Using Electropalatography (EPG) in the assessment and treatment of developmental motor speech disorders: Linking basic and applied research
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Date
2008Author
Wood, Sara
Wishart, Jennifer
Hardcastle, William J.
McCann, Joanne
Timmins, Claire
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Wood, S., Wishart, J., Hardcastle, W., McCann, J. & Timmins, C. (2008) Using Electropalatography (EPG) in the assessment and treatment of developmental motor speech disorders: Linking basic and applied research, QMU Speech Science Research Centre Working Papers, , , ,
Abstract
Many children experience significant difficulties in developing key aspects of speech. For some, these communication difficulties are compounded by co-occurring intellectual disabilities. This paper presents two case studies from a larger on-going longitudinal study of the
effectiveness of using electropalatography (EPG) to address the intelligibility problems experienced by many children and young people with Down's syndrome (DS). EPG, an innovative computer-based tool for assessing and treating speech motor difficulties, enables the speaker to see- the placement of his or her tongue during speech and to attempt to correct any lingual palatal errors. This visual supplementation of auditory feedback offers potential therapeutic benefits for children with intellectual
disabilities, many of whom show relative strengths in visual versus auditory and simultaneous versus sequential processing (e.g. [1]). EPG also provides therapists with an objective measure of articulatory ability. Findings from these two case studies demonstrate the potential utility of
EPG in both the assessment and treatment of speech motor disorders in DS.