SLP OBSERVATION

Pediatric Clients

Focus on articulation and language development therapies.

Play-based Therapy

Engages children in therapeutic sessions.

Aphasia

Language disorder affecting communication abilities.

Dysarthria

Speech disorder due to muscle weakness.

Cognitive Communication Issues

Problems with thinking affecting communication.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing, often in medical settings.

Apraxia

Motor planning disorder affecting speech production.

Developmental Delays

Slow progression in achieving developmental milestones.

Specific Language Impairment

Language difficulties without accompanying cognitive deficits.

Auditory Processing Disorder

Difficulty processing auditory information.

Cochlear Implant Rehabilitation

Therapy for individuals with cochlear implants.

Plosives

Consonants produced by stopping airflow completely.

Fricatives

Consonants produced by forcing air through a narrow channel.

Affricates

Phonemes combining plosive and fricative sounds.

Nasals

Consonants allowing air to escape through the nose.

Liquids

Sounds produced with partial closure of the mouth.

Glides

Transitional sounds between vowels and consonants.

Diphthongs

Combination of two vowel sounds in one syllable.

Cranial Nerves

Nerves controlling facial and speech functions.

Gag Reflex

Reflex triggered by throat stimulation.

Lateral Corticospinal Tract

Pathway controlling fine motor movements in limbs.

Decussation

Crossing over of nerve fibers in the CNS.

Motor Cortex

Brain region crucial for speech motor planning.

Anterior Corticospinal Tract

Originates in motor cortex, controls trunk movements.

Corticobulbar Tract

Originates in motor cortex, innervates cranial nerve nuclei.

Rubrospinal Tract

Originates in red nucleus, assists limb flexion.

Reticulospinal Tract

Originates in reticular formation, regulates posture and locomotion.

Vestibulospinal Tract

Originates in vestibular nuclei, maintains balance and posture.

Tectospinal Tract

Originates in superior colliculus, coordinates head and eye movements.

Decussation

Crossing of nerve fibers at spinal levels.

Motor Cortex

Brain region initiating voluntary muscle movements.

Ventral Horn

Spinal cord region where motor neurons synapse.

Bilateral Innervation

Muscles receive signals from both hemispheres.

Cranial Nerve Nuclei

Clusters of neurons for cranial nerve functions.

Fine Touch

Sensation of light touch and texture.

Proprioception

Sense of body position and movement.

Pain Sensation

Perception of harmful stimuli via nociceptors.

Temperature Sensation

Detection of heat and cold through thermoreceptors.

Crude Touch

Basic sense of contact without fine detail.

Somatosensory Cortex

Brain area processing sensory information from the body.

Internal Arcuate Fibers

Fibers crossing in the medulla for sensory pathways.

Axial Muscles

Muscles controlling the trunk and posture.

Muscle Tone

Resistance of muscles to passive stretch.

Visual Stimuli

External visual cues prompting head and eye movement.

Respiratory Rhythms

Patterns of breathing essential for speech production.

Speech Production

Process of articulating words and sounds.

Decussation

Crossing over of nerve fibers at entry point.

Somatosensory cortex

Brain area for processing sensory information.

Spinocerebellar Tracts

Pathways transmitting proprioceptive information.

Proprioceptors

Sensors in muscles and joints for body position.

Ataxia

Lack of coordination due to cerebellar damage.

Coarticulation

Influence of surrounding sounds on speech production.

Anticipatory coarticulation

Forward influence of sounds on speech.

Carryover coarticulation

Backward influence of sounds on speech.

Phonemes per second

Speech rate is approximately 14 phonemes/second.

Consonant classification

Categorization based on place, voicing, and manner.

Voice Onset Time (VOT)

Delay between stop release and voicing onset.

Categorical perception

Hearing speech sounds in fixed categories.

Frication noise

Sound produced by turbulent airflow in fricatives.

Perceptual normalization

Understanding speech despite speaker variability.

Segmentation

Identifying sound boundaries in continuous speech.

Acoustic cues

Sound features aiding consonant perception.

McGurk Effect

Visual-auditory conflict alters speech perception.

Prosody

Rhythm and intonation conveying emotion in speech.

Dysarthria

Motor execution disorder affecting speech muscles.

Oscilloscopes

Instruments for visualizing sound waveforms.

Spectrograms

Visual representation of sound frequencies over time.

Audiometers

Devices for measuring hearing and sound levels.

Microphones

Devices capturing sound in various forms.

Pneumotachographs

Instruments measuring airflow during speech.

Electromyography (EMG)

Records muscle activity relevant to speech.

Spirometers

Measure respiratory airflow for speech assessment.

Manometers

Measure pressure in respiratory airflow.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

Ratio ensuring clear speech capture quality.

Motor Theory of Speech

Perception based on vocal tract gestures.

Respiratory System

Provides air necessary for sound production.

Diaphragm

Muscle controlling airflow during breathing.

Rib Cage

Supports chest expansion for airflow control.

Trachea

Windpipe connecting lungs to larynx.

Larynx

Voice box housing vocal cords for sound.

Vocal Folds

Structures vibrating to create sound waves.

Phonatory System

Modulates pitch, volume, and speech quality.

Articulatory System

Shapes sounds into recognizable speech.

Oral Cavity

Includes structures shaping speech sounds.

Tongue

Crucial for articulating consonants and vowels.

Teeth

Assist in producing specific consonant sounds.

Lips

Essential for labial sounds and vowels.

Velum (Soft Palate)

Controls airflow for nasal and non-nasal sounds.

Pharynx

Resonating chamber amplifying vocal sounds.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Controls speech production processes via the brain.

Cranial Nerves

Nerves controlling speech production muscles.

Pinna

External ear capturing sound waves.

Ear Canal

Pathway for sound waves to the eardrum.

Tympanic Membrane

Vibrates to transmit sound to the ossicles.

Ossicles

Tiny bones transmitting vibrations to the cochlea.

Eustachian Tube

Equalizes air pressure in the middle ear.

Cochlea

Converts sound vibrations into electrical signals.

Semicircular Canals

Assist with balance, not hearing.

Auditory Nerve

Transmits signals from cochlea to brain.

Auditory Pathway

Pathway from cochlea to auditory cortex.