Vowel space in children with residual speech sound disorders

Children with Residual Speech Sound Disorders (RSSD) are considered to have typical speech except for a few misarticulated sounds. During the course of ultrasound biofeedback therapy, parents frequently remark that their children have improved intelligibility, even if the misarticulated sound is not yet successfully remediated. One possible explanation is that therapy improves articulatory precision and expands their articulatory action space. In this study, we collected vowel space measures for 10 RSSD children pre and post 10 sessions of ultrasound therapy. In addition, we collected vowel space measures for 10 typically developing children. Preliminary results suggest a difference between populations. Across RSSD speakers pre-therapy, formant values were variable within phonemic categories; in contrast, formant values were consistent within phonemic categories in typical speakers. Further results of the comparisons between RSSD and typical children as well as for RSSD children’s performance pre and post...