Michael J. Moran

A Comparison of Phonological Severity Measures

The severity of phonological involvement of 20 phonologically impaired children was compared using five measures: phonological deviancy score (PDS), percent consonants correct (PCC) based on connec...

Task Variability Effects on the Language Test Performance of Southern Lower Socioeconomic Class African American and Caucasian Five-Year-Olds

Twelve African American and twelve Caucasian preschool children were administered items from the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument (PLAI) under standard conditions and in thematic interactions (PLAI-T) to determine if task variability had an effect on language test scores. The African American group earned significantly higher test scores when the items were administered in the thematic mode as compared to the standardized test format, with the major score increases tending to occur on the more complex and difficult items. Clinical implications of considering task effects and dynamic assessment in multicultural assessment are discussed.

A Cross-Sectional Developmental Study of Final Consonant Production in Southern Black Children from Preschool through Third Grade

The sounds-in-words subtest of the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA) was administered to 222 Black children in preschool through third grade. The children resided in rural east central Alabama, and used the Black English dialect common to that region. The childrens responses were analyzed using the PROPH computer program for analysis of phonological processes. The analysis revealed phonological process patterns similar to those reported in the developmental literature with the exception of final consonant deletion. The data suggest that southern Black children continue to delete final consonants well beyond the age indicated by norms gathered on predominantly White subjects. Clinical implications are discussed.

Otolaryngologists' Opinions of Voice Therapy for Vocal Nodules in Children

Otolaryngologists were surveyed to determine their professional opinions about the role of voice therapy in the treatment of vocal nodules in children. Questionnaires were sent to physicians in fiv...

Identification of down's syndrome adults from prolonged vowel samples

Special educators and speech pathologists were both able to distinguish adults with Downs syndrome from nonretarded adults with voice disorders based only on prolonged vowel samples. Listeners indicated that resonance differences may have helped them to identify Downs syndrome speakers. Differences in formant frequencies and perceived hypernasality between Downs syndrome and nonretarded speakers, however, were nonsignificant. Formant frequency measures and perceived nasality ratings obtained from Downs syndrome adults in the present study are in contrast to such measures obtained from Downs syndrome children in previously reported studies.

Effects of Race and Dialect of Examier on Language Samples Elicited from Southern African American Preschoolers

Language samples were elicited from 17 African American preschoolers by three examiners; a White female using Standard English, an African American female using Standard English, and an African American female using Black English. Language samples elicited by the Black English speaker contained more Black English features than those elicited by either of the Standard English speakers. Samples elicited by the two African American examiners contained more different Black English features than those elicited by the White examiner. Apparently children as young as four years of age may code switch during language evaluations according to the race and dialect of the examiner. Clinical implications are discussed.

Final Consonant Deletion in African American Children Speaking Black English: A Closer Look

The purpose of this study was to determine whether African American children who delete final consonants mark the presence of those consonants in a manner that might be overlooked in a typical spee...

Phonological Awareness Abilities of 6-Year-Old Children With Mild to Moderate Phonological Impairments

Standardized and nonstandardized assessments of phonological awareness skills were administered to two groups of 6-year-old children. Group 1 passed a language screening but exhibited mild or moderate phonological impairments on the Assessment of Phonological Processes—Revised. Group 2 passed a language screening and exhibited no phonological errors. Results indicated that the children with phonological errors performed significantly more poorly on both the standardized and the nonstandardized tests of phonological awareness. This study provides further evidence that children with relatively mild phonological problems independent of concomitant language disorders should be considered at risk for phonological awareness problems.

Phonological Awareness Skills of Children With Articulation Disorders in Kindergarten to Third Grade

The nature of the relationship between phonological awareness and articulation performance has not as yet been defined clearly. In the present study 14 children in grades K to 3 with articulation disorders were compared to 14 age matched subjects with normal articulation on three tests of phonological awareness (rhyming, phoneme blending and phoneme counting). Additionally, the performance of subjects with articulation disorders on phonological awareness tasks involving their error sounds and the same tasks not involving error sounds was compared. Articulation impaired subjects performed more poorly than subjects with normal articulation. The articulation impaired group did not make more errors on tasks involving their error sounds. Results of the present study revealed that subjects with articulation disorders made significantly more errors on three phonological awareness tasks than did subjects without articulation disorders.

Relation between voice profile ratings and aerodynamic and acoustic parameters

The present study sought to examine the relation between Wilson Voice Profile ratings and certain aerodynamic and acoustic variables. Subjects in this study were 20 adults with voice disorders and five adults with no voice disorders. A series of stepwise multiple correlations were used. The variance in perceptual ratings accounted for by aerodynamic and acoustic variables included in the present study ranged from 29% for tension ratings of connected speech to 81% for pitch ratings of connected speech for the female speakers. It is clear from the present findings that ratings on the Wilson Voice Profile are only partially accounted for by the variables included in the present study.