Phonological Analysis of Child Speech Relational Analysis.

Phonological Analysis of Child Speech

Relational Analysis

Model of Speech Disorders

A speech disorder can be phonetic (articulatory), phonemic (phonologic), or both

The broader term “speech disorder” encompasses all of these

Nature of AssessmentPhonological analysis includes the identification, description, and classification of sound differences in a child’s speech that signal meaning differences

3 key concepts in phonological analysis (Grunwell, 1997): System Structure Stability

System

Includes a set (or inventory) of different sounds produced by the childAdequate sound systems are symmetricalSounds are contrastive in place, voice, and

manner and function to signal differences in meaning

Sounds function contrastively in all word positions (I, M, F)

Structure

Refers to the rules and organization of the sound system

Specifies the distribution and combination of sounds in a languageExample: [] cannot occur # ___

[pl, bl, kl, gl] are permissable clusters, but not *[tl, dl]

Stability

Refers to the predictability of the speaker’s systemic and structural patterns (or organization) of their sound system

The inventory of sounds (SYSTEM) and the rules that govern the distribution and combination of sounds (STRUCTURE) provide the organization and therefore predictability of a “phonology”

Relational Analysis

Child’s speech compared to adult speech in a one-to-one comparisonDifferences between the two productions can be described in terms of SODA, phonological processes, PVM error patternsOnly describes error sounds, therefore, often called an ERROR ANALYSIS

Independent Analysis

Child’s speech is described as a unique, independent, self-contained sound systemNO comparisons made between child:adult systemsDescribes what the child DOES rather than what the child does NOT do (as in error/relational analysis)

Issues in Completing a Phonological Analysis of Child Speech

Type and length of sample Sound inventory ~ pattern test Elicited single word ~ conversational 50 words ~ > 300 words

Phonetic transcription Must complete whole-word transcription

Severity of disorder Mild-moderate: relational analysis of sound

inventory or pattern test may be sufficient Severe-profound: independent + relational

analyses with larger samples (150-200 words)

Two Frameworks for Phonological Analysis

Relational Analysis SODA Distinctive feature analysis Phonological process analysis PVM analysis

Independent + Relational Analyses PPK Systemic phonological analysis of child

speech (SPACS)

Phonological Process Analysis

Number of commercial tests availableDunn (1982): APP identified most patterns

Non-standardized phonological process analysesDunn (1982): non-standardized analysis

was better than APP

List of Common Phonological Processes

Common to many commercial tests, but not tied to any one published test

Listed according to syllable structure (deletion) processes and sound simplification (substitution and assimilation) processes

Considerations in completing non-standardized phonological process

analysisChoose the process that BEST describes error pattern Ex: [o] for [so] could be either BACKING or

PALATALIZATION; PAL provides more precise description of what child is doing than broader label of BA

In general, each process only changes one aspect of PLACE, VOICE, or MANNER Process ordering (Edwards, 1992)

Process OrderingSequential application of processes when one sound error involves more than one phonological process (PDI)“unraveling” of child’s error productions relative to adult target Example: /f/ adult target

s apicalization t stopping d prevocalic voicing [d] child’s pronunciation

Steps in completing a non-standardized phonological process analysis

Complete whole-word transcription of speechTranscribe target word according to ATApply appropriate phonological processes in sequential manner until all aspects of sound change are accountedSummarize results (Summary Sheet)Select appropriate tx goals

Summary Sheet

Organize/summarize results

Frequency of occurrence of each processProcess limitation/applicationDevelopmental information on processes

Select tx targets

3 perspectives Intelligibility perspective

most frequently occurring process(es)Developmental perspective

Select earliest process(es) that should have been suppressed

Combination

Advantages/Disadvantages of Phonological Process Analysis

AdvantageDescribes error patternsTerms are “user friendly”

DisadvantageTime needed to complete analysisSelection of tx targets from summary sheet

Place-Voice-Manner Analysis

Describes error patterns in terms of 3 broad categories of consonant production (P-V-M)

Similar to phonological process analysis

Analysis is completed on PVM Analysis Form

Steps in completing a PVM analysis

Complete whole-word transcriptionsUse black/red markers to color code Mark each consonant with appropriate color in appropriate box on PVM formList phonetic inventorySummarize error patterns according to PVMSelect tx targets

Advantages/Disadvantages of PVM Analysis

Advantages Relatively simple and quick to complete Visual representation of error patterns

Selection of treatment targets is easier

Form useful to communicate with parents and others

Form useful to compare pre/post test results

Disadvantage does not identify assimilation errors