Martin J. Ball

Extensions to the International Phonetic Alphabet for the transcription of atypical speech

This paper introduces and illustrates the Extensions to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) that have been recommended for the narrow transcription of disordered speech. The relationship between these Extensions and previous suggestions for transcribing atypical speech made by the Working Party for the Phonetic Representation of Disordered Speech (PRDS) is described. By including the transcription of aspects of connected speech such as voice quality, rate and intensity, and by permitting uncertainty in transcription to be indicated, the International Phonetic Association has sanctioned significant developments in transcription conventions that will be of use to many people concerned with the narrow transcription of speech.

The handbook of language and speech disorders

List of Figures. Notes on Contributors. Introduction (Jack S. Damico, Nicole Muller and MartinJ. Ball). Part I Foundations. 1 Social and Practial Considerations in Labeling (JackS. Damico, Nicole Muller, and Martin J. Ball). 2 Diversity Considerations in Speech and Language Disorders(Brian A. Goldstein and Ramonda Horton-Ikard). 3 Intervention for Children with Auditory or Visual SensoryImpairments (Laura W. Kretschmer and Richard. R.Kretschmer). 4 Intelligibility Impairments (Megan Hodge and TaraWhitehill). 5 Genetic Syndromes and Communication Disorders (VesnaStojanovik). 6 Principles of Assessment and Intervention (Bonnie Brintonand Martin Fujiki). Part II Language Disorders. 7 Autism Spectrum Disorders: The State of the Art (John Mumaand Steven Cloud). 8 Delayed Language Development in Preschool Children (DeborahWeiss and Rhea Paul). 9 Specific Language Impairment (Sandra L. Gillam and Alan G.Kamhi). 10 Pragmatic Impairment (Michael R. Perkins). 11 Learning Disabilities (Robert Reid and LauraJacobson). 12 Reading and Reading Impairments (Jack S. Damico and RyanNelson). 13 Substance Abuse and Childhood Language Disorders (TrumanE. Coggins and John C. Thorne). 14 Aphasia (Chris Code). Part III Speech Disorders. 15 Children with Speech Sound Disorders (SaraHoward). 16 Dysarthria (Hermann Ackermann, IngoHertrich, and Wolfram Ziegler). 17 Apraxia of Speech (Adam Jacks and Donald A.Robin). 18 Augmentative and Alternative Communication: An Introduction(Kathryn D. R. Drager, Erinn F. Finke, and ElizabethC. Serpentine). 19 Fluency and Fluency Disorders (John A. Tetnowski andKathy Scaler Scott). 20 Describing Voice Disorders (Richard Morris and ArchieBernard Harmon). 21 Orofacial Anomalies (Jane Russell). 22 Speech Disorders Related to Head and Neck Cancer:Laryngectomy, Glossectomy, and Velopharyngeal and MaxillofacialDefects (Tim Bressmann). Part IV Cognitive and Intellectual Disorders. 23 ADHD and Communication Disorders (Carol Westby and SilvanaWatson). 24 Communication Deficits Associated with Right Hemisphere BrainDamage (Margaret Lehman Blake). 25 Traumatic Brain Injury (Jennifer Mozeiko, KarenLe, and Carl Coelho). 26 Dementia (Nicole Muller). Author Index. Subject Index.

Instrumental clinical phonetics

Recording and Displaying Speech, Marcel A.a. Tatham et al. Spectrogrpahy, Alvirda Farmer. Electromyography, Michel Gentil and Walter H. Moore. Aerometry, James Anthony and Nigel Hewlett. Electrolaryngography, Evelyn abberton and Adrianfrocin. Electropalatography, William J. Hardcastle and Fiona Gibbon. Imaging Techniques, Martin J. Ball and Berthold Groene. Auditory phonetic Techniques, Chris Code. Time-variated Speech, Linda Riensche et al. A pc-based Experimentation, Assessment and Treatment Technique, Wolfram Ziegler et al.

Typically developing and speech‐impaired children's adherence to the sonority hypothesis

During phonological development, children frequently produce consonant clusters as consonant singletons, a process commonly referred to as cluster reduction. The principles of sonority may provide a theoretical basis for explaining patterns of cluster reduction evident in childrens speech. Two studies were conducted to investigate whether childrens word‐initial cluster reductions adhered to the sonority hypothesis. Study one involved 16 children with typically developing speech, and study two involved 40 children with impaired speech. The childrens consonant cluster productions characterized by a cluster reduction were analysed. When both groups of participants reduced word‐initial clusters to a target consonant, the sonority hypothesis was adhered to; but when the clusters were reduced to a non‐target consonant, the sonority hypothesis was violated. Analysis of target and non‐target reductions revealed that some reductions of the individual clusters, and those within specific cluster categories, adhered to the sonority hypothesis while others did not. In light of these findings, it is suggested that although sonority is a valuable concept, it may not account for all patterns of cluster reduction evident in childrens speech.

Transcribing disordered speech: the segmental and prosodic layers

In this article we explore the speech layers of a transcription toolkit. We begin by discussing issues of transcription theory and practice, including the difference between broad and narrow phonetic transcription and the importance of narrow transcription with disordered speech, and the measurement of transcriber reliability. We also look at extending symbol sets and using instrumental approaches to deal with atypical speech production. Both segmental and prosodic transcription are dealt with in turn and illustrated with sample transcriptions. We note that, while several phenomena can be subsumed under the prosodic layer, less agreement exists on how to transcribe these than with segmental examples, and that little agreement yet exists on how to notate prosodic disorders. We conclude with illustrations from various adult and child cases.

