International Journal of Linguistics & Communication

Preliminary Case Studies Investigating the Use of Electropalatography (EPG) Manufactured by CompleteSpeech® as a Biofeedback Toolin Intervention
Renee Fabus, Lawrence Raphael, Selene Gatzonis, Kaitlin Dondorf, Krystal Giardina, Sarah Cron, Brittany Badke

Abstract
Purpose: This preliminary investigation examined the effectiveness of using electropalatography, manufactured by Complete Speech®, as a tool with three children diagnosed with articulation disorders. The participants produced the following phonemes in error: /?/, /s/, /r/, r-colored vowels [?,?], and r-colored diphthongs [?r, ?r, ?r, ?r] in different positions of words. Method: Speech and language skills were assessed prior to the intervention. A conversational speech sample was elicited and analyzed pre- and postintervention. The intervention consisted of a 45-minute session once a week over a 10-week period. Perceptual data were recorded during each session. Three months post intervention two of the three participant’s speech was analyzed to determine possible generalizationof therapy targets. No home practice program was provided to the participants. Results: The results revealed that each of the participants improved in their lingua-palatal contacts for the phoneme(s) targeted. Conclusion: Electropalatography manufactured by Complete Speech® was a useful intervention tool to improve the speech skills of three children diagnosed with articulation disorders. Positive improvements in articulation as indicated in this study show promise for use ofthis software to improve patient awareness of articulatory errors and ability to use visual feedback to effectively produce target sounds and generalize their correct speech productions.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijlc.v3n1a3