As a speech therapist, you are constantly looking for ways to improve your practice and provide the best care for your students. One area that often poses challenges is managing hypernasality in cleft palate speakers. A recent study titled "Phonetic Context and Hypernasality in Two Groups of Cleft Palate Speakers" by Judith Borlak and Karlind T. Moller provides valuable insights that can enhance your therapeutic approach.
Understanding the Study
The study aimed to evaluate the effects of different phonetic contexts on the perception of nasality in cleft palate speakers. The researchers categorized the participants into two groups: mildly hypernasal and moderate-severely hypernasal. They assessed nasality across various speech tasks, including isolated vowels, consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) syllables, and vowel-loaded sentences.
Key Findings
The study found that nasality is judged to be increasingly severe from isolated vowels to CVC syllables to sentences. This increase was more pronounced in the moderate-severely nasal group. Additionally, the severity of hypernasality was influenced by the vowel and, to a lesser extent, the consonant produced.
- **Task Complexity**: Nasality severity increases with task complexity, especially in moderate-severely hypernasal speakers.
- **Vowel Influence**: High vowels tend to be judged as more nasal than low vowels.
- **Consonant Influence**: Voiced consonants contribute to higher nasality ratings compared to voiceless consonants.
- **Playback Mode**: Mildly hypernasal speakers are judged to be more nasal when their speech is played backward rather than forward.
Implementing the Findings
Understanding these findings can help you tailor your therapeutic approach to better manage hypernasality in cleft palate speakers:
1. Focus on Task Complexity
When assessing and treating hypernasality, consider the complexity of the speech task. Start with isolated vowels and gradually progress to more complex tasks like CVC syllables and sentences. This approach can help you identify the specific contexts in which hypernasality is most severe.
2. Pay Attention to Vowel and Consonant Contexts
Be mindful of the vowels and consonants used in your speech tasks. High vowels and voiced consonants tend to exacerbate hypernasality. By focusing on these phonetic elements, you can develop targeted exercises to help your students improve their speech clarity.
3. Use Forward Playback for Assessment
For mildly hypernasal speakers, using forward playback during assessment can provide a more accurate representation of their nasality. Backward playback may introduce additional perceptual factors that could skew your evaluation.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study offers valuable insights, it also highlights the need for further research. As a practitioner, you can contribute to this field by conducting your own studies or collaborating with researchers. Understanding the nuances of hypernasality in different phonetic contexts can lead to more effective therapeutic strategies.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Phonetic Context and Hypernasality in Two Groups of Cleft Palate Speakers