The acquisition of the Rhotic Consonants by Welsh-English bilingual children:

This article reports on a study into the acquisition of Welsh and English phonology in Welsh-English bilingual children. It concentrates on the acquisition of the rhotic consonants, that is the trilled-r of Welsh and the approximant- r of English. The trilled-r shows differential patterns of acquisition depending on the age and language dominance of the subjects. It also demonstrates a wide range of substitutions, and it is argued that some of these may be due to influence from English, while others seem to be used because of their acoustic similarity to the target. Much less variation is found with the substitutions used for approximant-r, and it is shown that, again, there is an acoustic reason for the choice of the commonest of them. While the two sounds clearly are different, neither the trill nor the approximant demonstrate 100% accurate usage even in the oldest age group of subjects (4;6—5;0) (although the approximant does approach 90%). Therefore, they belong to the group of consonants acquired last in their respective languages.

Syntactic impairments can emerge later: Progressive agrammatic agraphia and syntactic comprehension impairment

Background & Aims: Recent studies suggest that agrammatism is not a major feature of progressive nonfluent aphasia, at least not in the earlier years post-onset. We investigated the emergence of syntactic impairments over a 3-year period in CS, a 63-year-old man 8 years post-onset of progressive speech difficulties. CS has a range of progressive cognitive impairments, including progressive nonfluent aphasia, and limb and other apraxias (with a progressive non-aphasic and mostly non-dysarthric speech deterioration), but relatively intact intelligence, perception, orientation, long-term memory, semantics, and phonology. Writing impairments did not emerge until some 8 years after naming and speech impairments were first noticed, and after CS became mute. Methods & Procedures: We undertook detailed longitudinal examination of word and sentence writing and syntactic comprehension across a range of tasks and examined the impact of short-term memory. We were concerned to examine the data for evidence of agrammatic features, particularly in noun and verb use, and use of formulaic and simplified syntactic structures as the condition progressed. Outcomes & Results: Analysis showed a progressive emergence of deficits on tests of written syntax, syntactic comprehension, and auditory-verbal short-term memory. There was a progressive reduction in verb and noun use, but this was related to the kind of stimulus used. Features of agrammatism were evident in writing with a progressive dependence on formulaic and simplified syntax. Conclusions: It may be that agrammatism in PNFA is a feature that develops late in the progression, showing up only in writing because it is masked in speech by motor speech impairment. Increasing reliance on formulaic and simplified structures with progression suggests compensatory adaptation of CSs system. Impairments appeared to emerge in parallel with deterioration of syntactic comprehension and phonological short-term memory.

Phonological acquisition in Welsh – English bilingual children

Adequate assessment, diagnosis and treatment of phonological disorders require information on normal phonological development. While such data exist for many languages, they often do not exist for minority languages such as Welsh. An added factor is that speakers of such languages are often bilingual so, in the case of Welsh, it is necessary to examine norms in bilingual acquisition of Welsh and English. This article reports such a study and provides benchmarks for use by speech-language therapists in the assessment of phonological disorders in Welshu200a–u200aEnglish bilingual children. Eighty-three children from south-east Wales took part in the study. They were divided into five 6-month age groups (from 2;6 to 5;0), and into two language dominance groups (Welsh and English). There were 42 male subjects and 41 females. Data were collected via two word-lists and from spontaneous speech. The results present the ages at which the consonant systems of the two languages are acquired, and statistical analysis examines the relationships between the linguistic factors and the non-linguistic variables of age, sex and language dominance. Also important to assessment are the normal patterns of substitution used by children in phonological development for sounds not yet acquired. These are described for the present data, especially important being the substitution patterns used for consonants present in Welsh but not in English.

A Comparison of Imaging Techniques for the Investigation of Normal and Disordered Speech Production

Recent years have seen the development of a set of speech imaging techniques that speech scientists have been able to use for the investigation of both normal and disordered speech production. The use of x-radiography techniques in speech science has become much less common due to the potential risks, so it is timely to review what alternatives are available. In this article, we describe three such approaches: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electromagnetic articulography (EMA), and ultrasound. The operating principles behind each technique are described, together with a review of relevant literature. Finally, we contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each imaging system in relation to their potential to be used in research and clinical applications with disordered speech.

Transcribing disordered speech: By target or by production?

The ability to transcribe disordered speech is a vital tool for speech‐language pathologists, as accurate description of a clients speech output is needed for both diagnosis and effective intervention. Clients in the speech clinic often use sounds that are not part of the target sound system and which may, in some cases, be sounds not found in natural language at all. While the IPA provides a wide range of symbols that can be used in clinical transcription, the extended IPA (extIPA) may also be needed to transcribe atypical sounds never or rarely encountered in natural language. When using the IPA and extIPA transcribers aim to show the clients productions, irrespective of the intended target. An alternative tradition of clinical transcription has grown up in the US: the symbols suggested by Shriberg and Kent (SK). In many cases, these symbols are designed to show the intended target with a diacritic illustrating in which way the realization differs from the target. In this article possible confusions that may occur if the SK system is used are discussed, together with problems that may occur when SK and IPA are used together.