BSc (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7266

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What effect does a semi-structured task (spot-the-difference)have on turn-taking organisation as compared to an unstructured task (spontaneous conversation)?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Turn-taking organisation has been studied in many contexts, such as emergency telephone conversations, interviews and courtroom interactions (Heritage and Clayman 2010). Comparisons have been made between these structured interactions and conversations to discover any differences (Heritage and Clayman 2010), using Conversation Analysis (CA) techniques. This study continues with this research by comparing a semi-structured collaborative task, namely a spot-the-difference (STD) task, to unstructured conversation. Several key areas of turn-taking organisation were selected for comparison, such as length of turn, number of overlaps, number of questions asked and amount of silence. Audio-recordings of 10 dyads performing both tasks were transcribed using CA, and data was collected from this analysis. The results show that there were shorter turns and fewer overlaps in STD, with more questions asked and more silence overall in STD. The proportion of acknowledgement tokens used as turns and overlaps were found to be unaffected by task type, but the type of questions asked were different, with declarative questions being used to a greater degree in STD than in conversation. Finally, the most frequent between speaker interval was found to be in the range of 0.2 to 0.29 seconds, with the majority of intervals overall less than an approximate one second maximum. The conclusion is that a semi-structured activity such as STD has a specific effect on turntaking organisation, and this has clinical implications. For example, if practice at asking questions was required, an STD task may be more suitable than having a conversation, as the task has the purpose of asking questions to reach its goal within a limited format.
Eh… I forgot what I was going to say. How do memory and lexical access affect speech fluency?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Many studies revolving around speech research have questioned what may cause disfluency in typical speakers by considering aspects such as gender, age and personality factors. However, the results established between these groups are inconsistent and therefore, unreliable. This study provides evidence to suggest that the reason it is so difficult to find reliable trends in the frequency and types of disfluencies between groups, is because so much variation can be identified within groups. This study attempts to fill a gap in our understanding about disfluencies in typical speakers. This study investigates the variation in the disfluencies observed in spontaneous speech (average frequency and type of disfluencies observed across 3 running speech tasks) and how they correlate with working memory and rate of lexical access variation. The results were examined using SPSS to establish any correlations. A digit span task was employed to establish working memory abilities. It was found that working memory abilities correlate negatively with the frequency of disfluencies found in spontaneous speech. Working memory scores also showed a strong negative correlation with the frequency of repair disfluencies. An attempt to explain this correlation is made during this study in relation to the ability to self-monitor in speech (Jacquemot and Scott 2006). To determine the rate of lexical access 3 verbal fluency tasks were used: 2 semantic and 1 letter fluency task. These results highlight a negative correlation between lexical access and the frequency of disfluencies in spontaneous speech. Another significant negative correlation is found between lexical access and hesitations: if lexical access is slow, hesitations are used to allow extra time to retrieve words. This study highlights that lexical access and working memory abilities contribute to the variation in disfluencies found in spontaneous speech and attempt is made to explain why this is the case.
The communicative abilities of individuals with Smith-Magenis syndrome:a systematic review (1997-2014)
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
This systematic review investigates the communicative abilities within persons with Smith-Magenis syndrome. It aims to determine the following with regards to Smith- Magenis syndrome; whether delay or disorder are accurate terms to describe communicative abilities, whether there is homogeneity or heterogeneity of communicative abilities between cases, whether there are longitudinal differences in communicative abilities within cases, whether additional qualified professionals were involved in assessment within the literature, and whether sufficient information exists in order to create a Smith-Magenis communication profile. A systematic review research model was employed in order to search, collect and evaluate the literature effectively and accurately. The search was limited to the years 1997-2014, including all literature published between these dates. Following primary and secondary screening, 31 articles were included in the final cohort. The results revealed that "delay" appears to be the most widely used term to describe speech, language and cognition of individuals with Smith-Magenis syndrome, however in the case of speech, "delay" may not be the most accurate term due to findings of abnormal oromotor abilities. The cohort revealed that there is homogeneity of communicative abilities across the Smith-Magenis syndrome population, with only one Brazilian study reporting contrasting results. There were no studies investigating longitudinal differences within this client group, which has revealed the possibility for future research. From the literature it appears that additional professionals are not readily employed to administer assessments, despite the advantage of reduced experimenter bias. The literature did provide enough data to create a communication profile for those who work with individuals with Smith- Magenis syndrome.
