Traditional Speech Therapy Research Articles

Computer-aided speech training in articulation therapy

The monitoring of responses and reinforcement of correct responses are time consuming aspects of traditional speech therapy. A microcomputer-based system has been developed which will relieve the therapist of much of the burden in repetitive practice sessions. It has been designed around commercially available systems which permit the recognition of isolated words or short phrases and utilizes a computer-aided instruction format in the patient practice sessions. A discriminant analysis approach is used for word recognition rather than the more common template comparison technique. Discriminant functions are formulated for each word to be used in the practice sessions based on the productions (classified satisfactory or unsatisfactory) of the target words elicited by a therapist in initial sessions. A pilot study has shown that this approach permits common phonemic developmental articulation errors, such as omission of an initial /s/, to be detected with very high reliability. Discriminant functions prove to be more efficient in both memory and speed than template matchings for the practice sessions and this is a major consideration in a cost effective system. This system should prove to be inexpensive enough to permit widely decentralized installation and is currently being considered for use in speech therapy services of a major city school system.

Effects of speech therapy on aphasics' responses to Functional Communication Profile.

Protocols of the Functional Communication Profile were compared for 17 treated and 18 untreated aphasic patients. All subjects were post-CVA, right-handed, right hemiplegic native speakers of English representing fluent, non-fluent and global aphasics. All treated patients received a minimum of a half hour of individual and an hour of group speech therapy daily, for 8 wk. during a period between 4 and 12 wk. post-onset. Statistical comparisons of treated and untreated groups did not yield significant differences. Patients who received traditional speech therapy could not be differentiated from untreated control patients.

Vibrotactile stimulation: a future clinical tool for speech pathologists.

This paper presents a rationale for using vibrotactile stimulation as a diagnostic instrument to assess oral-sensory deficits which may contribute to defective speech patterns. Recent research findings are summarized and discussed as they relate to current testing procedures, comparative clinical research, predictive articulatory development, and traditional speech therapy.

EFFECT OF AEROBIC EXERCISES ON STUTTERING

Background and Objective:Stuttering is one of the most common speech disorders in adolescents than adults. Stuttering results in depression, anxiety, behavioral problem, social isolation and communication problems in daily life. Our objective was to determine the effect of Aerobic Exercises (AE) on stuttering.Methods:A quasi trail was conducted at National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) from January to June 2015. Thirty patients were selected and placed in three different groups Experimental Group A, (EG = 10 patients, age between 7-14 years), Experimental Group B (EG =10 patients age between 15-28 years) and control group –group C, (CG = 10 patients, age between 7-28 years). Patient who stutter were included in this study and those with any other pathology or comorbidity of speech disorders were excluded. The assessment tool used was Real-Time analysis of speech fluency scale. Participants in all the groups received speech therapy while only the EG – A and B received aerobic exercises (AE) using treadmill and stationary bicycle along with the speech therapy. Pre-interventional and post interventional assessments were analyzed using the SPSS 21 in order to determine the significance of new treatment approach and the effectiveness of physical therapy on speech disorders.Results:All the groups showed significant treatment effects but both the EG groups (Group A, Group B) showed high improvement in the severity level of stuttering as compared to control group C. The results also showed that AE treated group B had significant difference in p-value (p=0.027) as compared to control group (p<0.05) while experimental group A had no significant difference (p > 0.05) between these groups.Conclusion:The eclectic approach of aerobic exercises with the traditional speech therapy provides proximal rehabilitation of stuttering.