This single-subject study was designed to compare the effectiveness of two phonological-based treatment approaches with a preschool male with unintelligible speech characterized by multiple deficient phonological patterns. Four phonological patterns were chosen as targets based on results of the Assessment of Phonological ProcessesRevised (APP-R} (Hodson, 1986), as analyzed by the Computer Analysis of Phonological Deviation (CAPO) (Hodson, 1992a). The subject participated in 60-minute intervention sessions three times a week over an 8-week period. The phonological cycling approach (Hodson & Paden, 1991) was the focus of 4 weeks of intervention, and the minimal pairs approach (Tyler, Edwards, & Saxman, 1987) was the focus of 4 weeks of intervention. Remediation programs were alternated every 2 weeks, and began with the phonological cycling approach. Results were measured through pretests and posttests of the APP-R, as well as baseline and generalization probes that were administered periodically. Results of the CAPD indicated minimal changes between pretest and posttest scores for all of this subject's targeted phonological patterns (i.e., consonant sequences I stridents, velars, liquid /1/, and liquid /r/). In addition, no significant differences in scores were noted between remediation programs. Results of probe measurements indicated little, if any, generalization to targeted and non-targeted words in an imitated word probe task for any of the targeted patterns, except for the target phonological pattern of consonant sequences I stridents after the phonological cycling approach. This finding may suggest that the phonological cycling approach was more effective for this subject than the minimal pairs approach.

Intelligibility refers to how recognizable a speaker's words are to the listener. Severity, a broader but closely related concept, incorporates intelligibility, disability, and handicap. Many factors influence intelligibility, including speech sound production, voice, and prosody, as well as a number of linguistic and contextual factors. Clinicians and researchers in the field of speechlanguage pathology require accurate measures of intelligibility and severity to assess and describe communicative functioning and to measure change over time. Determining the most accurate and efficient measurement approaches has been the focus of recent attention in the field. This study was a preliminary investigation of the relationship between the Articulation Competence Index (ACI), a severity metric, and the percentage of words understood in continuous speech, the standard measure of intelligibility. Specifically, the study addressed the research question: Is there a significant correlation between the Articulation Competence Index (ACI) and percentage of words understood in samples of continuous speech of 4- and 5-year-olds with varying levels of phonological competence? Subjects were thirty 4- and 5-year-olds from the Portland metropolitan area. Four listeners calculated percentage-of-words scores for each child's 100-word speech sample. These scores were compared to ACI scores calculated by the investigator for each of the samples. The data were analyzed using the Pearson productmoment correlation (Pearson£). A moderately strong correlation (£ = .71 to .81) was found between the ACI and percentage of words understood. Squaring the correlation coefficients resulted in values for £ 2 of .50 to .66, indicating that the ACI accounts for more than half the variability of continuous speech intelligibility.

