Auditory-perceptual learning improves speech motor adaptation in children

Area of Science:

• Speech development
• Childhood auditory perception
• Motor learning in children

Background:

• Auditory feedback is crucial for speech development and motor plan refinement in children.
• While children adapt to auditory feedback changes, their motor learning capacity relative to auditory-perceptual skills is unclear.
• Adults' speech motor learning is well-studied via auditory feedback manipulation, but less is known about children's limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between speech perceptual ability and motor learning capacity in children.
• To determine if auditory-perceptual training enhances speech motor adaptation in children.
• To explore the influence of relevant acoustic property perception on sensory-based speech motor adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Two groups of 5- to 7-year-old children participated in auditory perceptual training.
• One group trained on a relevant speech acoustic property; the control group trained on an irrelevant contrast.
• Speech motor adaptation to altered auditory feedback was tested post-training.

Main Results:

• The experimental group, trained on a relevant acoustic property, showed enhanced speech motor adaptation.
• Perceptual improvements in the experimental group correlated with motor adaptation.
• No significant enhancement in motor adaptation was observed in the control group.

Conclusions:

• Children's ability to perceive relevant speech acoustic properties directly impacts their capacity for sensory-based speech motor adaptation.
• Auditory-perceptual training on relevant speech features can improve speech motor learning in children.
• Immature auditory-perceptual abilities may not inherently limit children's speech motor learning if relevant perceptual skills are trained.