Articulation Test Software for Visual Confrontation "HVPS"

Introduction

In any educational setting, one of the greatest challenges of our day is the ability to combine the current technological knowledge acquired and developed in different areas of knowledge. The computer technology and specifically has entered our daily strongly from our work to our homes, easing the daily tasks.

However, despite the development in computer areas, we continue performing tasks of a "manual" tasks or "paper and pencil" without knowing it, can be executed more quickly and efficiently by a computer.

In the Chilean educational and special education especially in regard to the diagnostic area, there are no screening tests for speech and language child Chilean population using advances in computer and that are manipulated by all professionals education.

In response to this growing need we developed the first screening test in the area of ​​speech that combines the best of both worlds: technology and knowledge.

One of the most common problems affecting our children and specifically to speech, what is the dyslalia, which could be defined as "an alteration of articulatory type consisting of the omission, substitution or distortion of a phoneme (or more) systematic way.

The causalities of dyslalia may be multiple, among which are:

Weaknesses praxis (muscle hypotonia).

Anatomical malformations (cracks, sub-lingual frenulum short disrupted soft palate).

Inadequate maintenance habits (drinking bottle, thumb sucking, pacifier use).

Alteration of prelinguistic functions such as swallowing atypical, mouth breathing, and others.

Among the most common dyslalias are those that affect the phonemes / rr /, / r /, / s /, / d /, / l /, / k /, / j / and / g /. These phonemes are not the most likely to appear during development, and therefore, the most problematic in terms of acquisition.

We might also note, based on clinical experience, that the dyslalia of / rr / or rhotacism is the most common of all, a condition found in more than 50% of the cases found in Diagnostic Centers, Colleges and Language Schools of General Education Basic Metropolitan Region.

It is important to note that each of the phonemes listed have appeared at a given age according to neuromuscular maturation of children, with a lag of about 6 months (Dale, 1980).

The second most obvious difficulty that occurs in children, with respect to language, are called Phonological simplification. Children have difficulty in the features that distinguish phonemes and their combination rules are unsystematic errors that unlike dyslalias.

Also, the most characteristic and frequent PSF are affecting syllable structure within which we find vowel sequences and consonant combinations.

For our part, we believe that after 5 years of age, vowel and consonant reductions are already a problem of not being involved will lead to difficulties in other domains of learning.

Unfortunately, as we mentioned, especially in relation to early detection, our country has no evidence of speech and language evaluation for the Chilean media associated with information technology spectrum, that is used by all professionals education.

Considering the above background on the development of speech and language, and adding to it current computer technology is that it has developed the Software: Test of Articulation for Visual Confrontation, "HVPS".

The Software "HVPS", aims to assess, first, the level articulatory children between 3 and 7 years of age and secondly the presence of some of Phonological Simplification Process (FSP) more frequent child population. This test specifically detect, quickly and effectively, the presence of speech disorders (dyslalias) and secondarily, some specific language disorders (PSF) in a visual interactive framework.

Materials and Methods

The construction of the Joint Test Software for Visual Confrontation, HVPS, was carried out considering the following steps:

a) Literature review and assessment of clinical experience in the development of speech and language of children.

We conducted a literature review of articulatory phonological development of children and phonological development, subject to clinical experience in various schools Phonoaudiologic language of the Metropolitan Region (Santiago de Chile), a community in Florida, San Miguel, El Bosque and Peñalolén and Diagnostic and Treatment Centers, Las Condes and La Florida.

The records collected through tests such as the Joint Test and Clinical Observation Repeat took priority in the implementation of this screening test.

b) Analysis of articulatory assessment tests used in language schools.

Articulatory assessment tests most commonly used language schools are the Test of Articulation to repeat (TAR) and the test Fonoarticulatoria.

The TAR assesses the phonemes grouped into the following categories: bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, palatal and velar. The phonemes are presented in the initial syllable, middle, end and Trabant when necessary. It also incorporates the evaluation of diphones vowels, consonants, multisyllabic words and phrases growing geometry. The completion of the test is carried out through the repetition of the words presented by the examiner to the child. Importantly, the T.A.R. has a long and a summary version which reduces the application time without losing their objectivity.

