Speech Treatment Effects on Narrative Intelligibility in French-Speaking Children With Dysarthria

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Children with cerebral palsy often experience dysarthria, impacting speech intelligibility.
• Francophone children with dysarthria present unique challenges in speech therapy.
• Limited research exists on targeted intelligibility treatments for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Speech Intelligibility Treatment (SIT) on narrative speech intelligibility and naturalness.
• To compare SIT with a physical therapy (PT) intervention in francophone children with dysarthria.
• To assess changes in intelligibility and naturalness pre- and post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• Ten francophone children with dysarthria were randomized to SIT or PT.
• Interventions were delivered in a camp setting with comparable dosage.
• Speech intelligibility was measured by listener transcription accuracy; naturalness by visual analogue scale.

Main Results:

• The SIT group showed a significant increase in speech intelligibility post-treatment.
• No significant changes in speech naturalness were observed in either group.
• Articulation rate increased in both groups, but not differentially.

Conclusions:

• Speech Intelligibility Treatment (SIT) demonstrates potential for enhancing narrative intelligibility in francophone children with dysarthria.
• Individual variability in treatment response was noted.
• Further investigation into acoustic correlates of improved intelligibility is warranted.