Speech-language pathologists are routinely called upon to make professional assessments concerning a speaker's level of intelligibility. The use of subjective judgement procedures for estimating a percentage of intelligibility is the general practice of many speech-language pathologists because they require minimal time. Although efficient, these methods lack any form of numerical support, and their validity and reliability is questionable. The standard within the field that provides data support is the orthographic transcription method, but it is considered to be too time-consuming for practical application (Samar & Metz, 1988). Researchers continue to seek a measure that is both valid and efficient to be used clinically. The purpose of this study was to establish validity of a check-slash transcription method used to provide objective numerical support for assigning percentage of intelligibility for individuals with moderate speech impairments. The study sought to answer the following questions: 1) Is the check-slash method of transcription a valid measure for quantifying percentage of intelligibility? 2) Is the check-slash method a more time-efficient procedure than the orthographic transcription method? The subjects for this study were 20 graduate students from Portland State University, that were randomly assigned to two transcription groups (check-slash or orthographic}. Each listener transcribed 12 samples taken from 2 girls and 10 boys between the ages of 4:1 and 5:6 with a moderate degree of phonological deficiency. The data were analyzed using individual Mann-Whitney U Tests for each of the 12 samples. Results indicated no significant difference between the check-slash and orthographic transcription methods when used to assign a percentage of intelligibility to individuals with a moderate speech deficit. Although no significant difference was found, interrater reliability for both methods was low. This study established efficiency for the check-slash transcription method when compared to the orthographic method. Increased efficiency for the check-slash method ranged from 38% to 54% over the orthographic method. Results may also indicate that listener perception may influence each clinician's ability to be accurate in their assessments.

This investigation was conducted to determine whether the removal of hearing aids from these children for eighteen hours (+ 1/2 hour and including sleep time) would result in reduced speech intelligibility as perceived by a panel of listening judges who were unfamiliar with the speech of the deaf.

The purpose of this investigation was to measure the ability of young normal hearing listeners to perceive speech in the presence of a background noise which varies in the relative intensity of its semantic content. The Speech Perception in Noise test was mixed with a two-component competing noise complex in which the narrative-to- speech noise ratio varied in 2 dB increments from -2 dB Na/SpN to +8 dB Na/SpN. These stimuli were presented at an overall +8 dB signal-to-noise ratio to thirty young normal hearing adults through the soundfield system. The differences between the mean error scores and standard deviations for the low predictability sentences were found to be statistically significant at all Na/SpN ratios. No main effect was observed for the Na/SpN ratios on the high predictability sentences. Significant differences were also observed between the mean error scores and standard deviations of HP and LP pairs at each Na/SpN ratio. These data further revealed a systematic increase in LP mean error scores and standard deviations as a result of linear increases in the Na/SpN ratio. These results suggest that semantically loaded competing noise significantly influences the perception of primary messages as a direct function of the competition ratio.

