Helen M. Sharp

Dialectical Effects on Nasalance: A Multicenter, Cross-Continental Study

PURPOSE This study investigated nasalance in speakers from six different dialectal regions across North America using recent versions of the Nasometer. It was hypothesized that many of the sound changes observed in regional dialects of North American English would have a significant impact on measures of nasalance. METHOD Samples of the Zoo Passage, the Rainbow Passage, and the Nasal Sentences were collected from young adult male and female speakers (N=300) from six North American dialectical regions (Midland/Mid-Atlantic; Inland North Canada; Inland North; North Central; South; and Western dialects). RESULTS Across the three passage types, effect sizes for dialect were moderate in strength and accounted for approximately 7%-9% of the variation in nasalance. Increased differences in nasalance tended to occur between speakers from distinctly different geographical regions, with the highest nasalance across all passages observed for speakers from the Texas South dialect region. CONCLUSION Clinicians and researchers who use perceptual and instrumental measures of speech production should be aware that dialectical and socially acquired speech patterns may influence the acoustic characteristics of speech and may also influence the interpretation of normative expectations and typical versus disordered cutoff scores for instruments such as the Nasometer.

CPCJ 50th Anniversary Editorial Board Commentary: Ethics and Health Policy—Then and Now

To celebrate the 50th year of the Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal we look back to where we started in 1964, where we are now, and speculate about directions for the future in a Then and Now editorial series. This editorial examines 50 years of social, policy, and regulatory changes that broaden the responsibility for research integrity to include the investigator, the journal editorial review process, and institutional oversight. Internationally recognized standards for authorship, publication of recognizable cases and images, and confidentiality of peer-review are addressed in the context of the history of the CPCJ. As we look to the future, the core principles will continue to guide the endeavor of research involving human subjects while adhering to our obligations to protect the interests of the people we serve.

Disorders of Speech and Voice

Speech is a learned behavior that requires rapid coordination of respiratory, phonatory, and articulatory systems coupled with intact language, cognition, and hearing functions. Speech is often divided into sub-domains that include speech sound production (articulation), fluency, resonance, and voice quality. Children develop control of each of these sub-domains over a period of years, often raising questions for parents and pediatricians about whether a child’s speech is typical or of concern. Speech disorders can be caused by structural anomalies, neuromotor problems, developmental mislearnings, or a combination of these etiologies. Assessment by a speech–language pathologist often provides insight into the etiology and allows an appropriate plan of care. Speech services are often coordinated with other medical, dental, or allied health professional services to provide comprehensive care.