Browsing by Person "Lloyd, Susan"

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Apparent time change in the articulation of onset rhotics in Southern British English
(2023-08) Strycharczuk, Patrycja; Lloyd, Susan; Scobbie, James M.
The /r/ phoneme in Anglo English is known to correspond to a number of relatively distinct articulatory variants. However, little is known about the social structure of this variation. In this study,we investigate the effect of two social factors, age and gender, on the production of /r/, in a sample of 36 speakers from the South of England. We analysed ultrasound images of prevocalic /r/ tokens. We measured the distances between the short tendon and 11 points on the tongue surface. We compared these distances across speakers in representative /r/ frames. We find an apparent time difference whereby the distance between the tongue tip and the short tendon reduced in apparent time, potentially signalling an ongoing sound change from a tipup to tipdown /r/.
The impact of real-time articulatory information on phonetic transcription: Ultrasound-aided transcription in cleft lip and palate speech
(Karger, 2019-05-24) Cleland, Joanne; Lloyd, Susan; Campbell, Linsay; Crampin, Lisa; Palo, Pertti; Sugden, Eleanor; Wrench, Alan A.; Zharkova, Natalia
Objective: This study investigated whether adding an additional modality, namely ultrasound tongue imaging, to perception-based phonetic transcription impacted on the identification of compensatory articulations and on interrater reliability. Patients and Methods: Thirty-nine English-speaking children aged 3 to 12 with cleft lip and palate (CLP) were recorded producing repetitions of /aCa/ for all places of articulation with simultaneous audio and probe-stabilised ultrasound. Three types of transcriptions were performed: 1. Descriptive observations from the live ultrasound by the clinician recording the data; 2. Ultrasound-aided transcription by two ultrasound-trained clinicians; and 3. Traditional phonetic transcription by two CLP specialists from audio recording. We compared the number of consonants identified as in error by each transcriber and then classified errors into eight different subcategories. Results: Both the ultrasound-aided and traditional transcriptions yielded similar error-detection rates, however these were significantly higher than the observations recorded live in the clinic. Interrater reliability for the ultrasound transcribers was substantial (k=0.65), compared to moderate (k=0.47) for the traditional transcribers. Ultrasound-aided transcribers were more likely to identify covert errors such as double articulations and retroflexion than the audio-only transcribers. Conclusion: Ultrasound-tongue imaging is a useful complement to traditional phonetic transcription for CLP speech.
Improving client transitions between SLT teams in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: A knowledge exchange service development project
(NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 2017-09) McCartney, Elspeth; Lloyd, Susan; Gray, Alison; Smart, Kirsty
Introduction SLT services in NHSGG&C are offered from around 37 locations, managed within community and hospital, adult and paediatric units. SLTs work in teams serving specified populations, and facilitating client transitions amongst SLT teams is a priority. Researchers at Strathclyde University interviewed 28 SLTs and 7 service-users about successful and less successful transitions between the 21 SLT teams for adults with long-term SLCN, including unplanned transitions on entering acute services, and planned transitions on leaving school (McCartney & Muir, 2015, 2016). The overarching themes facilitating or impeding transitions, showing both negative and positive examples, were SLT team properties; communication and information exchange; and outside influences on teams. Following this, a University of Strathclyde and NHSGG&C SLT services Knowledge Exchange (KE) project was jointly funded, and a 'transitions' working group representing SLTs across all client groups formed. This group extended the research analysis, and suggested further service improvements.
Systematic review of ultrasound visual biofeedback in intervention for speech sound disorders
(Wiley, 2019-06-10) Sugden, Eleanor; Lloyd, Susan; Lam, Jenny; Cleland, Joanne
Background As cost and access barriers to ultrasound technology have decreased, interest in using ultrasound visual biofeedback (U-VBF) as a tool for remediating speech sound disorders (SSD) has increased. A growing body of research has investigated U-VBF in intervention for developmental SSD; however, diversity in study design, participant characteristics, clinical methods and outcomes complicate the interpretation of this literature. Thus, there is a need for a synthesis and review of the evidence base for using U-VBF in intervention for SSD.
Visualising speech: Identification of atypical tongue-shape patterns in the speech of children with cleft lip and palate using ultrasound technology
(NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 2018) Lloyd, Susan; Cleland, Joanne; Crampin, Lisa; Campbell, Linsay; Zharkova, Natalia; Palo, Pertti
Previous research by Gibbon (2004) shows that at least 8 distinct error types can be identified in the speech of people with cleft lip and palate (CLP) using electropalatography (EPG), a technique which measures tongue-palate contact. However, EPG is expensive and logistically difficult. In contrast, ultrasound is cheaper and arguably better equipped to image the posterior articulations (such as pharyngeals) which are common in CLP. A key aim of this project is to determine whether the eight error types made visible with EPG in CLP speech described by Gibbon (2004) can be also be identified with ultrasound. This paper will present the first results from a larger study developing a qualitative and quantitative ultrasound speech assessment protocol. Data from the first 20 children aged 3 to 18 with CLP will be presented. Data are spoken materials from the CLEFTNET protocol. We will present a recording format compatible with CAPS-A to record initial observations from the live ultrasound (e.g. double articulations, pharyngeal stops). Two Speech and Language Therapists analysed the data independently to identify error types. Results suggest that all of the error types, for example fronted placement and double articulations can be identified using ultrasound, but this is challenging in real-time. Ongoing work involves quantitative analysis of error types using articulatory measures.
Visualising speech: Using ultrasound visual biofeedback to diagnose and treat speech disorders in children with cleft lip and palate
(NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 2017-09) Cleland, Joanne; Crampin, Lisa; Zharkova, Natalia; Wrench, Alan A.; Lloyd, Susan; Palo, Pertti
Children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) often continue to have problems producing clear speech long after the clefts have been surgically repaired, leading to educational and social disadvantage. Speech is of key importance in CLP from both a quality of life and surgical outcome perspective, yet assessment relies on subjective perceptual methods, with speech and language therapists (SLTs) listening to speech and transcribing errors. This is problematic because perception-based phonetic transcription is well known to be highly unreliable(Howard & Lohmander, 2011) especially in CLP, where the range of error types is arguably far greater than for other speech sound disorders. Moreover,CLP speech is known to be vulnerable to imperceptible error types, such as double articulations which can only be understood with instrumental techniques such as ultrasound tongue imaging (UTI). Incorrect transcription of these errors can result in misdiagnosis and subsequent inappropriate intervention which can lead to speech errors becoming deeply ingrained.