This study sought to determine the basic intelligibility of synthesized speech as produced by the HC 120 Phonic Mirror Handivoice. It involved 48 male and female subjects divided into two groups. Group 1 had 40 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 44 years. Group 2 had eight subjects ranging in age from 18 to 33 years. All subjects were screened for normal hearing. Testing for normal hearing was done in an audiological suite at Portland State University. The study was designed to determine the degree to which a group of normal hearing college students could recognize words and phrases as produced by the HC 120 Phonic Mirror Handivoice.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:12:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Niele Caroline Vasconcelos Medeiros.pdf: 711144 bytes, checksum: 1c395daa5b921474e2b2d93185765c0b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-29 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Introduction: Tracheoesophageal speech obtained by means of a tracheoesophageal prosthesis has limitations, represented by its restricted melodic variation and intensity. Thus, there is interference in the communicative efficiency of these individuals. The speech therapist in the context of total laryngectomy has focused his/her work more in the direction of phonation. Frequently, by giving more attention to the voice, the therapist forgets the other aspects of verbal (speed of speech, emphasis, pause and inflection, among others) and non-verbal (posture, gestures and facial expression) communication. Aim: to analyze expressiveness before and after completing a phonoaudiological intervention program, in two individuals with tracheoesophageal speech. Method: two subjects (S1 and S2) with tracheoesophageal speech participated in a phonoaudiological program with focus on expressiveness, conducted in four meetings of two hours each. Two video recordings were made (one pre- and one post-intervention). Ten judges participated in the judgment of each subject s communication (the subject him/herself, three relatives, three phonoaudiologists experienced in attending oncologic patients, and three individuals from the population not familiar with tracheoesophageal speech. The judges were asked whether the communicative performance (in the two video recordings) was equal or different. If they perceived differences, they should justify their reply, identifying which aspect had changed, according to a pre-established evaluation script, with aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication. Results: In the opinion of S1, there were changes as regards facial expression, understanding and speed of speech, use of pauses and voice quality. S2 described the changes in a positive manner for the other aspects: bodily posture; head movements; facial expression, understanding and speed of speech, use of pauses and emphasis; voice intensity and quality. For the subjects relatives, the aspects most pointed out were: facial expression, understanding the speech and voice quality. The speech therapist made a more technical assessment of the verbal communication such as marking emphasis by pauses and variation in loudness, and they also associated more melodious speech with improvement in voice quality, although they made little mention of the non-verbal communication. The lay judges took more notice of the body when they perceived differences particularly in the gestures and facial expression, in addition to the improvements in understanding the speech and voice quality. Conclusion: In the perception of all the judges, verbal communication, so highly valued in the speech therapist clinic, received greater emphasis in totally laryngectomized individuals with tracheoesophageal speech, than non-verbal communication. The speech therapists were shown to identify changes in verbal communication in greater detail, and the lay judges observed communication from more overall aspect. This evidences that the speech therapist clinic is able to transcend the voice and place value on the work with expressiveness in the rehabilitation of these individuals / Introdução: a fala traqueoesofágica (FT), obtida por meio da prótese traqueoesofágica, possui limitações representadas pela pouca variação melódica e de intensidade, o que interfere na eficiência comunicativa dos indivíduos com prótese. O fonoaudiólogo, no contexto da laringectomia total, tem focado o seu trabalho mais na direção da fonação. O terapeuta muitas vezes, ao privilegiar a voz, esquece de outros aspectos da comunicação verbal (velocidade de fala, ênfase, pausa e inflexão, entre outros) e da não-verbal (postura, gestos e expressão facial). Objetivo: analisar a expressividade pré e pós-realização de um programa de intervenção fonoaudiológica em dois indivíduos com fala traqueoesofágica. Método: dois sujeitos (S1 e S2) com FT participaram de um programa de intervenção fonoaudiológica com foco na expressividade, realizado em quatro encontros de duas horas cada. Foram feitas duas gravações em vídeo (uma pré e uma pós-intervenção). Participaram do julgamento da comunicação de cada sujeito 10 juízes (o próprio sujeito, três parentes, três fonoaudiólogos experientes no atendimento a pacientes oncológicos, e três indivíduos da população sem familiaridade com a FT). Foi perguntado aos juízes se o desempenho comunicativo estava igual ou diferente. Caso percebessem diferenças, deveriam justificar sua resposta identificando qual aspecto havia modificado, de acordo com um roteiro de avaliação pré-elaborado, com aspectos da comunicação verbal e não-verbal. Resultados: Na opinião de S1 houve mudanças quanto à expressão facial, compreensão e velocidade de fala, uso de pausas e qualidade de voz. S2 descreveu as mudanças de maneira positiva para os aspectos: postura corporal, movimentos de cabeça, expressão facial, compreensão e velocidade de fala, uso de pausas e ênfases, intensidade e qualidade de voz. Para os parentes dos sujeitos, os aspectos mais apontados foram: expressão facial, compreensão de fala e qualidade de voz. Os fonoaudiólogos fizeram uma avaliação mais técnica da comunicação verbal, pois perceberam a marcação de ênfases por pausas e variação da loudness, bem como associaram maior melodia de fala com melhora na qualidade de voz, embora tenham feito pouca menção à comunicação não verbal. Os juízes leigos observaram mais o corpo dos sujeitos ao perceberem diferenças principalmente nos gestos e expressão facial, além da melhora na compreensão de fala e qualidade de voz. Conclusão: a comunicação verbal, tão valorizada na clínica fonoaudiológica, em laringectomizados totais com FT, recebeu maior destaque do que a não-verbal na percepção de todos juízes. As fonoaudiólogas mostraram-se mais detalhistas em identificar mudanças na comunicação verbal e os juízes leigos observaram a comunicação de forma mais global. Isso evidencia que a clínica fonoaudiológica pode transcender a voz e valorizar o trabalho com expressividade na reabilitação desses indivíduos

