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Updated: Jan 23, 2026
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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
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Auditory-Perceptual Speech Features in Children With Down Syndrome
Harrison N Jones1, Kelly D Crisp1, Maragatha Kuchibhatla1
1Harrison N. Jones, Kelly D. Crisp, and Maragatha Kuchibhatla, Duke University; Leslie Mahler, University of Rhode Island; and Thomas Risoli Jr., Carlee W. Jones, and Priya Kishnani, Duke University.
Summary
Children with Down syndrome (DS) often have speech disorders affecting naturalness, consonants, and voice. This study identified key speech impairments in DS to guide future research and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Genetics
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Speech disorders are prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome (DS).
- Limited data exist on the specific auditory-perceptual speech characteristics in DS.
- Understanding these features is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the range and severity of perceptual speech features in children with DS.
- To identify the most affected speech domains in speakers with DS.
- To contribute to a comprehensive profile of speech impairments in DS.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study design was employed.
- Connected speech samples were analyzed from 26 children with Down syndrome.
- 47 distinct perceptual speech features were assessed.
Main Results:
- Key affected features included: naturalness, consonant clarity, hyponasality, speech rate, and voice quality (hoarseness).
- Impairments were observed across voice, speech sound production, fluency, resonance, and prosody.
- Specific features like inappropriate silences, irregular vowels, and altered loudness/pitch were prominent.
Conclusions:
- Speech disorders in Down syndrome result from widespread impairments affecting multiple speech subsystems.
- The identified features provide a basis for a detailed speech impairment profile in DS.
- These findings can inform clinical assessment, treatment strategies, and future research directions.
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