ABSTRACT For several years, college-level remediation in English and mathematics has been of great concern for California community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. The cost of remediation has skyrocketed into the billions of dollars for postsecondary institutions. Placement tests are required for most students before they are permitted to enroll in any college courses. These placement tests determine in what English and/or math class students will begin their college experience. At issue is that many students who successfully complete high English in the 11th & 12 grades (earn an A or B) are placing into a remedial English class. In 2012, the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) reported that over 70 percent of new college students were required to take a remedial English and/or math class. The same is occurring in the California State University (CSU) system. In 2012, 18,690 (33%) CSU first-time freshmen system-wide needed remediation in English. Because of the high rate of remediation among California students in postsecondary institutions, questions have been raised concerning the disconnect between high school English and math and college-level English and math. A mixed-method study will address grades and other variables as predictors of English placement into a community college English course and common language between Common Core State Standards and college-level English course content.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the comparative effectiveness of two articulation carry-over techniques. It was hoped that through this comparison answers regarding carry-over results could be ascertained for purposes of aiding public school clinicians currently spending the majority of management time on carry-over. If one technique was found to be superior, its use among speech pathologists might aid in changing this time allocation trend.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if children labeled as “severe” functional articulation disordered, who had been enrolled in public school speech programs for one year or more, exhibited dyspraxic-like characteristics. Twenty individuals between the ages of 8 and 11 were chosen from the Gresham Public Schools, Lynch Public Schools, Portland Public Schools, Rockwood Public Schools and the Crippled Children’s Division, University of Oregon Medical School to serve as subjects for the three groups in this study. Eight subjects who comprised the experimental group were 11 severe11 functional articulation disorders and were selected from the public schools. Each misarticulated four or more phonemes, consistently or inconsistently, in isolation, syllables, words or conversation; each had made little or very slow progress according to his speech clinician and each had been enrolled in speech management for one year or more as a functional articulation case. Eight subjects in the normal control group were individuals selected from the public schools, with no speech or language problems. Each had never been enrolled in nor recommended for a speech intervention program. Four subjects in the dyspraxic control group were selected from the University of Oregon Medical School. Prior to the date of this investigation, each had been diagnosed as displaying developmental dyspraxia, dyspraxia of speech or verbal dyspraxia. The Modified Apraxia Battery (NAB) utilized in this investigation was a nonstandardized battery consisting of a verbal section and a nonverbal section. The verbal section was composed of ten subtests designed to delineate the presence of a dyspraxia of speech; the nonverbal section was composed of one subtest designed to delineate an oral apraxia and one subtest designed to delineate a limb apraxia. The results of this study revealed a highly significant difference in performance on the verbal section between the normal subjects and the “severe” functional articulation subjects with the normals performing better. A highly significant difference also was found between the normal subjects and the dyspraxic subjects with the normals performing better on the verbal section of the MAB. No significant difference was revealed, however, between the dyspraxics and the “severe” functional articulation cases. It was inferred, therefore, that these two groups performed in a similar manner because they exhibited similar verbal characteristics. “Severe” functional articulation disordered subjects were, therefore, found to exhibit verbal dyspraxic-like characteristics. No significant difference in performance was shown on the nonverbal section among the three groups. It appears the verbal section of the Modified Apraxia Battery much more effectively differentiates those displaying dyspraxic-like characteristics from those who do not than does the nonverbal section. Chi square analysis of items on the NAB supported this contention further suggesting subsection 3, Multisyllabic Words and subsection 6, Sentences are the most discriminating verbal items.

Speech-language pathologists are constantly trying to use the most efficient and effective assessments to obtain information about the phonetic inventory, speech sound errors, and phonological error patterns of children who are suspected of having a speech sound disorder. These assessments may involve a standardized measure of single words and/or sentences and a non standardized measure, such as a spontaneous speech sample. While research has shown both of these types of assessments to give clinicians information about a child's speech production abilities, the use of delayed imitation tasks, either words or sentences, has not been a widely studied topic and has produced conflicting results when researched. The purpose of the present study was to examine speech sound production abilities in children with a speech sound disorder in a single-word task, an imitated sentence task, and spontaneous speech sample to compare their results of speech sound errors, phonological error patterns, and time administration. The study used the Phonological and Articulatory Bilingual Assessment - English version (PABA-E, Gildersleeve-Neumann , 2008), a formal assessment for identifying children who may have a speech sound disorder. Three male children, between the ages of 4;0 and 5;4 (years;months), participated in this study. All participants were being treated by a speech-language pathologist for a diagnosed speech sound disorder and had hearing within normal limits. The results of the study showed that the majority of participants produced the highest number of speech sounds targeted within the imitated sentence task. Participants attempted and produced the least amount of speech sounds on their spontaneous speech sample. The assessment with the highest percentage of accurately produced consonants was the imitated sentence task. The majority of participants produced a higher number of error patterns in their single-word and imitated sentence task. In terms of efficiency and effectiveness, the imitated sentence task took the least amount of time to administer and transcribe.

The purpose of this study was to compare the speechreading abilities of elementary school-age children with mild to severe articulation disorders with those of children with normal articulation. Speechreading ability, as determined by a speechreading test, indicates how well a person recognizes the visual cues of speech. Speech sounds that have similar visual characteristics have been defined as visemes by Jackson in 1988 and can be categorized into distinct groups based on their place of articulation. A relationship between recognition of these visemes and correct articulation was first proposed by Woodward and Barber in 1960. Dodd, in 1983, noted that speechread information shows a child how to produce a sound, while aural input simply offers a target at which to aim.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between occurrence of 10 phonological processes, singly and in groups, with mean percentage of intelligibility of connected speech samples. Participants in the study included 4 adult listeners (3 females, one male) and 46 speakers aged 48 to 66 months (16 females, 30 males). Percentage of occurrence scores for phonological processes (independent variables) were obtained by the administration of The Assessment of Phonological Processes - Revised (Hodson, 1986). Percentage of intelligibility for 100-word connected speech samples (dependent variables) were obtained by orthographic transcription (words understood divided by 100). The single processes showing the strongest negative correlation with intelligibility of connected speech included consonant sequence omission, glide class deficiency, syllable omission, and velar class deficiency, with reliability beyond the .001 level. The combination of consonant sequence omission, syllable omission, nasal class deficiency, and velar class deficiency accounted for 83% of the variance in the dependent variable. In this equation, consonant sequence omission alone accounted for 70% of the variance. Significance is beyond the .05 level for these measures. Results of the study lead to the recommendation that the following phonological processes are high priority targets for remediation: consonant sequence omission, syllable reduction and glide class deficiency, syllable reduction, and velar class deficiency.

