scholarly journals Speech movements do not scale by orofacial structure size

2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 2119-2126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel R. Riely ◽  
Anne Smith

The potential role of a size-scaling principle in orofacial movements for speech was examined by using between-group (adults vs. 5-yr-old children) as well as within-group correlational analyses. Movements of the lower lip and jaw were recorded during speech production, and anthropometric measures of orofacial structures were made. Adult women produced speech movements of equal amplitude and velocity to those of adult men. The children produced speech movement amplitudes equal to those of adults, but they had significantly lower peak velocities of orofacial movement. Thus we found no evidence supporting a size-scaling principle for orofacial speech movements. Young children have a relatively large-amplitude, low-velocity movement strategy for speech production compared with young adults. This strategy may reflect the need for more time to plan speech movement sequences and an increased reliance on sensory feedback as young children develop speech motor control processes.

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 774-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Cabbage ◽  
Kelly Farquharson ◽  
Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel ◽  
Jennifer Zuk ◽  
Tiffany P. Hogan

Purpose Children with dyslexia have speech production deficits in a variety of spoken language contexts. In this article, we discuss the nature of speech production errors in children with dyslexia, including those who have a history of speech sound disorder and those who do not, to familiarize speech-language pathologists with speech production–specific risk factors that may help predict or identify dyslexia in young children. Method In this tutorial, we discuss the role of a phonological deficit in children with dyslexia and how this may manifest as speech production errors, sometimes in conjunction with a speech sound disorder but sometimes not. We also briefly review other factors outside the realm of phonology that may alert the speech-language pathologist to possible dyslexia. Results Speech-language pathologists possess unique knowledge that directly contributes to the identification and remediation of children with dyslexia. We present several clinical recommendations related to speech production deficits in children with dyslexia. We also review what is known about how and when children with speech sound disorder are most at risk for dyslexia. Conclusion Speech-language pathologists have a unique opportunity to assist in the identification of young children who are at risk for dyslexia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 2100-2108
Author(s):  
Nicole Coles ◽  
Ravi Retnakaran ◽  
Anthony Hanley ◽  
Catherine Birken ◽  
Jill Hamilton

AbstractObjective:Waist-to-height ratio has been shown to be an important indicator of cardiometabolic risk. There are few studies evaluating this measure against existing measures of adiposity and cardiometabolic markers in early childhood. The objectives were: (i) to determine in young children the ability of waist-to-height ratio, BMI z-score, weight for length, and sum of skin fold thickness to predict cardiometabolic risk and (ii) to examine this association at ages 1, 3 and 5 years.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:A university hospital in Toronto, Ontario.Participants:Infants at 1 (n 406), 3 (n 112) and 5 years of age (n 94) born to mothers with and without gestational diabetes mellitus.Results:Weight for length and BMI z-score demonstrated the strongest correlations with biochemical measures compared to waist-to-height ratio, including leptin (at 5 years, weight for length z-score: ρ = 0·65, P < 0·001; BMI z-score: ρ = 0·67, P < 0·001) and measures of insulin resistance (at 3 years, weight for length z-score: ρ = 0·25, P = 0·02; BMI z-score: ρ = 0·24, P = 0·02). The magnitude of associations between anthropometric measures and biochemical measures strengthened over time. Weight for length and BMI z-scores were moderately correlated with overall measures of fat mass as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (ρ = 0·65, P = 0·00; ρ = 0·61, P = 0·01).Conclusions:Waist-to-height ratio was not superior to existing measures in predicting cardiometabolic risk in young children. BMI z-score is a preferred measure of adiposity between birth and 5 years of age.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 853-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna H. Lowenstein ◽  
Susan Nittrouer