An investigation into the relationship between electropalatography and ultrasound using the vowels /a/ and /i/ in typical adult speakers
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
This study investigated the relationship between electropalatography (EPG) and ultrasound through comparison of quantitative measures derived from these two techniques. The measures used were two established EPG measures: WT and COG, and emergent ultrasound measures: DEI, TCPI and LOCa-i. A pre-existing corpus of simultaneous EPG and ultrasound recordings was used in which four adult speakers of Scottish English produced /CV#C/ sequences with the vowels /a, i/ and the consonants /p, f, t, s, k/. The quantitative measurements were taken at the acoustic mid-vowel point using the corresponding ultrasound and EPG images. Within technique, comparisons were made to establish the extent to which each measure was able to quantify the large gestural differences between the two vowels. Correlations were run between WT and DEI, and COG with TCPI and LOCa-i to allow comparisons of the extent to which the coupled measures quantify a similar aspect of tongue behaviour. Additionally, consonant-on-vowel coarticulatory effects were analysed using the measures WT and DEI. All five measures quantified aspects of tongue shape and consequential tongue-palate contact as different for the two vowels, with /i/ having larger values than /a/ on all measures. For /i/, there was a significant positive correlation between WT and DEI, and a significant negative correlation between COG and TCPI/LOCa-i. When individual speaker results are considered the relationship is less clear. EPG identified consonant on-vowel coarticulatory effects on /i/, whereas ultrasound identified consonant-on-vowel coarticulatory effects on /a/. The two techniques provide comparable information in their ability to quantify the large differences required in articulatory gesture for the vowels /i/ and /a/. When finer articulatory detail is concerned, the measures provide complementary information. The correlations suggest that the measures quantify slightly different aspects of movement. The results from the analysis on coarticulation show how the ultrasound can identify coarticulation in the two vowels when EPG does not, and vice versa. Adding information on tongue shape, information that EPG does not provide, these ultrasound measures have potential for use in both research and clinical settings, particularly in sounds where palatal contact is minimal, such as /a/.
A systematic review of the available literature from 1990 to 2014, investigating the effects of age and gender on tongue strength.
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
The aim of this literature review is to examine the effects that age and gender may have on tongue strength, using the maximum isometric pressure generated by the anterior portion of the tongue against the hard palate. This search was confined to articles published between 1990 and 2014, contained within the following databases available through Queen Margaret University: SCOPUS, CINAHL, MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, and MEDLINE via Web of Knowledge. A final cohort of 19 articles was generated, taken from the original 117 articles located. The combined results of studies included in the final cohort, all of which included the maximum isometric tongue pressure measurements of the participants involved, showed a clear downwards trend in tongue strength throughout the lifespan for both men and women. Individually, the studies showed little difference in maximum isometric tongue pressure measurements between the male and female participants, and results were varied. These findings suggest that although there is a difference in tongue strength, it is not clinically significant. The results of the 19 articles scrutinised showed no definitive answer in regards to the effect of gender on tongue strength throughout adulthood; however, they did highlight the fact that this is an area that may benefit from additional, more in-depth examination. Limitations and variations of these studies have been examined, and a possible layout for a standardised study has been detailed, using Vanderwegen's (2013) article as a base.