O objetivo principal deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da adaptação da prótese rebaixadora de palato na inteligibilidade e na ressonância de fala, e nas características acústicas espectrográficas dos três primeiros formantes das vogais orais do português brasileiro de pacientes submetidos à glossectomia. Participaram 36 pacientes, 33 do sexo masculino e 3 do sexo feminino, com idades entre 30 e 80 anos (Média=53,91±10,53 anos), sendo 14 submetidos à glossectomia total, 12 à glossectomia total e mandibulectomia parcial, 6 à hemiglossectomia e, 4 à glossectomia subtotal. Amostras de fala (conversa espontânea e repetição de 18 sílabas) de pacientes com e sem prótese foram randomizadas e a ressonância e inteligibilidade de fala foram julgadas por 2 fonoaudiólogos. Também foi realizada a análise espectrográfica dos formantes das 7 vogais do português brasileiro com e sem prótese, extraindo-se as médias dos três primeiros formantes. Houve melhora significante na inteligibilidade de fala e de sílabas após adaptação da prótese rebaixadora de palato (p < 0,001). Não houve diferença estatística nos julgamentos da ressonância com e sem prótese. Existiu diferença significante na situação com e sem prótese para o primeiro formante nas vogais /a/, /e/, /u/ (p < 0,001) e tendência estatística na vogal /o/ (p = 0,09); para segundo formante nas vogais /o/, / /, /u/ (p < 0,001), e tendência estatística nas vogais /e/ (p = 0,058) e /i/ (p = 0,080) e para o terceiro formante nas vogais /a/ e / / (p < 0,001). A prótese rebaixadora de palato melhorou a inteligibilidade da fala espontânea e das sílabas dos pacientes glossectomizados. Também aumentou os valores de F2 e F3 para todas as vogais e, de F1 para as vogais /o/, / /, /u/. Isto gerou uma aproximação dos valores dos formantes da maioria das vogais junto aos valores de normalidade. / The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of the palatal augmentation prostheses on speech intelligibility, ressonance and acoustic spectrographic characteristics of the first three formants of oral vowels in Brazilian Portuguese, in patients submitted to glossectomy. Thirty-six (33 men and 3 women), aged 30 to 80 years (mean = 53.9 ±10.5 years) underwent glossectomy (14 = total glossectomy; 12 = total glossectomy associated partial mandibulectomy; 6=hemiglossectomy, and 4 = subtotal glossectomy) constituted the study sample. Speech samples (spontaneous conversation and repetition of 18 syllables) from the patients with and without prosthesis were randomly distributed and the resonance and speech intelligibility were judged by 2 speech language pathologist. A spectrographic assessment of formants of the 7 vowels of Brazilian Portuguese, with and without prosthesis, was performed. The mean values of the first three formants were extracted. There was a statistically significant improvement of the spontaneous speech intelligibility and of the average number of correctly identified syllables with the use of the prosthesis (p<0.05). The speech resonance results have not demonstrated a significant reduction in hypernasality with the palatal augmentation prostheses in place. Statistically significant differences occurred in F1 values for the vowels /a/, /e/, /u/, for F2, there was a significant difference in the vowels /o/, / /, /u/; and for F3, there was a significant difference in the vowels /a/, / / (p < 0.001). Palatal augmentation prosthesis improved intelligibility of spontaneous speech and syllables in glossectomized patients. It also increased F2 and F3 values for all vowels and F1 values for the vowels /o/, / /, /u/. This effect has brought the values of many vowel formants closer to normality.