Purpose Child phonologists have long been interested in how tightly speech input constrains the speech production capacities of young children, and the question acquires clinical significance when children with hearing loss are considered. Children with sensorineural hearing loss often show differences in the spectral and temporal structures of their speech production, compared to children with normal hearing. The current study was designed to investigate the extent to which this problem can be explained by signal degradation. Method Ten 5-year-olds with normal hearing were recorded imitating 120 three-syllable nonwords presented in unprocessed form and as noise-vocoded signals. Target segments consisted of fricatives, stops, and vowels. Several measures were made: 2 duration measures (voice onset time and fricative length) and 4 spectral measures involving 2 segments (1st and 3rd moments of fricatives and 1st and 2nd formant frequencies for the point vowels). Results All spectral measures were affected by signal degradation, with vowel production showing the largest effects. Although a change in voice onset time was observed with vocoded signals for /d/, voicing category was not affected. Fricative duration remained constant. Conclusions Results support the hypothesis that quality of the input signal constrains the speech production capacities of young children. Consequently, it can be concluded that the production problems of children with hearing loss—including those with cochlear implants—can be explained to some extent by the degradation in the signal they hear. However, experience with both speech perception and production likely plays a role as well.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3582
Author(s):  
Marilyn Townsend ◽  
Mical Shilts ◽  
Louise Lanoue ◽  
Christiana Drake ◽  
L. Díaz Rios ◽  
...  

Children of Hispanic origin bear a high risk of obesity. Child weight gain trajectories are influenced by the family environment, including parent feeding practices. Excessive body fat can result in unhealthful metabolic and lipid profiles and increased risk of metabolic diseases. The objective was to estimate criterion validity of an obesity risk assessment tool targeting Spanish-speaking families of Mexican origin using anthropometric measures and blood values of their young children. A cross-sectional study design with five data collection sessions was conducted over an eight-week period and involved 206 parent/child dyads recruited at Head Start and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in Northern California. Main outcome measures were criterion validity of Niños Sanos, a pediatric obesity risk assessment tool, using anthropometric measures and blood biomarkers. Niños Sanos scores were inversely related to child BMI-for-age percentiles (p = 0.02), waist-for-height ratios (p = 0.05) and inversely related to blood biomarkers for the metabolic index (p = 0.03) and lipid index (p = 0.05) and positively related to anti-inflammatory index (p = 0.047). Overall, children with higher Niños Sanos scores had more healthful lipid, metabolic and inflammatory profiles, as well as lower BMI-for-age percentiles and waist-to height ratios, providing evidence for the criterion validity of the tool. Niños Sanos can be used by child obesity researchers, by counselors and medical professionals during clinic visits as a screening tool and by educators as a tool to set goals for behavior change.


2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1751-1759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Siyan Zhan ◽  
Jing Sun ◽  
Liming Lee

AbstractObjectiveThe present pilot project aimed to assess the effectiveness of social mobilization and social marketing in improving knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) and Fe status in an Fe-deficient population.DesignIn an uncontrolled, before–after, community-based study, social mobilization and social marketing strategies were applied. The main outcomes included KAP and Hb level and were measured at baseline, 1 year later and 2 years later.SettingOne urban county and two rural counties in Shijiazhuang Municipality, Hebei Province, China.SubjectsAdult women older than 20 years of age and young children aged from 3 to 7 years were selected from three counties to attend the evaluation protocol.ResultsAfter 1 year, most knowledge and attitudes had changed positively towards the prevention and control of anaemia. The percentage of women who had adopted NaFeEDTA-fortified soya sauce increased from 8·9 % to 36·6 % (P ≤ 0·001). After 2 years, Hb levels had increased substantially, by 9·0 g/l (P ≤ 0·001) in adult women and 7·7 g/l (P ≤ 0·001) in young children.ConclusionSocial mobilization and social marketing activities had a positive impact on the KAP of adult women, and resulted in marked improvements in Hb levels in both adult women and young children. This should be recommended as a national preventive strategy to prevent and control Fe deficiency and Fe-deficiency anaemia.


2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-221
Author(s):  
Moges Yigezu

The custom of lip-plate insertion, as practiced by the Chai people, has an effect on the speech of women since it alters articulators needed for speech production: the lower lip and the lower incisors. Due to the effect of this practice, women cannot produce bilabial and dental consonants in their own language. Vowels are also affected, but the presence of the lip-plate does not affect the tonal system. This study further examines ways in which the lower lip and lower incisor mutilations are compensated for, and the acoustic effects involved in the ‘lip-plate speech’ as well as its implications for phonological theory.


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