The Developing Communication Phenotype- a response to Shprintzen (1997)
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Shprintzen (1997) elicited concerns regarding the lack of representation from Communication Science in the field of genetics. The high percentage of genetic syndromes associated with speech impairment (87.6 %) makes an understanding of the communication profile in response to the syndrome's genetic make-up or communication phenotype invaluable for Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) (Houston 2012, Van Borsel 2004). Since 1997, the field of genetics has rapidly developed, as have the implications for clinical practice. A systematic review using four exemplar syndromes of Down Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome and Prader-Willi Syndrome revealed substantial development in the research body regarding communication phenotype since Shprintzen (1997). The quantity of research activity correlated to the prevalence of the syndrome. An investigation of the usefulness of this research for clinical practice revealed the use of highly specified professional terminology to describe communication phenotype capturing sufficient detail required by SLTs. However despite this increase in research and the appropriate use of terminology, there remain areas which require development. The presence of reviews establishing a secure representation of communication phenotype is sparse, particularly for less prevalent syndromes. Indications of the developmental trajectory of speech and language characteristics are limited and SLTs remain poorly represented in the research community. This study highlights encouraging developments but calls for a communication phenotype which is applicable to clinical practice for all syndromes to be established, facilitating holistic management in light of the evidence base (RCSLT 2006).
Identifying Differing Articulation Times of Pre- Speech Initiation in Words with Differing Syntactic Structures
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Before a speaker has produced any sound but after they have planned their utterance, the articulators; the lips and the tongue; have already begun moving. The silent reaction of the articulators can help us in understanding the production of speech and the way in which words are formulated and eventually articulated. The following study aimed to identify if words with different structures would cause the articulators to have a difference in the duration of silent movement. A total of 6 participants were recorded for their articulatory results across 3 conditions: a bare condition, an article condition (/a/) and a prolonged article condition (/aaaaa/). A total of 4 words were used as prompts: Bit, Bat, Kit and Cat. The use of a /b/ and a/k/ was done to be able to measure the movements of the lips on the /b/ words and the tongue on the /k/ words. The results were recorded and analysed using articulation analysis software called Articulate Assistant Advanced (AAA). The software was used to annotate and measure the different time points on the complete articulation of the words in each of the different conditions. The results from this study indicate that there is a significant difference in the duration of silent articulation when there is an article present - the articulators move considerably earlier compared to the bare and prolonged condition. There was no significant difference between the bare and prolonged conditions. It was also notable that there was no significant difference between the durations of reactions of the tongue or the lips.
The Effect of Procedural Variations on Maximum Phonation Time in Young Adult Females
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate procedural impacts on Maximum Phonation Time (MPT), a popular non-standardised voice assessment. The study compared the MPT measured by a stopwatch and an offline measurement from an audio-recording. The study also investigated the effect of a demonstration on participants' mean, greatest and first trial phonation duration, as well as the effect of the demonstration on the amount of variation between participants and on the trial number yielding the greatest duration. The effect of the trial number on duration in both groups was investigated. The amount of variation in the researcher's demonstration and the effect of demonstration duration on participants' mean, greatest and first trial duration were also investigated. Method: 33 females between 19 and 25 years old were recruited and randomly allocated either the Model or No Model group. Participants prolonged [a] for as long as possible 5 times and their durations were measured live using a stopwatch and offline using the computer programme Praat (Boersma and Weeink 2013). Statistical analysis was then used to investigate if there were significant differences in any of the variables being explored. Results: The results showed a large amount of intrapersonal and interpersonal variation. There was a very high correlation between the stopwatch and audio-recording measurements. There was no significant difference between the Model and No Model groups' mean, greatest or first trial duration, but the Model Group showed significantly less variation between participants. The use of a demonstration did not result in greatest MPT being achieved in an earlier trial. Trial 5 was significantly longer than trial 1, with most of the increase being in the first few trials. The researcher's demonstration was quite long compared to most participants, and was quite, but not particularly variable. The demonstration duration did not have a significant effect on participants' mean, greatest or first trial duration. Conclusion: The procedural factors investigated do not vastly skew MPT results, but the study provides clinicians with information on aspects of the MPT assessment which should be kept consistent. Other apparent impacts on MPT were identified, including personal factors, environmental factors, and other procedural factors regarding ensuring participants perform the absolute maximum phonation duration of which they are capable.
