Vowel Acoustics and Speech Intelligibility in Young Adults with Down Syndrome

Autor/inn/en	Carl, Micalle; Kent, Raymond D.; Levy, Erika S.; Whalen, D. H.
Titel	Vowel Acoustics and Speech Intelligibility in Young Adults with Down Syndrome
Quelle	In: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63 (2020) 3, S.674-687 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1092-4388
Schlagwörter	Down Syndrome; Vowels; Acoustics; Speech Communication; Speech Impairments; Adults; Comprehension; Pronunciation; Oral Language + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? 'Downs Syndrome; Down''s Syndrome'; Down-Syndrom; Akustik; Speech impairment; Speech handicap; Speech handicaps; Language handicps; Language impairments; Sprachbehinderung; Verstehen; Verständnis; Aussprache; Oral interpretation; Mündlicher Sprachgebrauch
Abstract	Purpose: Speech production deficits and reduced intelligibility are frequently noted in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and are attributed to a combination of several factors. This study reports acoustic data on vowel production in young adults with DS and relates these findings to perceptual analysis of speech intelligibility. Method: Participants were eight young adults with DS as well as eight age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) controls. Several different acoustic measures of vowel centralization and variability were applied to tokens of corner vowels (/[open back unrounded vowel]/, /ae/, /i/, /u/) produced in common English words. Intelligibility was assessed for single-word productions of speakers with DS, by means of transcriptions from 14 adult listeners. Results: Group differentiation was found for some, but not all, of the acoustic measures. Low vowels were more acoustically centralized and variable in speakers with DS than TD controls. Acoustic findings were associated with overall intelligibility scores. Vowel formant dispersion was the most sensitive measure in distinguishing DS and TD formant data. Conclusion: Corner vowels are differentially affected in speakers with DS. The acoustic characterization of vowel production and its association with speech intelligibility scores within the DS group support the conclusion of motor control deficits in the overall speech impairment. Implications are discussed for effective treatment planning. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01