Nancye C. Roussel

The clinical utility of the soft phonation index

This paper investigates the applicability of the soft phonation index (SPI) as an indicator of vocal fold adduction. The SPI is one of 33 acoustic parameters calculated and displayed from a single vocalization by the multi‐dimensional voice program (MDVP). A review of pertinent literature revealed that while increased values of SPI are presumed to be associated with incomplete adduction of the vocal folds, results should be interpreted cautiously as the index has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine how consistently SPI tracks systematic changes in vocal fold adduction. Samples of normal, breathy and pressed phonation produced by female speakers were analysed. As predicted, a significant increase in SPI for breathy productions was demonstrated. However, increases in SPI were also noted for pressed phonation. Possible explanations and implications for clinical application are discussed.

Metrical/syllabic factors in English allophony: Dark /l/

This paper presents a single‐subject case study illustrating the need to closely examine effects of dialect from syllable position on l‐colouring, and the effects of domain‐initial strengthening in General American English. Most investigators report lighter /l/ tokens in syllable onsets and darker tokens in coda positions in isolated words. The present study demonstrates an enhanced darkened onset /l/ in front vowel prosodic word (PW) boundaries, but lighter codas at PW‐internal boundaries. We address the importance for clinicians of recognizing the impact of prosody on restructuring syntactic boundaries and its consequent effects on /l/ articulation.

Contextual Variability in American English Dark-L.

This paper presents a four‐subject study that examines the relative influence of syllable position and stress, together with vowel context on the colouring of the dark‐l characteristic of speakers of General American English. Most investigators report lighter /l/ tokens in syllable onsets and darker tokens in coda positions. The present study demonstrates that when dark‐l serves as an onset in iambic intervocalic context with tautosyllabic high front vowels, it is fully dark as a result of domain‐initial strengthening. By contrast, when dark‐l is abutted across a word boundary to word‐final or word‐initial consonants, or when it is contained in a foot‐internal context (preboundary intervocalic rime with trochaic stress) its dorsal gesture is constrained, resulting in less dark tokens. In the case of dark‐l, articulatory undershoot must be understood not only in terms of the alveolar gesture, but also the dorsal gesture.

Perception of American English Dark /l/ by Normally Hearing Young Adult Women.

This perceptual study describes changes in how listeners perceive VCV elements within successive truncations taken from an iambic phrase containing /l/ (e.g. a leaf, or a load) spoken by four male speakers of General American English. Evidence of the respective roles of dorsal gestural affiliation between /l/ and the reduced vowel, (V1CV2), and gestural separation from a tautosyllabic high front vowel (V2) were demonstrated. Coproduction of dark-l with a preceding reduced vowel was evident in early reports of back vowels or diphthongs, particularly when the carrier word contained a front vowel, and was noted more in darker-l than lighter-l speakers. The pairing of /l/ with a tautosyllabic front vowel reduced earlier identification of /l/, whereas its pairing with a back vowel enhanced early identification. The role of perceived contrast in identification of /l/ was reflected in changes in listeners perception of the reduced vowel across successive truncations. Clinical implications are addressed.

Do /s/‐initial clusters imply CVCC sequences? Evidence from disordered speech

The structure of /s/‐initial clusters is debated in developmental phonology. Pan and Snyder () took the Government Phonology (GP) framework and proposed that production of /s/‐initial clusters requires the positive setting of two binary parameters [+/−Branching rhyme (BR)] and [+/−Magic empty nucleus (MEN)] and the initial /s/ is treated as a “coda” preceded by an empty nucleus. It is predicted that /s/‐initial clusters should never be acquired prior to branching rhymes (CVCC sequences under the GP definition). This study tests Pan and Snyders prediction in disordered speech. Their prediction is supported by the data of seven English‐speaking children with phonological delays. None of the children acquired /s/‐initial clusters before branching rhymes. Implications for phonological intervention are discussed in light of the finding.