Is there an association between a speaker's position on the schizotypy continuum and the rate of disfluencies in running speech?
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
The production of speech is a highly complex process, and speakers typically produce 6 errors per 100 words. Previous research addressing the cause of such errors has largely overlooked the idea that personality may be associated with disfluencies in speech, despite evidence that those with schizophrenia and other thought disorders exhibit odd speech characteristics. 73 participants between the ages of 19 and 78 completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and two running speech tasks: a commentary task during a five minute segment of a silent film, and a recall task following another five minute segment. Speech data was transcribed and disfluencies were counted, and the rate of disfluencies calculated. Correlative statistics revealed no correlation between the total SPQ score and the rate of disfluencies, however there was a significant negative correlation between the score on the SPQ and the rate of disfluencies on the recall task (N=73, r=.251, p<.05). Additionally, a significant task effect was observed, with participants demonstrating increased disfluencies on the recall task compared to the commentary task, and a proportionately higher rate of hesitations compared to repairs on the recall task. A more accurate means of analysing the SPQ and detailed acoustic analysis of disfluencies are required in this field of research to further the understanding of the cause of disfluencies in speech.
An investigation into the effect personality has on the amount a person, uh, hesitates.
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Within the current area of speech production, there has been some investigation into how speech can become disfluent and what factors have an effect on a speaker's ability to produce fluent speech: for example, gender, role of speaker and cognitive load of the utterance. However, little research has been conducted into the effect that personality has on fluency. Participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire in order to generate a score for Interpersonal personality aspects. They also undertook two running speech tasks in order to see the effect that personality, specifically aspects of Interpersonal personality, have on the frequency of hesitations produced by the speakers. It was found that there is no significant correlation between an individual's Interpersonal score and the frequency with which they hesitate during running speech. The experiment did however find that there is a difference in the amount of hesitations produced between the two running speech tasks: participants produced a higher frequency of hesitations during the recall running speech task than during the commentary running speech task. This study highlights that there is no correlation between an individual's Interpersonal score and the frequency with which they hesitate during running speech although there is a difference in the production of hesitations between the two running speech tasks: higher frequency of hesitation produced during the recall running speech task.
Voice Problems Among Further Education Teachers: A Small-Scale Study into Prevalence, Impact and Associated Occupational Risk Factors
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Much has been researched and written about voice problems within the teaching population. Teachers rely on their voices in order to communicate effectively, often for long hours in challenging conditions, which puts them within the high-risk group for developing voice disorders (RCSLT 2009). Currently much of the research has focused on schoolteachers, with very few studies being carried out on further and higher education teachers. This study investigates the findings of a self-reporting questionnaire, hosted by Bristol Online Surveys. The questionnaire was available to further education teachers at a Scottish College and members of the Association of Lecturers and Teachers (ATL), who fitted the inclusion criterion. 72 completed questionnaires were returned, and the information was then analysed using Microsoft Excel 2013. Trends between various demographic and occupational risk factors, and the self-reporting voice problems of the participants were reported and discussed. The findings of the study showed that FE teachers, like their counterparts in schools, do indeed have a high prevalence rate of voice problems. The implications of the findings have farreaching effects, not only for the individual teachers, but also their employers, pupils, and the SLT service in general. Results from this study will hopefully help bridge the research gap in voice problems amongst further education teachers, and add weight to the argument for a preventative voice-care program for teachers.
