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Ultrasound Images of the Tongue: A Tutorial for Assessment and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors
Published on: January 3, 2017
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Using ultrasound visual biofeedback to treat persistent primary speech sound disorders
Joanne Cleland1, James M Scobbie, Alan A Wrench
1a School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde , Glasgow , Scotland .
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
|March 10, 2015
Summary
Diagnostic ultrasound provides visual biofeedback for speech therapy, improving articulation in children with persistent speech sound disorders unresponsive to traditional methods. This non-invasive tool shows significant progress in tongue-shape and speech sound production.
Area of Science:
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pediatric Healthcare
Background:
- Visual biofeedback can enhance speech therapy for individuals with strong visual skills, particularly for difficult-to-articulate sounds.
- Diagnostic ultrasound offers a compact, affordable, and non-invasive method for real-time tongue imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic ultrasound as a visual biofeedback tool for children with persistent speech sound disorders.
- To assess treatment outcomes in children unresponsive to conventional speech therapy approaches.
Main Methods:
- A case series of seven children (aged 6-11) with persistent speech sound disorders was studied.
- High-speed ultrasound (121 fps), audio, and lip video recordings were collected at five time points (pre-, during, and post-intervention).
- Intervention involved using ultrasound to provide visual biofeedback on tongue articulation.
Main Results:
- All seven children demonstrated significant progress in targeted speech segments post-intervention.
- Improvements were evidenced by perceptual speech measures and objective changes in tongue shape observed via ultrasound.
- The intervention was effective for children with persistent speech sound disorders who had not responded to traditional therapies.
Conclusions:
- Diagnostic ultrasound is a promising visual biofeedback tool for speech intervention in children.
- This technology can effectively address persistent speech sound disorders, offering a novel therapeutic approach.
- Ultrasound biofeedback shows potential for improving articulation and tongue-shape accuracy in pediatric speech therapy.