As can be seen, the application of ART dyslalias be registered and phonological simplification processes (PSF) in diphone vowels, consonants and polysyllabic words. It also allows recording the auditory memory of the repetition of phrases and sentences.

Because of this, the T.A.R. is not only an articulation test that evaluates the presence of dyslalias, but also allows you to record some of the most common PSF as the reduction of sequences vowels, consonants and words of high geometry.

The test fonoarticulatorios concerns in language schools, the assessment is carried out through sheets, which contain sequences of phonemes and vowels and consonants.

The evaluation is unlike T.A.R. through the designation of the sheets by the child and which are registered and PSF dyslalias with the lowest.

Comparing the two tests are the following points to consider:

The T.A.R. to determine the actual implementation of the child but lets you know if the child uses the linguistic repertoire has. Besides its long version, often ends bored or restless at the lowest evaluated.

Fonoarticulatorio test lets you know the use that has the least of his language, since the answer is through the name, but if the examiner does the child repeat the words considered wrong results may be erroneous (false positive) to determining dyslalias and PSF.

Finally, both are based assessment test to determine the result, knowledge about the articulatory phonetic and phonological development of children. This is where the language specialist interprets the information in accordance with scales of development and clinical experience.

For the construction of the Software, HVPS, we collected the following guidelines based on the information detailed above:

The test method should consider naming and repetition, to ensure the results and minimize false positives.

It should be short to avoid fatigue of minors.

Like T.A.R. must maintain the structure of grouping of phonemes in bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, palatal, Velar, vowel and consonant diphones to maintain a production order.

Phonemes should be evaluated in the initial syllable, middle and end for the presence of dyslalia. Phonemes were not considered Trabant due to the following:

- Many of the Trabant phonemes are omitted or replaced by cultural influence, for example.: AVOCADO - Part.

- The phonemes are delayed acquisition Trabant so its influence is less in the test result.

- Many of the Trabant phonemes are difficult to plot or illustrate with pictures.

Nor polysyllabic words were considered due to two factors:

- Polysyllabic words like phonemes are delayed acquisition Trabant and require proper development of phonological awareness and auditory integration therapy (Acosta, V., 1999).

- Technical difficulties with the automatic programming of the results by the "Software".

Finally it was not considered the evaluation of phrases or sentences due to the following points:

- An almost single-item repetition.

- We believe that its original purpose is not to measure joint, but the retention and recall of the phrase or sentence (auditory memory).

c) Searching for words to be represented in images.

A search was conducted more than 200 words that would be associated with the phonemes to syllable positions evaluated in early, middle and end, in addition to the vowel and consonant combinations. The chosen set of words that make up the HVPS 67.

d) Collection and Selection of images.

67 images were selected from a total of 500, obtained through digital camera, choosing those that had the best resolution and ease of recognition.

e) end of the HVPS Constitution.

Once collected and sorted all the information, that is, words, images, structure and characteristics of the test, applied computer technology and I think this Software.

f) Sample.

The HVPS was applied to a total sample of 256 children, between 3 and 7 years old, distributed in normal and speech-language pathology from the Special School of Language "Ludilen" and the Institute "St. Paul Missionary" of Metropolitan Region (Santiago de Chile), commune of El Bosque and San Bernardo respectively.

g) Procedure.

The team consisted of a speech therapist and an analyst programmer. It was originally applied to the total sample of Articulation Test to Repeat, TAR (short version) and the HVPS, in its first application, with a lag of one week. Both tests were applied by a speech pathologist.

The second pilot implementation of the HVPS was performed by different examiners among whom were a Wizard of Special Education, four specialist teachers in Language and General Education Teacher Basic. The professionals were trained in the application of the test using the HVPS manual. Evaluations were carried out between September and October 2003. In conclusion each child was assessed by two different examiners randomly selected. The period between the first and second evaluation was two to three weeks apart.

Mention should also be measured HVPS application time of each of the examiners.