Social communication impairment in genetic syndromes: a systematic literature review
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
A systematic review of the literature identified a cohort of 48 articles that were submitted to the review process in order to examine the evidence for the occurrence of social communication impairment in genetic syndromes. This was done to examine the potential for including social communication impairment in Shprintzen's table detailing the communication features of 334 genetic syndromes (1997). The review provided updated information on the social communication features of 13 syndromes previously mentioned in Shprintzen's table (1997) and information on the social communication characteristics of 6 syndromes not detailed in Shprintzen's table (1997). For 9 of the syndromes the information added by the review represents information not previously mentioned in Shprintzen and for 3 syndromes the information is an expansion of the limited information already included on social communication features (1997). Many of the updates provide detailed information on several components of social communication and age-related changes have also been recorded for the majority of syndromes. This project also describes the difficulties in defining social communication and the results of the review show the wide variety of terms used and how appropriately they are used. Following Van Borsel (2004) the information was also examined to assess the co-occurrence of social communication impairment in genetic syndromes with other disorders, this showed that social communication impairment is rarely and isolated condition and most frequently occurs alongside cognitive impairment, language impairment and an increased ASD prevalence. Social communication impairment was also found to occur most frequently in syndromes with a mild-moderate learning disability and occurs across all genetic aetiologies. Similarly to Van Borsel (2004) and Shprintzen (1997) this work showed that information on the communication phenotypes of genetic syndromes is still limited and as of yet Speech and Language Therapists are not sufficiently involved in the research of genetic syndromes.
Systematic Review of Language Profiles for Boys under 18 with Fragile X Syndrome
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
This systematic review analyses the current literature on early language profiles for boys under age 18 with Fragile X Syndrome. Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation on the X chromosome (AAIDD, 2013). The methodology of this review involved following the PRISMA guidelines in order to obtain the cohort of papers that qualified for this review. Two medical journal databases, Medline and Cochrane, were queried with terms relevant to this topic as per the inclusion criteria. Following this, exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in a cohort of 5 journals. These were then appraised as per the CASP programme assessing whether the study was valid or not, what the results were and whether the results were useful or not. All 5 of the journal articles met the CASP standards. The results of this review indicate very limited information on this developmental area. Deficits in conversational skills and severe developmental delay were noted in young boys with Fragile X Syndrome. In addition, increasing discrepancy between language level and chronological age was also recorded regularly. This review discusses that since so many of the features of Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially pragmatic language difficulties, are also present in Fragile X Syndrome, great difficulty lies in differentiating between these two conditions that share so many similar traits.
Arabic Fundamental Frequency and Accent Effect
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Fundamental frequency (F0) is a key characteristic of voice, which can act as a tool for the differentiation in the meaning of words, an indicator tool of emotions/ moods and may also act as a tool in which sentences can be identified as statements or questions in English. This study aims to provide normative data of the F0 of steady state vowels (F0-SSV) and perturbation measures for Jordanian speaking males and females between the ages of 20-50 years old. In addition to looking at the F0-SSV of different Arabic accents of females to see if they fit within the range of the F0-SSV calculated for the female Jordanian Arabic speakers. 96 Participants were recorded in the capital city of Jordan, Amman producing prolonged vowels; /a/, /i/, /u/ and an elicited speech sample. The study was divided into two parts; part 1 provided normative data for Jordanian Arabic speakers, while part 2 looked at whether different accents and dialects of spoken Arabic causes change in F0-SSV. Recordings were analysed using PRAAT, and the F0, Jitter and Shimmer, and the Harmonics to noise ratio (H/N ratio) were documented. Results from the first part of the study provide normative data of F0-SSV and perturbation measurements for female and male Jordanian Arabic speakers. The F0-SSV range for females is 152.749 - 287.95 Hz, and the F0-SSV range for males is 103.939 - 232.193 Hz. Part 2 of this study show that from the two Arabic accents studied both F0-SSV measurements of the females Iraqi and Lebanese Arabic fit within the female F0-SSV range provided in part 1 of the study. Findings from this study are critically useful benefiting Speech and Language therapists (SLT's) worldwide clinically. SLT's dealing with Arabic speaking individuals anywhere in the world will be able to use the normative data provided to compare clients' voices in order to assess pathological voices.
