Speech Sound Disorders Midterm (practice questions)

What is the difference between an underlying representation and the surface form of a sound?

Underlying representation is a mental concept of a sound (phonemes)

Surface form is what we actually produce (allophones)

example: underlying representation of /p/ but child may have a different surface form depending on contexts or word (aspirated or not)

Linear phonologies

speech is arranged in string of sequential sounds and they consist of their own distinctive features (one does not have any control over the other)

Distinctive feature theory

there are universal phonetic properties (e.g., labial, or nasal ) that can be used to distinguish phonemes and group them together by shared properties

clinical applications of distinctive feature theory

we used to categorize errors as independent and target one sound at a time

now we can target a class of sounds (determined by their distinctive features) and enhance generalization of learning the feature.

For example targeting liquids sound class (l, r)

Generative phonology

growth of distinctive feature theory – added

there is the underlying representation and the surface form and the way an underlying meets the surface and what determines the surface is based on the rules which tell you the condtions under which phonemes are articulated in particular contexts

Natural Phonology

Patterns of speech are governed by an innate, universal set of phonological processes - kids use easier productions for when motor capacities do not allow typical productions

and they use phonological processes to organize their system - using phonological process to overcome constraints

clinical applications of Natural Phonology

phonological processes provide a common way to describe/explain why a child is making a production error and can guide assessments and materials that we use

Nonlinear phonologies

there is a hierarchy between speech sounds/segments and the bigger/more complex linguistic concepts (lexical stress, intonation)

Tiers - word, foot (syllables), onset-rime tier - skeletal tier

clinical application of nonlinear phonologies

consider the interaction of different linguistic levels - don't treat errors independently. - example: is the sound error of r in all postions or just certain word shapes or in stressed or unstressed syllables

phonemic inventory

a collection of all the SOUNDS that a child has

can produce an /s/ in isolation but aren't using it contrasingly - saying /tun/ for /sun/ or /toup/ for /soup/

Phonotactic repertoire

the structure - what syllable and word shapes are available for this child to use? What phoneme sequences can they produce?

Word shapes (CVC, CVVC, etc) and syllables (uni vs multisyllabic)

Example: they can produce /s/ but cannot produce s in a cluster like sp in spoon

Anatomy difference and SSD

▪ Hard and soft palates

• cleft lip/palate

• Submucous clefts

• Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI)

▪ tongue

▪ Ankyloglossia (“tongue-tie”)

▪ Macroglossia

o Teeth and mandible

▪ Occlusion and malocclusion

▪ Pharynx

• Enlarged adenoids or tonsils

▪ Ears

• Conductive hearing loss

• Otitis media (OME)

Neurological differences and SSD

▪ Dysarthria: Neurologically based disorder resulting in decreased control of speech – low muscle tone and impaired coordination

▪ Autism – lower muscle tone leading to coordination issues

▪ Apraxia – disruption in oral motor coordination

▪ TBI/acquired brain injuries

▪ Cerebral palsy

▪ Muscular dystrophy

Cognitive differences and SSD

▪ Needed for speech (basic cognitive capabilities)

• Attention, memory, ability to make association, to make generalizations from concrete to abstract

Describe how babies' speech perception changes from infancy to 12 months of age using specific examples.

Infancy - preference for voice of person who carried them in utero and the prosody of their own language

4 months - can detect their name, discriminate differences in speech pauses (between or within of clauses)

6 months - prefer words and speech from their own language

10 months - sensitive to stress patterns, consonants and CV structure

11 months - can recognize and learn particular words

Stage 1 of prelinguistic period

reflexive vocalizations (birth to 2 months)

▪ Vocalizations are reflexive (in response to body sensations and no controlled)

• Example: crying, hiccups, burping, vowel like sounds

Stage 2 of prelinguistic period

cooing and laughter (2 to 4 months)

▪ Sounds become more controlled

• Example: sounds of comfort, velar and vowel like sounds, laughter

Stage 3 of prelinguistic period

Vocal play (4-6 months)

▪ Show growing articulatory control

▪ Examples: sustained vowels, squeals, growls, raspberry trills

Stage 4 of prelinguistic period

canonical babble (6 months or older)

▪ Tuning and refining of sounds

▪ Example: emergence of CV syllables and adult like timing – sounds like word but doesn’t have attached meaning  reduplicated and variegated babble

• Using back sounds (k) (g)

• Explain the importance of babble and its relationship to early word productions.

o The preferred sound sequence in babble is likely to be found in the child's first words. Children use canonical babble to fine tune their system and use it as practice for their later language. How much canonical babble a child uses correlates with their later expressive vocabulary and accuracy of production.

o The babble allows them to develop practice the motor planning for certain sounds and develop vocal motor schemes that they use in later words

Typical syllables in 12-18 month old

usually CV, VC, or CVCV (reduplicated)