Previous research has indicated that speech and linguistic variables develop concurrently. When one aspect of speech and linguistic development is delayed, there are typically associated delays in another area as well. This interactive relationship has been studied extensively in the context of phonological and syntactical development, as well as fluency and syntactical development. The relationship between intelligibility and linguistic proficiency has not been studied as extensively. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between varying levels of intelligibility and length and complexity of language in preschool-aged children. Mean length of utterance was correlated with the mean percentage of intelligible words in a continuous speech sample. The following questions were addressed: 1. Does a significant positive correlation exist between MLU and percentage of intelligible words in a continuous speech sample? 2. Are there significant differences in the correlations of MLU and percentage of intelligible words between four groups of young children with a range of intelligibility levels: mild, mild-moderate, moderate-severe, and severe? A continuous speech sample was collected from each of the subjects. Children were separated into four groups based on intelligibility ratings of mild, mild-moderate, moderate-severe, and severe. These ratings were based on the percentage of mean intelligible words in a continuous speech sample. Correlations between mean length of utterance (MLU) and the percentage of intelligible words (PIW) were obtained using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Regression analysis was used to determine whether a significant difference exists between the correlations for the four groups of intelligibility. An overall significant positive correlation was found between MLU and PIW when the four groups of subjects were combined. Significant correlations were also found between MLU and PIW for the groups with intelligibility ratings of mild and mild-moderate. No significant correlations were revealed between the two variables for the moderate-severe or severe groups. Regression analysis indicated no significant differences in the correlations for the four groups of intelligibility. This resulted in a failure to reject the null hypothesis that the correlations among the four groups of intelligibility levels will be the same.

Problem The purpose of this study was to identify, implement, and evaluate a program of counseling intervention which could be described as preventative or developmental as opposed to remedial. An important consideration was the possibility of intervening with the student, the student's primary or associational groups, or the institutional groups that influence his behavior. A program of freshman orientation and career articulation was identified through institutional research, a review of literature, and the work of a student steering committee. Method An experimental population of 100 and a control population of 100 were selected from the 1971-72 entering freshman class at Weber State College. The experimental subjects were assigned to small groups (9-15) with a group leader. The experimental groups were then processed through a set of behaviorally defined steps with the goal of personalizing orientation and enabling them to determine a feasible career choice. A programmed rational decision-making model was used as the mode for articulating the career choice and establishing long-range plans for achieving that goal. This model required participation throughout this quarter. The control subjects were processed through the traditional large group, auditorium orientation. This treatment consists of three sessions of some three to four hours in length. Various administrators present information on WSC policies and practices followed by a tour of the campus. Main Findings The experimental small group process was preferred much more than the large group process and allowed students to feel that their individual needs were better met. Students in this experimental group also reported their treatment to be much more "helpful", "useful", and "informative." The time spent with experimental subjects exceeded the time spent with control subjects by 3 to 1, yet the experimental subjects indicated that the time spent was "about right" while control subjects reported their presentations were "too long". Experimental subjects reported that they were better informed about college services and policies than were control subjects. Attitudes of general satisfaction with the college as a whole were not significantly improved by the experimental treatment. Experimental subjects reported substantial gains over the control subjects in deciding a major or confirming previous plans and attributed these gains to their small group work with the decision-making model. After the experimental subjects were processed through the decision model they reported that they were more certain of their choice of major than were the control subjects. At the end of two quarters no statistically significant differences were determined about retention of subjects although approximately 16% more of the experimental subjects were still enrolled. Conclusions The review of literature presented a generally dismal picture as to the potential good to be derived from any orientation program. It was indicated that at best it may serve as a public relations function. To the contrary, the data and experience from this study indicate that orientation may be much more meaningful to participants than previous evidence would indicate. Indeed, it is believed that the introduction of career selection through a rational, sound, and logical process probably strikes at the heart of what orientation could and possibly should be about.