It's not what you said it's the way that you said it: Disorganized schizotypy and speech fluency
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
This study investigated whether disorganized personality, as determined by the Schizotypal Personality questionnaire (SPQ), has any correlation with error repair type disfluencies in running speech. Due to evidence where schizophrenia patients present difficulties with sequencing and sustained attention, it was assumed that those scoring highly on a schizotypy rating would also exhibit these features. These planning level problems were expected to manifest in more error repair disfluencies in running speech. Similarly, links found between schizophrenia and working memory have led to a suggestion that schizotypal participants would also have deficits to a certain extent in this area. As it is suggested that working memory impacts speech fluency, it was also expected that participants with lower scoring responses on a digit span task (DST) would present with greater disfluency. To address these aims, data was collected from 74 participants who were given a set of running speech tasks and DST. Data was perceptually analysed and transcribed orthographically, with error repair type disfluencies noted. The study found that there is a significant correlation between a higher disorganized schizotypy score and higher frequency of error repair disfluencies in running speech tasks, particularly substitutions and deletions in the recall task. However a significant negative correlation was not found between a higher disorganized schizotypy score and DST score. Finally, there was no correlation between DST score and the number of error repair disfluencies in running speech. These results show that there is some interaction between personality and speech fluency.
Achieving Natural Fluency using a Metronome based approach
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
This study investigates person's ability to entrain to a stressed metronome to see if this produces fluent and natural speech. The concept of a stressed metronome is unexplored in current research. The literature shows that speaking one syllable on and syllable off to a metronome results in highly fluent, however also highly unnatural speech. This study aims to examine stressed syllable entrainment at three different speech rates to look at the effect this has on the speech naturalness ratings. Three different metronome rates in beats per minute were established to compare the effect they have on speech naturalness. A baseline speed was determined from the average of ten participant's speech rates. The fast and slower rates were determined from a method used in a previous study Twenty participants were recorded reading the stressed syllables highlighted in a passage to the metronome beat. The audio files were saved on a computer and analysed by studying the acoustic and provided waveform displays of the speech using PRAAT. Overall speech rate of each recording and the distance between onset of stressed vowels were analysed to determine entrainment at a gross and precise level. The overall speech rate was determined from where the speech signal began and ended. The distance between vowels were annotated and specific intervals in the speech data were marked. The recordings were then listened to and rated by naïve listeners on a 5 point scale. The Results show that overall, speakers can entrain to a stressed-timed metronome, on both a precise level and gross level. However, this does not increase naturalness of speech in all conditions. To conclude, a possible combination of syllable-timed and stressed-timed entrainment could be an effective method. This is the first step in a process to devising a method to achieve naturalness of speech and fluency simultaneously.
A comparison and evaluation of external noise levels between urban and rural primary schools
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Environmental noise can have a detrimental effect on the physiology, motivation and cognition of school children (Evans and Lepore 1993) and can cause negative effects on a person's physiological, mental, motivational and cognitive functions (Berglund, Lindvall and Schwela 1999) as well as having a recognisable interference with communication, resulting in significant social consequences (Brammer and Laroche 2012). In 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set guidelines to ensure noise levels do not exceed 35dB LAeq in the classroom and 55dB LAeq on the playground. Shield and Dockrell (2004) investigated whether these guidelines were being adhered to in a study of internal and external noise levels in London primary schools. In order to evaluate external noise levels within primary schools in Scotland, playground noise levels were compared between urban and rural environments during mid-morning break time, as well as the five minute period immediately prior to and after the break time. It was found that primary schools in urban settings were significantly louder than in rural settings although the level of noise produced by school children during play did not reflect noise levels within the environment. Observations during the investigation found that road traffic, weather and birds were the main sources of noise when the children were not on the playground. The average external noise level in urban school playgrounds exceeds the current WHO guideline and the effects of high noise levels on communication should be further investigated.