▪ Cs are often deleted in final position or V is added after the C (e.g., doggy vs dog)

o Weak syllables develop later than stronger syllables

Typical consonants in 12-18 month old

▪ Place: front - p, b, d, t, n, m

▪ Manner: nasals (n, m), stops (b, d, g, t, k), fricatives (f, s), approximates (w, yuh, r)

o Early consonant clusters  contractions and plurals

Typical vowels in 12-18 month old

▪ 15 months - lax vowels (ʊ, ʌ, ɪ) - sit, bed, put, bat

▪ 18th months - corner vowels (I, u, a, æ)

What classes of sounds do we typically expect to see develop first?

bilabials stops (b, p), bilabial nasal (m) alveolar nasals (n), glottal fricative (h)

What classes of sounds do we typically expect to see develop last?

voiceless and voiced dental fricatives (θ - thigh, ð --mother), post alveolar fricative (ʒ - vision), post alveolar rhotic liquid (r)

consonants at age 2

p, b, d, m, n, h, w

consonants at age 3

t, k, g, ng, y

consonants at age 4

v, z, ch, sh, j, l

consonants at age 5

zh, r, th (voiced)

consonants at age 6

th voicless

how does intelligibility change over time

▪ 19-24 months 25-50%

▪ 2-3 years - 50-75%

▪ 4-5 years - 75-90%

▪ 5+ years - 90-100%

Crowe and McLeod (2020) and speech acquistion norms

▪ Previous studies in history have disagreed when children "acquire" a certain speech sound and what it means to be "acquired". For example, some studies think it means if the sound is used in certain word positions or only in single words or that children acquire it at a spectrum of ages or just one age

▪ Studies like Crowe and McLeod (2020) demonstrate how studies can show developmental averages and what percentage of children at a certain age can produce a certain speech sound but that doesn't mean they are norms we can use. We cannot compare an individual child to these averages, but we can use it to understand the context for typical speech development.

Explain how the norms should and should not be used as part of a comprehensive evaluation.

We can use it to say what sounds is typically developed at this age but not that a child needs services. So if a child doesn't meet what's expected it doesn't mean they need services it can't be used to diagnose a SSD. It helps us know what to expect but doesn't define a childs speech errors.

McLeod Use McLeod, van Doorn, & Reed (2001) and consonant clusters overall message

▪ Acquisition is gradual/progressive and is not an all or nothing process. There is a typical path that development follows but there tends to be a lot of individual variation. Some children may follow a different developmental sequence than "typical"

typical pathway of consonant cluster acquistion

• Cluster reduction - doesn't use the cluster

• Partial realization - attempts to use cluster but one or both may be wrong

o Epenthesis, coalescence, metathesis

• Correct production - able to do cluster

consonant cluster acquistion things to know

▪ Two-year-olds can produce CCs but sometimes do it “wrong” – like could do bw for blue but it shows they can do a cluster just not using it right because they can’t do the l sound yet (gliding)

▪ Two element consonant clusters come before three element consonant clusters (two – bl in black vs three – str in street)

▪ Word final CCs come before word initial CC – like plurals is typical CC or past tense

▪ CC stops (pl, kw) before CC with fricatives (st, tr)

What is a speech sound disorder (SSD)?

an umbrella term that describes all types of challenges that impact the production of speech sounds

Encompasses:

1. Phonological disorders

2. Articulation disorders

3. Motor speech disorders

SSD classification

We used to classify SSDs as either an articulation disorder or a phonological disorder. We don't do this anymore because SSDs exist along a spectrum and there is likely a mixture of both in an SSD (motor and mental).

What is meant by the term phonotactics?

the rules governing how sounds can combine in a language, defining permissible sequences and syllable structures

What are the three major ways in which we can organize speech sounds?

Place, manner, and voicing.

How might multilinear phonology help us explain error patterns in phonological development?

It allows analysis across multiple linguistic tiers (e.g., stress, syllable, segment) to explain complex error patterns.

How might we use features to think more comprehensively about our approach to goals and targets?

By recognizing shared features among sounds to plan goals that promote generalization.

motor program vs motor plan

Motor planning involves deciding which articulators (like the tongue, lips, or jaw) need to move to reach a speech sound goal. Motor programming involves deciding which specific muscles will carry out those movement

For example, to make the /s/ sound, you plan to move your tongue tip to the alveolar ridge — that’s motor planning. Figuring out exactly which tongue muscles will make that movement happen is motor programming.

factors that influence intelligibility

Phonological: How many and what kind of sounds do they have in their inventory? How well are they combining sounds?

Suprasegmental: What is their rate of speech like? What is their stress like at the word/phase/sentence level (marking primary/seconday stress as we expect or omitting weak syllables?)

Linguistic: how does their syntax compare to their articulation? Are their utterance complex, hard to decipher

Context: How familiar is the listener? What is the context?