive audiovisual performance system designed specifically for use by children with multiple learning difficulties, including deafness and autism. Sound is transformed in real-time through the implementation of a Fast Fourier Transform and translated into a moving image. This image is adapted so that relevant information can be understood and manipulated visually in real-time. Finally, the image is turned back into sound with only minimal delay. The translation process is based on research in computer music, neuroscience, perception and abstract film studies. The system is achieving a significant user base amongst the deaf and disabled community through projects involving the British Broadcasting Corporation and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Alongside continuing collaboration with the Sonic Arts Network, the system has now been made freely available to the public, and is being developed as a speech therapy tool.

Slowing down speech in the development of a speech therapy tool aimed at children with verbal apraxia

Article Slowing down speech in the development of a speech therapy tool aimed at children with verbal apraxia was published on October 1, 2005 in the journal International Journal on Disability and Human Development (volume 4, issue 4).

Learning pronunciation with the Visual ear

We recently reported the use of Kohonen's feature map as the hidden layer of an RBF network for the recognition of spoken letters [1], and the analysis of sleep EEG [2]. The feature map was shown to act as an aid to visualization during the initial period of unsupervised learning in the hidden layer. In this paper, we again explore the topology preserving properties of Kohonen's feature map, this time for the visual interpretation of speech. It is shown that speech sounds, such as words or phonemes, may be displayed as moving trajectories on a computer screen and enhanced for ease of interpretation. A system known as the Visual Ear is introduced, in which speech from a normal speaker is displayed alongside that of a pupil learning pronunciation, enabling a visual comparison to be made between the two. The application of the Visual Ear to accelerated learning of foreign languages, or as a general speech therapy tool, are then discussed, and the limitations of the present system are highlighted.