"When was that...?" A study on the Acquisition of Temporal Adverbs in First Language Learners of British English
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
The study is an exploratory study which, unlike any other study, investigates if there is an order of temporal adverb subcategory acquisition in first language learners of British English. It also investigates if temporal adverbs from the same subcategory are acquired at the same stage in development. A total of 20 participants ages 1 year 6 months to 5 years old were chosen from the CHILDES corpus. More specifically from "The Bristol Language Development Study: Language Development in Preschool Children" (Wells 1985). Data analysis involved searching for temporal adverbs using CLAN and recording their presence and frequency using Microsoft EXCEL. Several temporal adverbs were chosen to be analysed qualitatively within their conversation contexts. The results have indicated that there is an order of subcategory acquisition which goes as follows (in this order): definite, contrast, indefinite and frequency. Temporal adverbs from the manner subcategory were not present in this study. It was also found that temporal adverbs within the same subcategory were acquired at different ages.
An investigation into speech errors made during imitated and spontaneous speech production in children with Down's syndrome.
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Aims: Down's Syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of an intellectual disability (Barnes et al. 2009). Problems with speech production are amongst the most commonly reported difficulties for individuals with DS (Kumin 2006). Literature has noted increased skills in imitation compared to spontaneous speech (Dodd 2013). This study investigated the difference between speech errors made during imitated and spontaneous speech production in children and adolescents with DS. The assessments used were the CSIM for imitation and the DEAP for spontaneous speech. Method: Data previously collected from a Medical Research Council funded project was used. Data was collected using phonetic transcription and the International Phonetic Alphabet (International Phonetic Association 2005) chart. Data was analysed using a classification scheme adapted from the PPSA (Bates and Watson 2012). Results: The results show that a lower cognitive age displays a greater variability in the percentage of consonants correct between imitation and spontaneous speech. The majority of participants increased in their total number of errors during spontaneous speech, with all participants showing an equal or greater number of consistent error types in spontaneous speech. Younger participants displayed a greater number of error types in imitation whilst older participants contrasted in a greater number of errors during spontaneous speech. All participants had a mixed profile of typically developing and non-developmental errors. Conclusion: For the majority of individuals studied, spontaneous speech had greater speech sound errors than their imitation task. This concludes speech assessments cannot be used on their own within individual with DS. The assessment method chosen has an effect on the types and frequency of errors observed. A selection of elicitation and spontaneous speech tasks need to be used.
A Systematic Literature Review of the Long-term Outcomes of Children with Speech and Language Impairments
(Queen Margaret University, 2016)
Background: It is widely accepted that childhood speech and language impairments can have negative long-term implications for the quality of life of these individuals in adulthood. The current literature base has explored areas such as long-term language/literacy, education, employment, social and mental health outcomes. The present study aims to examine the specific effects of early speech and language difficulties and to determine the extent to which this impacts upon affected individuals as they transition through young adulthood. It will also consider the differing outcomes for those with speech impairment relative to those with language impairment. Method: Three databases were systematically searched using specific search terminology to access articles relevant to the research topic. Articles retrieved went through a process of screening to remove material that was not deemed suitable for the present study. Ultimately, 14 longitudinal studies were selected for review and detailed discussion. Results: Overall, the long-term prospects for those with a history of speech-only impairment are positive, with outcomes being broadly similar to individuals with no history of speech and language difficulties. On the other hand, those with history of language impairment appear to be negatively affected to differing degrees in a range of domains. For example, results showed a general trend towards poorer mental health status, fewer close relationships and difficulty in maintaining consistent employment. Conclusion: Definitive conclusions cannot readily be drawn, owing in part to the heterogeneous nature of populations with speech and/or language impairments. However, results are indicative of the need for timely input from SLT and education services during childhood, as well as ongoing support during (and in the years after) the transition from post-compulsory education. Speech impairments are consistently seen to have fewer long-term negative consequences than language impairments.