Defining and Remediating Persistent Lateral Lisps in Children Using Electropalatography

Abstract

Electropalatography (EPG) was used to train two 8-year-old girls with persistent lateral lisps. Pretreatment evaluations showed that the two speakers differed in the manner in which they produced lisps. Subject 1, who produced errors for /s/ and /z/ sounds only, produced these errors with linguapalatal closure across the alveolar ridge and no contact at the region of the molars. She remediated quickly (17 treatment sessions) and could produce correct productions in conversation when monitored. Subject 2 produced errors for the alveolar sibilants, the palatal sibilants, and the affricates. She produced these errors with linguapalatal contacts along the alveolar processes using a midline groove similar to that used for palatal sibilants. A rounded tongue configuration was suspected to occur that allowed for midline air passage as well as air passage through the buccal cavities. Subject 2 made minimal gains after 28 treatment sessions. Possible causes for the different performances of the two subjects are discussed.

EPG therapy for children with long‐standing speech disorders: predictions and outcomes

“…In this study, however, we considered increased age as a positive feature. Dagenais et al (1994) along with Dent et al (1995) note that the absence of visual or cognitive deficits in potential EPG candidates is significant. These can adversely affect a child's ability to follow the programme and thus depress progress.…”

Electropalatography treatment for articulation impairment in children with dysarthria post-traumatic brain injury

“…The palate is then connected to a computer via a data acquisition box [14] and tongue movements against the sensors on the palate are displayed on-line via the computer screen. EPG is therefore unique in providing both the clinician and patient with information about the dynamic movements underlying speech production, resulting in an explicit level of diagnosis and treatment not available from perceptual methods [14,15]. The ability of EPG to monitor tongue-to-palate movement for diagnosing and treating dysarthria is of particular interest in the paediatric population post-TBI, given that lingual deficits have been suggested as the level of physiological impairments underlying articulatory issues in this patient group [3,16].…”

Preliminary Case Studies Investigating the Use of Electropalatography (EPG) Manufactured by CompleteSpeech® as a Biofeedback Toolin Intervention

“…Several studies have reported using EPG with children who presented with speech sound disorders (Carter & Edwards, 2004;Dagenais, Critz-Crosby, & Adams, 1994;Dagenais, 1995;Gibbon, 1999). Nordberg, Berg, Carlsson, & Lohmander (2008) study reported on two participants diagnosed with dysarthria secondary to dyskinetic cerebral palsy.…”

“…The findings of their study suggest that EPG technology is beneficial in training individuals how to produce sounds that are not currently in their phonetic inventory, as well as "kick start articulatory change" in a child with abnormal articulatory productions (Gibbon & Wood, 2003, p. 369). Several studies (Dagenais et al, 1994;Dent et al, 1995;Gibbon & Hardcastle, 1987;Gibbon, Hardcastle, & Moore, 1990;Hickey, 1992) have reported that EPG has aided in the improvement of specific speech sounds (e.g., improving articulation of /s/, /r/, and true palatal sounds) in children who arenot advancing with traditional speech therapy approaches (McAuliffe & Cornwell, 2008). Dagenais et al (1994) examined the effects of EPG on the remediation of a persistent lateral lisp in two eight-year old typically developing participants.…”

“…Several studies (Dagenais et al, 1994;Dent et al, 1995;Gibbon & Hardcastle, 1987;Gibbon, Hardcastle, & Moore, 1990;Hickey, 1992) have reported that EPG has aided in the improvement of specific speech sounds (e.g., improving articulation of /s/, /r/, and true palatal sounds) in children who arenot advancing with traditional speech therapy approaches (McAuliffe & Cornwell, 2008). Dagenais et al (1994) examined the effects of EPG on the remediation of a persistent lateral lisp in two eight-year old typically developing participants. McAuliffe and Cornwell (2008) conducted a similar study and sought to determine if EPG technology would reduce the perceived "sloppiness" of the lateral /s/ phoneme in an eleven year old typically developing participant.…”