The collection and comparison of the results was done through the summary report provided by the HVPS to complete the evaluation. We obtained 256 pairs of reports.

Results

The results obtained through the summary report of the HVPS allowed the following tests:

Comparison of results obtained with the Test of Articulation to repeat and the first implementation of the HVPS.

We compared those items that both tests evaluated: phonemes in initial position, middle and final vowel diphone diphones consonant. The overall results of both tests agreed in 100% (normal, dyslalia and presence of PSF).

Comparison between the two applications of HVPS in relation to the number of matches obtained.

We compared the first application, made by a speech pathologist, and the second application of the HVPS, performed by another professional, finding an average of 81.02% agreement between the results obtained between both applications.

Given the above results we conclude the following:

1. HVPS software presents the same results as the Test of Articulation Repeat with the advantage of automatically processing the results without interference from the examiner.

2. The coincidence of results between the first and second application of the HVPS, conducted by different examiners, was highly significantly exceeding 80% of equalities.

3. The implementation of the HVPS is amazingly fast, independent examiners. Obviously the more the user is familiar with the test, the faster your application.

Notably, there was a 18.98% of discrepancies in the results obtained by different examiners and investigators who attribute it to the following:

Differences between examiners: Clinical experience of each of the reviewers and especially their ability to discriminate sounds and PSF of the biggest problems children may have influenced the difference in results.

Language Development: Children with language disorder continued to receive treatment for HVPS applications so could result in variations in the production of phonemes and PSF test applications.

Finally, we note that the HVPS is the result of several years of clinical observation in relation to the use of evidence articulatory and artwork in various language schools in the metropolitan area.

References.

- Acosta, V.M., Moreno, A.M. "Difficulties of Language in Educational Environments." The delay to the Specific Language Disorder. Barcelona. Edit. Masson. 1999.

- Watering place, G. "specific language impairment. Delayed Language and dysphasia." Málaga. Edit. Cistern. 1999.

- Dale, P. S. "Development of Language: A psycholinguistic approach." Mexico. Edit. Trillas. 1980.

- Johnston, B. "Language Development." Buenos Aires. Edit. Pan American Medical. 1988.

- Maggiolo, M; Pavez, M. Test for Evaluating Phonological Processes TEPROSIF Simplification. Santiago. School of Audiology Publishing. 2000

- Puyuelo, M. "Speech Therapy Clinical Cases." Barcelona. Edit. Masson. 2000.

- Rondal, J., Seron, X. "Language Disorders II". Barcelona. Edit. Paidos. 1991.

- Silva, D., "Protocol for the Assessment of Dysphasia (PED)." Exhibition at the Seminar - Workshop Language: A New Proposal, Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE). 1996.

- Silva, D., "Specific Plan: The relationship between cognition and language." Exposure in a way I find Language Development: Families and Schools face the Millennium. Stimulation and Development Center Language Huechuraba. 1999.

- D. Smith, Communication 2000, Part I Exhibition referred to the Early Detection of language disorders. Schools Workshop at headquarters Augustinian Pedro de Valdivia 2009 and headquartered Las Condes 13349. 1999 to 2000.

- Silva, D., "Special Education psycholinguistic approach". Educational Seminar Exhibition in Winter 2001. University of Chile, Medical School North. 2001.

- D. Smith, Communication 2000, Part I Exhibition referred to the Early Detection of language disorders. College workshop in San Fernando, Peñalolén Commune. 2002.

- Silva, D., "Impact of Changes in Language Learning and Second Language Acquisition." Exhibition held in SBS Talks and Activities. 2002.

- Toledo, N., L. Dalva "Speech and Orthopedic Rehabilitation in Orofacial jaw." Barcelona. Edit. Masson. 2001.

- Valles A., "Evaluation of dyslalias." Test of Articulation of Phonemes PAF. Madrid. Edit. UNECE. 1995.

Daniel A. Silva Troncoso., M. FonoaudiólogoAlfredo Lopez Allende., Analyst ProgramadorVer HVPS show: http://danielsilvat.site40.net/spav demo.html