Acoustic-phonetic analysis of the prespeech vocalizations of babies with cleft palate
Salas-Provance, Marlene B.
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/22850
Description
Title
Acoustic-phonetic analysis of the prespeech vocalizations of babies with cleft palate
Author(s)
Salas-Provance, Marlene B.
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Kuehn, David P.
Department of Study
Speech and Hearing Science
Discipline
Speech and Hearing Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Language, Linguistics
Health Sciences, Speech Pathology
Language
eng
Abstract
The aim of the study was to provide a quantitative means of investigating the prespeech vocalizations of babies with cleft palate. Because prespeech vocalizations appear to play an important role in the acquisition of language, it is vital to have a means of identifying these vocalizations beyond the phonemic inventory which omits potentially important vocal behavior. Acoustic analysis can supplement phonetic analysis and both measures may be utilized to identify communicative abilities of these babies at an early age.
Four babies with cleft palate and four noncleft palate matched subjects were taperecorded in their homes interacting with their parent. Recordings were taken at 13 and 15 months of age. A total of 1600 utterances were subjected to acoustic and phonetic analysis. A Kay Elemetrics Visi-Pitch was used to measure the fundamental frequency (Fo) and duration of each segment. Phonetic transcription was utilized to identify the stage of canonical babbling.
Results showed that babies with cleft palate had a tendency towards a higher Fo compared to the controls. Much variability was found in the range of Fo used within utterances for both groups. The babies with cleft palate had longer utterance duration values. However, both groups remained within a 100 to 500 ms duration criterion for syllable productions at both recordings.
The canonical stage of babbling, defined as 0.5 canonical syllables per utterance, was reached by all control babies at both 13 and 15 months of age. Babies with cleft palate were able to meet this 0.5 criterion if their compensatory articulations were included in deriving the ratio. When compensatory articulations were subtracted however, one baby with cleft palate did not meet criterion and another two babies with cleft palate had ratios lower than their matched controls. All babies with cleft palate had smaller phonetic repertoires and produced fewer CV syllables in their utterances.
Findings from this study further support other reports of decreased phonetic repertoires and delayed language skills in cleft palate children. The acoustic and temporal findings provide data that potentially can be used to identify the speech-like qualities of the early unintelligible utterances of babies with cleft palate.
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