Feature characteristics of spontaneous speech production in young deaf children

Sixty-five 6-yr-old deaf children from state supported schools were given an adaptation of the Goldman Fristoe test of articulation to assess their spontaneous speech production. Responses were measured in terms of features of manner, place, voice visibility, position, and error type and compared to imitative samples. A rank order of difficulty for each phoneme, error type, and word position is presented. Results show that of the phonemes, low back vowels, diphthongs, laterals, and voiced consonants were more easily produced. A relationship could be found between fundamental frequency, formant frequency, intensity, and phoneme production, suggesting that these variables and features may be providing the governance underlying the phonological rules in the development of speech in the deaf. Suggestions for training are given.