Seminar Announcement

Measuring Development of Lingual Differentiation in Children with Computerised Signal Analysis

Abstract

This project aims to investigate the development of lingual differentiation, that is, independent control of the tongue tip and tongue back in children between the ages of 36 months and 66 months.  Previous research has found evidence of poor lingual differentiation in children with speech sound disorders when compared to adult speech 
(Gibbon, 1999). However, there is little data on the degree of lingual differentiation that is expected in typically developing children at this age. Hence, it is difficult to conclude whether the poor lingual differentiation seen in children with speech sound disorders is a true marker of disorder, or merely a consequence of immaturity. This study 
aims to collect data on typical acquisition of lingual differentiation along with that observed in children with speech sound disorders. In order to achieve this in a non-invasive way, the study will investigate the use of computer analysis of speech signals from normal conversation to infer tongue movement.