Communicative Accessibility in Aphasia: An Investigation of the Interactional Context of Long-Term Care Facilities

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of persons with aphasia to access interaction and be included in social encounters in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Method Four persons with aphasia were the focus of this investigation. A qualitative research approach using ethnographic methods was used to conduct participant observation, semistructured interviews, and artifact analysis. Expanded field notes from observations, transcribed interviews, and artifacts were then coded to identify patterns in the data. Results The interactional context of LTCFs negatively influenced the ability of persons with aphasia to communicate with others and develop meaningful relationships. Three major themes emerged from the data detailing the contextual elements leading to communication accessibility and inclusion: (a) lack of support, (b) social hierarchy, and (c) focus on performance. Conclusions Findings highlighted several barriers in LTCFs that worked to discourage persons with aphasia from living social and expressive lives. Specific obstacles included a misunderstanding of aphasia and its influence on communicative exchanges and performance-oriented environment that overlooked psychosocial needs. Speech-language pathologists have an important role for advocacy in LTCFs. Clinical implications for assessment and treatment in institutions are discussed.

Experiences Associated with Pediatric Dysphagia: A Mother’s Perspective

Background : Pediatric dysphagia arises from various etiologies but often coincides with complex health issues. Tasks associated with the management of pediatric dysphagia are often unfamiliar and arduous, leaving a heavy burden on the primary caregiver. Little is known regarding how these experiences affect caregivers and family systems. Aims : This study was conducted to examine dysphagia and its vast implications from a caregiver’s perspective in order to reveal a perceived role in management. Methods & Procedures : A qualitative case study design was chosen. Consistent with this tradition of inquiry, naturalistic data were collected through ethnographic interviewing procedures, collection of artifacts for analysis, and multiple lamination sessions obtained through electronic mail messages. These data were analyzed inductively, in which authors independently reviewed data several times and coded the data line by line with a category of idea or action that represented the raw data. As data collection and analysis continued in a cyclical fashion, several initial categories clumped into more abstract overarching themes related to the participant’s experience with dysphagia. Outcomes & Results : Data interpretation suggests that encounters associated with caring for multiple children with dysphagia are multifaceted and that consequences of dysphagia extend far beyond the individual with dysphagia and into the entire family system. Conclusion : This paper argues for further consideration of social and affective factors in pediatric dysphagia management and the inspection of dysphagia from a dynamic lens that accounts for all layers of the disorder.

Acoustic properties of alaryngeal speech

One of the current options for the restoration of speech in individuals, who have undergone total laryngectomy, is the use of artificial (electronic) larynx devices. These devices can be classified as either transcervical devices, which transmit the acoustic signal to the vocal tract through the skin and other tissues of the neck, or intraoral in which the signal is directed into the oral cavity through a short piece of plastic tubing. Differential effects on single word intelligibility as a function of artificial larynx type were studied. All judges had no previous experience listening to alaryngeal speech. Four brands of the artificial larynx devices were tested and the results revealed a significant increase in intelligibility with the use of transcervical devices. These results were somewhat surprising as earlier informal surveys had intraoral devices rated higher in terms of listener preference. Perceptual error matrices were constructed and are being analyzed, as are acoustic representations of test...

Perceptual evaluation of infant articulatory transitions

The distribution of phonemic cues contained within consonant–vowel (CV) nonreduplicated (NRB) syllables of infants ages 6 to 15 months was compared to the distribution observed in adult productions [S. Furui, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 57, 1016–1025 (1986)] to examine the extent of coproductive overlap of infant consonant and vowel gestures. Truncated versions of infant CV syllables were presented to adult listeners for syllable identification. Perceptual critical points (truncation point at which syllable identification fell below 60% for the first time) were determined for both initial and final truncation conditions, and critical intervals were calculated. Results revealed significant differences in the temporal distribution and strength of phonemic cues within the infant NRB CV syllable. Fewer than 1/3 of the infant syllables demonstrated normal, adult‐like identification functions under both initial and final truncation conditions, and infant critical intervals were on the average 21/2 times longer than tho...

Accuracy and reliability of formant frequency measurements in infant CV‐like utterances

The accuracy and reliability of measurements of infant formant frequencies were investigated. A total of 40 CV‐type tokens (C = labial‐ or velarlike stop closant, V = /i/‐like or /ɛ‐like vocalic segment) were selected from recordings of vocalizations of two infants, ages 2–4 months. The tokens were of good acoustic quality and were taken from recordings of postfeeding mother‐child interactions. Formant frequency measurements were made from both single FIT cross sections using a 10‐ms sampling window and averaged, time‐advanced, spectra. Time‐advanced FFTs were computed using three successive FFTs taken at 2.5‐ms rightward shifts of the 10‐ms window. Three investigators independently measured formant frequencies in all tokens. Wideband 500‐Hz spectrograms of each token were used to establish baseline values of formant frequencies for comparison with measured FFT values. Inter‐ and intraobserver reliability was also determined.