Case study using ultrasound to treat /r/
Geetanjalee Modha1, B May Bernhardt, Robyn Church
1Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders
|September 14, 2007
Summary
Ultrasound visual feedback may help improve /r/ sound production in speech therapy. This case study suggests ultrasound facilitates /r/ acquisition, warranting further research.
Area of Science:
- Speech-language pathology
- Acoustic phonetics
Background:
- The production of the /r/ phoneme presents a common challenge in speech therapy.
- Ultrasound imaging has emerged as a potential tool for providing visual feedback during articulation therapy.
Observation:
- A single case study involving a Canadian English-speaking adolescent with difficulties producing /r/ was conducted.
- The study employed a design with alternating treatment blocks: no treatment, treatment with ultrasound, and treatment without ultrasound, bookended by no-treatment periods.
Findings:
- Acoustic analysis (formant values) and perceptual ratings by trained listeners indicated improved /r/ production.
- The most significant improvements in /r/ articulation were observed following the introduction of ultrasound feedback.
Implications:
- Ultrasound appears to be a beneficial tool for facilitating the acquisition of correct /r/ articulation.
- Further large-scale research is necessary to validate these findings and explore the broader applicability of ultrasound in speech therapy.
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