Hearing aid manufacturers commonly engineer automatic gain control (AGC) circuits which are aimed at reducing'sound tolerance problems and improving speech intelligibility among wearers. The most common type of AGC engineered is one utilizing a fast attack time. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of both fast and slow attack times on the intelligibility of speech. Twenty-four normal hearing subjects listened to sixty pre-recorded sentences through two types of hearing aid circuits. Thirty sentences were modified by a fast attack AGC circuit, and thirty sentences were modified by a slow attack AGC. The subjects marked one of four multiple~choice answers for each sentence. The mean number of sentences answered incorrectly when heard through fast attack AGC was 8.25. When heard through slow attack AGC, the mean was 6.67. The performance differences which exist between these two modes of signal modification suggest that the fast attack does not improve intelligibility as significantly as slow attack time among normal listeners. Further investigation into the effects of slow attack AGC circuits on the user's ability to understand speech are recommended.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 500 Hz and 3,150 Hz one-third octave band augmentation on the speech discrimination ability of listeners with cochlear hearing impairments. The results were analyzed both within the experimental group of subjects included in the present study and in comparison with data collected on a control group of normal hearing subjects reported earlier.

Highly unintelligible children may mistakenly be assumed to have difficulty only with the misarticulation of consonants. Expressive language concerns may be ignored while the primary focus of intervention becomes the correction of misarticulated speech. Questions have arisen regarding the possibility of both speech and expressive language difficulties contributing to unintelligibility. Shriberg and Kwiatkowski (1982) developed an ordinal means of rating severity of involvement. One of the constructs of the severity scale was intelligibility. The metric percentage consonants correct (PCC) was developed to identify severity of involvement of disorders of phonology.

When the primary mode of communication is speech, the crucial ingredient for successful communication is intelligible speech. The speech of children with disordered phonologies is often unintelligible. Accurate and reliable measurement of speech with compromised intelligibility is essential if appropriate treatment procedures are to be chosen and implemented. The focus of this investigation was the measurement of speech intelligibility in young children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the subjective method of trained ear estimation and the objective method of orthographic transcription when measuring the speech intelligibility of young speakers with a wide range of phonological profiency. For this study, the standard measurement of intelligibility was operationally defined as the percentage of words understood in a continuous speech sample derived from orthographic transcription of the sample. The secondary purpose was to investigate the accuracy of the speech-language pathologists' estimates as compared to the standard measure for each of the three groups: (a) the children with the most intelligibility, (b) with average intelligibility, and (c) with the least intelligibility. Data were collected from 47 children, aged 4:0 to 5:6, who comprised three groups with varying levels of intelligibility. Two groups of listeners who were unfamiliar with the speakers, but familiar with the topic, rated the children's percentage of intelligibility from continuous speech samples via orthographic transcription or trained ear estimation. The two methods of measuring speech intelligibility investigated in this study were found to correlate highly (£ = .96). However, there was a significant difference between the percentages derived from orthographic transcription and those derived from trained ear estimation for some speakers. The 1-test analyses revealed significant differences between the two measures for the two most intelligible groups, and no significant difference for the least intelligible group. It appears that the subjective method of estimating speech intelligibility with trained ears correlates with the objective method of orthographic transcription, but yields a different percentage score for some speakers.